Tachibanaya

Overall nice stay with exceptionally good sleep on the futon mats. Huge traditional apartment with two big rooms and plenty of space. Very quiet. We didn’t have a nice view from our suite but the view of the garden from other rooms and communal space is amazing (though the windows are very dirty anyway). The staff is lovely and very attentive although speaks absolutely no word in English (apart from one English native speaker). The check in process and parking took forever with very slow translations on the phones. The communal baths are nice, the private rooftop baths are nice too but didn’t feel clean (feeling a layer on the bath floor and seeing plenty of leaves in the pool three days in a row). The carpet in the hallway is so stained it makes you feel concerned when you first enter worrying if the room is clean. It was a bit contrastive with the posh and elegant service all the staff was trying to give. The room was nice and clean though. The dinner was delicious, well worth trying.

It was a nice stay. There are some great features to this place. It's beautiful, has great updated amenities, and it's perfect for a relaxing trip. However, the website was hard for me to use and it was difficult to get anyone on the phone who speaks English. This made booking a room difficult, as well a working out some details of my stay. It was also kind of boring place to stay. Most clients were families with babies or older couples. Nobody spent time in the lounge/ bar at night, only for coffee in the morning prior to checkout. The restaurant was good, but not amazing. I had better meals at some home stays in the area. If you're looking for something very cozy, quiet, and standard hotel experience, this is for you. If you want something a little more fun, with great food and still have a relaxing time, there are better options.

Tachibanaya sits next to a river in a quiet village surrounded by forested mountains. Huge rooms, ofuro, rotemburo and sauna for the onsen experience: yukatas, tatami and kaiseki dining for the ryokan ambience. Meals are served at reserved tables in a dining room. Free shuttle to meet Uetsu line Inaho trains at Atsumi Onsen station. Caters almost exclusively to Japanese guests: a knowledge of onsen etiquette and basic Japanese recommended. I have stayed in many similar places over many years - this is one of the very best. SF: Loistava ja erittäin hyvä arvo.