Family-friendly Hotels in Yamanouchi

Small and cute place to be. Once you get to the train station or bus stop, give them a call and they will come pick you up. You can walk if you want, but it does go uphill a little bit if you have suitcase with you. Staff is really nice and accommodating. We did have one of our friends ending up pregnant on the trip after we had booked the trip and she was not able to eat many of the foods. They were really nice and worked with what she could eat and even gave her a little omamori (like a charm) for her healthy and safe pregnancy and birth. Would recommend to others. The individual onsen in each room is wonderful and if you want to have more people gather together, get the bigger rooms. Mt. Fuji is visible but understand that it depends on time of day and season. Due to the smaller space, there is only one area to gather downstairs, which is also where you check in. Not a big deal for us, but for those who wants like a whole area to walk around in the hotel, then may want to look at those bigger hotels.

On such a hot day, there is no air-conditioning on the 4th floor. I vaguely feel that there is discrimination in the room booked through Ctrip. The next day we negotiated to change to the 6th floor.

I recently stayed at Shibu Hotel in Yamanochi, Nagano, and it exceeded my expectations. The service was excellent, with a very helpful English-speaking staff. The complementary drinks in the room fridge and lobby were a nice touch. The rooms were clean and spacious, perfect for oversized luggages The free shuttle to the snow monkey park and Yamaneda Train Station was convenient. Access to public onsens added to the overall experience. They also provide a Yukata that you can use. Just a tip: book in-house meals in advance to avoid missing out as they tend to fill up quickly. Overall a highly recommended stay.

From the moment you enter Kokuya Ryokan, be prepared to leave the real world behind and fully immerse yourself in the experience. You swap your shoes for slippers at the door and don’t see them again until you leave. You will receive a warm welcome from polite and gentle-mannered staff, get taken up to your beautiful room, and once you’ve changed into your traditional yukata, it’s time to let the relaxation begin. The multi-course dinner will probably be one of the best meals you’ve had in your life, with many unusual textures and flavors to try. The futons are comfortable, and your room is kept toasty warm. There are even skincare products to keep you pampered and moisturized between soaks in the onsen. Honestly, you won’t even need to open your suitcase while you’re there. The staff will take you through all the logistics when you arrive, but there are some things that might be useful to know in advance. - The ryokan sends a shuttle to Yudanaka station at about 15:00 to collect new arrivals, so time your journey to take advantage of this benefit. - The ryokan also offers guests the opportunity to catch a shuttle to the Snow Monkey Park immediately after breakfast the next morning. - After you leave the ryokan, they will take your luggage down to the coffee shop opposite the station, so you don’t need to worry about those logistics. - Trains from Yudanaka back to Nagano leave at 12:30 and 15:30. - The ryokan itself has several private onsens that you can reserve for a 45-minute slot. Because the onsens are on the property, you can go in with your partner or travel companions regardless of gender. It’s a boutique hotel, so you don’t have to worry about not getting access to all the onsens you want. - The ryokan is on the main road of the Shibu Onsen town. The hotel will give you a key so you can wonder down the main road, visiting any of the public onsens you wish - however, with so many gorgeous and more private onsens in the hotel itself, you probably won’t have time or the desire for this. - Also, there is a coffee machine in the room! (I was worried about having to survive without coffee, and this turned out to be an unfounded concern). We had an incredible and totally indulgent time at Kokuya. Experiencing a traditional ryokan is a privilege that you should try at least once if you can. And adding the Snow Monkeys in give the trip a double purpose, making it that much more memorable. The only thing that would have made the trip better is if we had been allowed to linger longer over every course of our dinner.

I’m shocked by any reviews of this architectural treasure where it’s not being given it’s fair marks. No, it’s not a 5 star hotel, but it is 5 stars in a unique very Japanese experience teeming with history!! The rooms are simple but elegant and super clean. The provided dinner and breakfast are excellent and again — another experience in tradition of this culture. Don’t skip the history tour of the Ryokan. It’s very informative and gives you insight to all the unique floors, windows and lighting. It’s very easy to get lost inside this place!! It’s like a fun house wrapped in a tree house laid out like a maze and it takes a few (ok — a LOT) of trips around the horn to find your way anywhere. I felt a personal victory when I finally found my way back to my room! So let’s talk about the hot springs, cuz that’s probably why you’re here right? HOT is an understatement. The water in these baths is about 120ºF. That is really hot and if you are like me and find a hot tub at 104º a little too warm, good luck with these! After 10+ minutes, I managed to get halfway in, but I couldn’t take it very long. The interior baths of the Ryokan were beautiful, but we preferred the outside rooftop one just because the cold night air helped with the overall tolerability of that hot water. Venturing out about the town at night in your robe and wooden shoes is also part of the adventure. It’s so cute when the village is lit up. You get a public bath map and a master key from the Inn that lets you access any of those public baths as you walk around. After seeing the cool baths of the inn, the ***** ones were just OK. There’s a foot soak spot however that we loved. It has a cold water faucet you can turn on while in there to make the water temp just perfect for you!!! I just loved our stop here. It’s a 1 night/2 max stay if you’re on a travel itinerary around Japan.

Usually I research for weeks before a trip but this was a last minute opportunity to see the snow monkeys. My train ticket was held up and so I wasn't sure I would be able to go so booked this on the train wifi on the way there. They responded quickly to a query and the key things for me were near the train station, free shuttle to the monkey park and restaurant on site. I wanted to try an Onsen so had already decided on a Royokan. The twin room was spacious and the beds comfortable. I was close to the Womens bathroom so very convient. All areas were spotlessly clean. Being winter the heating system was very effective. I could not have been happier with my choice. The staff were extremely friendly and gave me valuable advice for my first time dip. The Royokan if perfectly placed to wander to the 9 Onsen in the village and only a couple of doors from a very expensive looking hotel. I was too tired to try the restaurant in the evening but the breakfast was a great way to start the day. My only disappointment is that I could not stay longer. I would happily return to the area and if I do, I will definitely stay here again.