Ryotei Hanayura

The private onsen was very nice and the wait staff were exceptionally attentive and efficient.

I LOVED my stay at Hanayura. The biggest selling point for me is the onsen area in the bottom floor. On a rainy day it was totally empty and it was sublime. Just being in the glorious water as little droplets fell all around, coupled with sound of nearby stream, the best word to describe is heavenly. The combination of indoor and outdoor onsen all conveniently in the same space was more than one could ask for. Very beautiful and clean and well-maintained. Just know it gets cleaned everyday from 9:30 am to 2pm. The private onsen in the room was also perfection. I sat in the morning, amid the mist, fog and rain with a face mask and drank my coffee. Actual perfection. The MOST amazing part however was the staff. Everyone was so nice, and welcoming, warm, sweet, and polite,—so refreshing. Even with the translation issues, the professionalism was top notch and the courtesy and attentiveness was clearly there. No language needed. I used CHATGPT to help me with certain phrases and that is all that was needed :). If you don’t want the hotel dinner/breakfast, there are also tons of restaurants, cafes, kombinis, very close and there is a little store with goodies and snacks near lobby. Lobby is beautiful! The ryokan is also very close to Jigokudani, and the hike starting at the hotel was perfect. The rooms are so traditionally Japanese, quaint, tastefully kept, I loved it, even if it’s not modern— news flash (THAT IS THE POINT!) I hope to return one day.

Everything! The hot spring bath on the veranda, great location to visit the Hell Valley - amazing service

If you aren’t a massive fan of traditional Japanese food then this place is not for you.

The property is centrally located with the hell valley only a few minutes away on foot. The Onsen is lovely too.

1. The room was outdated and not very clean with stains all over the walls, ceiling and tatami mats. 2. The private onsen bath looked like it is not washed frequently, with slimey mildew all over it and the tub’s wood is showing signs of rotting. 3. The dinner was full of delicacy ingredients like Hokkaido horsehair crab, kinko fish, caviar, etc but they were cooked without skill and tasted bland. The Wagyu tasted outright not fresh. 4. During dinner, the staff barely explained the ingredients or how to eat them, unlike in other ryokans we visited. 5. The staff in the hotel acted like they don’t really care about you, this was unlike any other experience that we had in Japan, where staff usually always goes an extra mile for the guest. The only helpful and nice person was a black-haired gentleman at reception.