"I was lucky enough to find a room available at the last minute and managed to book a stay. The ground floor entrance lobby has a relaxing space and a large collection of books that guests can borrow and take to their rooms. There's also a restaurant map of Sakata City, which was incredibly helpful for exploring local dining options. It was nicely categorized by cuisine type, which I really appreciated. The room itself was efficiently designed, with a spacious bed. I enjoyed being able to watch TV on a large screen while lying down. Both the hotel and the room were spotlessly clean. The hotel staff were incredibly friendly, and we even had a great chat about various topics. Thank you so much! This is definitely a hotel I'd want to stay at again if I ever visit Sakata City in the future."

"During my stay, I accidentally left my keys in the room due to a misunderstanding with my child, but I was grateful for the quick response. The other services were also very polite, making it a comfortable stay."

"Washer and dryer available The room is a bit dark, no chairs, not suitable for work But the TV in the room is super big It's perfect for watching movies. Service is very good Hungry at night, you can go to the counter to buy instant noodles With some drinks. Very convenient Parking lot is large"

"There is a parking lot near the main road and it is very convenient to drive. There is a USB plug in the room, the bed is a little hard, and the refrigerator is cold enough There is a large public bath, and there are convenience stores and ramen shops nearby."

"If you’re looking for accommodation in Sakata, look no further! Keita-san and all the staff at Wakaba Ryokan were unfailing in their warmth and hospitality during our stay. We were involved a minor accident with our rental car (completely my fault) and called ahead to let them know we were delayed and couldn’t advise them of an estimated arrival time. We finally ended up arriving just after 8pm and found that, as we had prepaid for dinner that evening, they had kept the kitchen open for us, which I had not at all been expecting. After a distressing few hours stuck on the side of a highway, even well after sunset, dealing with the car rental and insurance companies, having our car towed, then imposing on the kindness of strangers living near the spot where police had directed us to wait, to help us call a taxi and let us use their toilet, it was a most welcome act of care and generosity that made us feel we were in safe hands. This was further reinforced by Keita-san (who speaks excellent English, having spent a year studying in the USA) offering to help us in dealing with the rental car company about a technicality. Dinner was delicious, consisting of five beautifully presented courses, plus rice and soup. We simply could not finish it all due to the generous portions. A dessert plate was served in our room later. Breakfast the next morning was also very generously portioned and we felt bad about not eating it all. I believe Keita-san’s wife is the ryokan’s chef, responsible for all the meals served. Our room itself was unexpectedly huge. When making the booking, I had opted not to choose a specific room size, instead letting the ryokan allocate us the largest available on the day of our stay, which then turned out to be the largest in the whole place. We very much appreciated having the space to spread out and relax after the day we’d had! The public bathrooms are open 24 hours and were further conducive to relaxing, with nice hot water in a herbal bath that eased the tension from my body. All toiletries were provided, including face wash and moisturiser. We slept well in our room, though those who are sensitive to light may wish to bring an eye mask, as there were no curtains over the windows. The morning light is softly diffused by the paper coverings, allowing for a gentle, natural way of waking up. We had to use shared toilets, and showers were in the public bathrooms, but this was not an issue for us, and they were all well-appointed and clean. There is a new annex, which has a lift, and rooms there may have an ensuite, though you would need to confirm this with the ryokan. The older building in which we were housed was sometimes a little worn around the edges (if you want to be picky), but this merely added to its charm and the sense of history, and you can feel the love and care with which it is maintained. The carpet in the corridors sometimes made it tricky to wheel our luggage, but it dampened the sound, contributing to the seren"

"The meals were delicious kaiseki cuisine. Mount Chokai was visible from the room. Rooms on the opposite side offer a panoramic view of the town. The open-air bath wasn't lit at night, but during the day it was beautiful and the temperature was just right. On both the first and second days, I had pleasant conversations with mountain climbers. Above all, the atmosphere of the large hall was wonderful. I spent my time sitting and reading a novel, while others were relaxing with music playing. The weather was bad during my stay so I couldn't observe the stars, but I heard that Saturn is visible on clear days. The room was also perfect, and I was very satisfied!"

"Excellent facilities and very comfortable stay. However trip.com never sent us our check in details which led to a lot of confusion upon arrival as the accomodation has a self-service check in and we were unable to contact the staff without a Japanese phone number. Another guest helped us get in contact with a staff member, which was very kind."

"I was very satisfied, but it would be great if you choose the right season. However, the water didn't quite suit me."

"I was able to sleep quietly and well in a retro room! I want to stay again!"