2-Star Hotels in Yamanouchi

Traditional ryokan where the time has literally stopped. This is also seen at the location, some parts may now use a lick of paint or cleaning. Despite a good experience. The excavaters were very friendly and involved. The food was also beautiful and freshly made in a private dining room. However, the Notre was too warm to enter for a “Western” guest in May.

⭐Geographical location: Yudanaka Hot Spring is relatively close to Jigokudani Monuen, a 20-minute walk from the station. It should be noted that you can pick up the station before 5 pm. We arrived at 5:30, but the boss said we could not pick up. Although the distance is not long, it still takes a while to walk on the mountain road. You can also take a bus, which runs every half an hour. ⭐Service: There are two shopkeepers serving you, and their attitude is very good. They will help you deliver your luggage to the coffee shop next to the station when you travel the next day. It should be noted that if you check in after 3 pm, you will not be able to make calls in the morning. I left something in the room. No one answered the phone after three calls. In the end, I had to go to the store to get it again. ⭐Facilities: The room layout is relatively simple and the facilities are relatively simple. To be honest, the heating is relatively small and it is a bit cold at night. There is no shower room and toilet, and the sink only has cold water. Shower rooms and hot springs need to be charged separately, 500 yen. Public toilets (all small Japanese-style hotels are like this) are very clean, because there are few rooms and few guests, and you have never touched anyone else in the toilet. Anyway, the price/performance ratio is pretty good. ⭐Meals: Our order included dinner and breakfast, but the portions were small and not enough to fill us up. When we got out of the station, we had to remember to buy some food from Lawson. There are no convenience stores in the hot spring street! Mineral water is not provided, and there is an additional charge of +100yen. ⭐Hot spring: You can soak in 9 soups on the street, but there is only one key, so you have to go there separately. The private soup shop in the store is in B1. It is relatively simple, has a lot of moisture, and is not very clean. It is recommended to go to the public soup house. Although the boss said that there is no place to take a bath in the public bath, so you can only buy a private bath + shower, which is a bit embarrassing.

A really unique and affordable place, with a genuinely wonderful host. I found this by chance and we were all so amazed by our stay. The place is older and homely, but the rooms and facilities are all fine. We started our stay by taking up the owner, Miyasaka San, offer of dinner, and it was a very generous and wide ranging meal (sashimi, tempura etc), of around 9 dishes set out for each of us. Then Miyasaka San gave us a history lesson on Kyudo (Japanese archery). A few days later we were lucky enough to have a lesson with him, and he also performed the Kyudo ceremony which was an amazing experience. He also kindly drove us up to the entrance of the monkey park walk. We were here in May, late spring and still saw some blossoms of the vast apple tree farms around. The area is a quiet charming chain of smaller ‘towns’ and the real treat here are the 9 public onsens you can visit. Read up on them. This would be a great place to visit in winter for skiing, to get away from the real overrun popular places. You get to Yamanochi-Machi by taking a train to Nagano, and then switch to a local train to Yudanaka which is at the end of the line. This is genuinely a rural place, and staying at this ryokan will only add to the experience. We hope to return one day, with our archery homework done :)

We travelled as a group of three families (5,5,4) and enjoyed our stay at Hotel Housei very much. While my family are frequent travellers to Japan, it was the first time for the other two families and they were keen to try Japanese accommodation - tatami, futons, and onsens. We were able to book three tatami rooms all with private onsen and they were fantastic - especially as the majority of our travelling group were a little shy to go nude in the public bath 😬 The futons were comfortable, the rooms were cosy and warm, and we enjoyed the complimentary tea and traditional sweets, and the yukatas to wear. The instructions for using the private bath were very clear and the bath itself was lovely to soak in and enjoy. The staff were very friendly and could communicate well in English. They made excellent restaurant suggestions for our group of 14, and also assisted with sightseeing and snowboarding suggestions in the area (less snow this year so usual spots not open). They always welcomed us warmly when we returned each day from our adventures and we enjoyed their personal touch. The hotel offers a free shuttle bus to the snow monkeys, local ski field and the train station, but we had hired cars so did not need to use it. They had a valet parking service which was very handy! We thoroughly enjoyed our time in this hotel and will stay again!

I think the boss just opened the restaurant and made an accommodation by the way. The food was so delicious. The two of us had nothing left to eat. There was a bath in it, so I could soak almost all day, and the room was big and perfect.

It's located behind the main street. The location is good with the outdoor hot springs next to it and diagonally in front of it. There was also a delicious Japanese sweets shop. The inn is a nostalgic inn with an atmosphere of the Showa era, and there is an elevator. There is a large public bath and a private bath, both of which are very comfortable and I took a long bath. Even if you don't have time to use the outdoor bath, this bath may be enough. For breakfast, I am happy to have a proper and delicious breakfast for the first time in a long time, such as thickly sliced salmon, sea****, and a bowl full of rice that I can't eat. It was a fun trip because they kindly told me how to get to the sightseeing spots.

We booked Nozaru Hostel because it was the cheapest (around 40€) in the area AND one of the closest stays to the Snow Monkeys. Which doesn't mean next door. You still either need to walk 45 mins or take a bus and walk 25 mins to reach the entrance of the park. The bus (no.1) ride from the station to Nozaru Hostel takes about 7 minutes and leaves once or twice an hour. You get off at Shibuwagobashi Station and walk 4 mins to the hostel. It is quite a big building with 4 or 5 floors. The overall impression is a bit worn down and with some more dedication you could create a really nice hostel. They have an onsen on the ground floor which is used for the shower as well though it was not very busy. Our room was in the 4th floor and we had a nice view. Unfortunately you couldn't open the windows - they were taped. What we really didn't enjoy so much was the cold temperatures inside the room - especially when you have to turn the heater on every 5 minutes. The Japanese style sleep on the futon was fine though - covered in duvets. And one very positive aspect: It was spacious! Enough space for luggage and chill out sessions on the matress. The receptionist lady who seemed to be the owner spoke very good English and was helpful with everything we needed. It is just a pity that they don't put more effort into this place as it is perfectly located in the onsen street. We are not picky but in this case it is hard to rate ”very good” or ”excellent”.

We arrived very late at night after catching the chuo taxi from Narita Airport. The keys were available for us as promised. We were promptly shown to our room. We had booked traditional japanese style room with the tatami mats. While they are not super soft there were a few more mats in the wardrobe - my friend had three and I had four piled on top of each other and that worked a treat. We did feel like the princess and the pea which seemed common after chatting to a few other people staying at the hotel. We had breakfast included in our stay which had either traditional japanese option or the boring western option. Can't rate the quality of a japanese breakfast high enough! We absolutely maximised our time in the onsen. While it didn't have an outdoor option it still worked a treat soothing our weary muscles after a day on the slopes. We had a morning and evening onsen. So so good :) The staff at Villa Ichinose were fantastic! So helpful in their beautiful gentle manner. Nothing was an issue or a bother. Sure the property is a little tired but everything is clean and coupled with great location and staff it's all you could ask for. The communal area in the main reception is a great way to chat to other guests and get an idea of where to go and what to do or what not to do. I loved the location of Villa Ichinose - literally a 5 min walk from the door of the hotel to the slopes. No hassle getting around. Food options around Ichinose are great but there aren't loads of options. And it's worth noting that if you want to dine later than say 6pm then you must book. Most places take walkins around 5:30pm but that was for groups of 2 or 3. Anymore and you are pushing the friendship.

I haven't stayed, but I will post a case where I don't have a paid option because it was a rental shop designated on the bus tour. When you arrive at the store, you will first receive an explanation of the paid option. Explanation that the additional charge is free is that one boots are attached, and the ski board is narrow and old. When you add an option of 1500 yen per person a day, it is said that the boots with multiple metal fittings will be a new board. (There is also a real sample) I was at a loss, but for some reason my child said it would be better to be free, so I made it free. Although it is free, the insurance premium costs 500 yen per person a day. The actual boots were the same as the sample, and the boards were old but acceptable for children. As I could see, my board was tattered and the surroundings were bald and the resin inside was exposed. (See photo) Of course, the fit around the armor is different, but children were rather happy that this was easier to wear and remove. Even if I started slipping, he said that it was slippery than what I borrowed at another ski resort on New Year's Day without any problems. (This is Mayutsuba) The problem is my board. When I got on it, it was very slippery and the edges were not working at all, and it was difficult to balance whether it was poorly maintained. Of course, I couldn't slip my usual slopes, so I felt that I was not good at it even if I subtracted it from the first course. We have been skiing for over 30 years, and when we were children, we were thrown into school every winter and have some knowledge. Even I had a great difficulty getting on, so I think beginners are lending dangerous tools such as not being able to stop or falling. As for skiing, I think it's ”choose Kobo brush”, so I understood the value of the paid option. However, there is no announcement on the tour, and there is a sudden charge option guide at the rental shop, and the store is small, so you can't try it on and choose it (if you choose a paid option, you can't refund it at all). I thought the method was quite bad. It's like a fraud ○ or a bad dealer. When my eyes got used to it, I saw people wearing boards and boots that seemed to have been borrowed at the same store, and even the paid option seemed not to be the latest. Also, I saw a board exactly the same as the free sample, and the child was a decent board with children. As expected, the roots are not rotten enough to let the child wear a poorly maintained board. The tour I went to for New Year was cheaper than this time, but I was able to rent boots and boards that were equivalent to or better than that without additional charges. There is a possibility that the tour company is buying cheaply, but it is possible to consider the safety of the customer a little more because it takes 500 yen a day as an insurance premium with the tool that has been used for decades I think. I think beginners really need to be careful.

With a stay at ZEN Hostel in Yamanouchi, you'll be a 1-minute drive from Shiga Kogen Ski Area and 7 minutes from Jigokudani Monkey Park. This hostel is 17.1 mi (27.6 km) from Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort and 5.5 mi (8.9 km) from Ryuoo Ski Park.Take in the views from a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access.Featured amenities include multilingual staff, laundry facilities, and microwave in a common area. Free self parking is available onsite.Make yourself at home in one of the 5 air-conditioned guestrooms. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected. Bathrooms with showers are provided.