Kamitakai District Hotels & Accommodations

The biggest attraction is that it has hot springs and a large public bath. The room is spacious and more than enough for one person to stay. It's quite close to the station, and there's a convenience store near the hotel, so I think it's a good hotel. If you come to Nagano, this is the place for sure.

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.

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.

We stayed in one of the rooms with a private onsen. It was a large room with two beds on the floor and a dining area. There was also a tiny makeup area/table on the side that I truly appreciated. The in-room onsen was large and comfortable. It had a large window that opens which brings in the refreshing cool air. The Skintheque toiletries were luxurious and perfect. The large shower was also a plus for us. Food was unbelievable. I was able to try new tastes and flavours I won't soon forget. The breakfast chicken with tomato and onion was a surprise. Dinner's abalone was also a revelation. My DH is a tall and large man. We truly appreciated the length of the bed, the size of the shower and onsen. The only problem is that the hotel staff is not very well-versed in English, though they do try their best.

We stayed for one night on November 28. Reservation is HP of Kusatsu Hotel. We booked a main building corner room with two meals per night. You can pick up and drop off by car from Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal. Kusatsu Hotel is a beautiful Japanese style inn with a wooden 3-story building built on the high ground of the entrance to the West Kawahara Park. The quaint building is very good atmosphere. The antique furnishings and decorated raw flowers were modest and beautiful. The adjacent Kataoka Tsurutaro Museum of art seems to be operated by Kusatsu Hotel. The corner room on the 3 floor of the main building was a good room with a good view with two corners surrounded by windows. The old wooden frame window feels good. Thanks to the snow that had fallen the day before, we enjoyed the snowy scenery of Kusatsu.The ”Okuba” of the restaurant, which was extended to 2020, is a modern and bright atmosphere while leaving a Japanese taste. The breakfast and evening meals were beautiful, and all the dishes using fresh ingredients were delicious. The public bath (open-air two hot water) is also in a new separate building. It is full of openness and is kept clean. With a large inner bath with a source hanging water and an open-air bath, Kusatsu! It was a very pleasant hot water. (West Kawahara source) Kusatsu Hotel, great satisfaction with a wonderful inn as word of mouth!

It was 20 minutes before the check-in time, but the attendant in front of the gate greeted me with a smile, took my luggage and guided me to the front desk, and the receptionist also smiled and proceeded immediately. Other staff were comfortable inn to greet you with a smile. I enjoyed a color 々 bath, and the snow view bath from the open air of the muddy hot water was the best. The room is compact and old, but it is satisfied with the hospitality and service of the smile. The rice was also delicious, such as the fried tenkara and the soup cut soup that Itamae made in front of me.

I booked a night in Yudanaka with my partner so that we could visit the Snow Monkey Park. Most places were already booked up, so we went for Yorozuya (sometimes romanised as Yoroduya) even though it was a little beyond our budget. At £300 a night for a double room with dinner and breakfast, I thought “this had better be good…” Honestly, it was probably worth double that. The ryokan itself is massive; the atrium has a scale that almost defies sense. We were greeted by staff who were awaiting our arrival, and took our luggage up to our room while we enjoyed a complementary matcha tea. A guide led us up the stairs, handed us XL yukata to wear during our stay and explained the situation with towels. She took us in the lift to our room, and showed us how to access the onsens and where the dining halls would be. We took a few moments to settle into our tatami-floored room, change into our yukata, and investigate the albeit pretty boring view from our balcony. For the record: the joy here is _inside_ the ryokan rather than outside. We tested both the on-site onsen; they operate on schedules so that male guests and female guests bathe separately, but can both enjoy both of the baths. It is worth trying both. It’s a cliché to say, but particularly coming from Europe without much experience of this kind of venue, they made me feel like I was in Spirited Away, if Spirited Away was a series of Hokusai prints. I loved relaxing in the heat of the outdoor bath surrounded by rocks, trees and classically Japanese sculptures, with snow gently falling. Suitably relaxed, it was time for dinner. This was worth the whole booking price alone. We were served a 10-course kaiseki dinner, in a private booth, with attentive staff bringing us fresh water and sake whenever we desired. Every single bite was exquisite. While not 10 courses, this extended into breakfast which was a similar luxurious experience. I was sad we only had one night there, and would go back in a heartbeat. The experience of staying here creates a stronger draw for me to return to Yudanaka than the snow monkeys. We were treated so well, and truly unwound in a setting that felt almost too good to be real.