Shimobe Hotel Reviews

For any Yuru Camp anime fans, if you also are interested in an Onsen experience this is the perfect place. The facilities and staff are amazing! I couldn't believe the size of my room, especially after coming from a business hotel in Tokyo. I thought Deluxe Twin was just the "deluxe" version of a standard single twin size bed room instead of two twin beds but there are no complaints. Given it's more remote location I was expecting zero English but I was so surprised at how well some of the staff spoke English and had print outs for English speakers. I have to shout out two staff members, Nozomi and Joon Bae's english combined with my limited and grammatically atrocious Japanese they went above and beyond making me understand how everything worked as well as assisting me with my ventures outside of the onsen. They have two e-bikes available for rent which I rode to the next station on the minobu line so I could visit the school that was used in the anime as well as get a taxi to take me to Lake Shibere, from episodes 6 and 7 of season one. It was my first time in Japan, being the only foreigner at the hotel for the two full days, I only visited the baths once however the facilities are amazing and I plan on going back to use the Onsen more.

I very much enjoyed my stay at the Shimobe Hotel. I originally wanted to stay at a nearby temple in Mount Minobe but realized that it was mainly an experience made for foreigners. I think we were the only foreigners there for our 2-night stay. I personality want to avoid staying with foreigners and want more of the local experience. The service was great, they could check you in and out without too much of a language barrier. We added dinner during check-in without any problem, we realized that the town closed early at night and was concerned that we wouldn't find a great place to eat dinner. The buffet dinner was great and we got a complimentary sashimi plate and yuzu highball on our second day. The breakfast buffet was also very good with a mix of local and western dishes. The station is located right near the hotel so it makes it a perfect spot to make a quick Mount Minobe day trip.

Good clean

This place is a little far from the town but on the from Fuji city you pass a lake where you can a beautiful view of mt Fuji. The hotel is excellent with activities provided. Service is great and onsen really very nice. Two separate baths for male and female. They switched around in the morning. Meals are buffet style. They provided a good spread.

This place is incredible, the onsens were great. We drove from Numazu and this was by far one of the most scenic drives we've experienced in Japan. The entire Fuji river valley is breathtaking. As sleepy as the town is, this hotel and staff make up for it all w/ food drink, drum show, mochi pounding, and even small fishing opportunity. We had our infant son with us the entire time and the staff loved seeing him every chance they got. There were a few members on staff that could also speak english. Dinner and breakfast were great, couldn't stop eating the ayu on a stick; it was sooo good. We walked over the melody bridge about 5 mins away, on the way is a small liquor store on the left, grab an ice cold beer to beat the heat!

The structure is very intimate as it is hidden in the mountains and far from various services. It can be reached at the “Shimobe Onsen” stop on the Minobu Line. The staff is welcoming, affable, smiling. Some speak English. The rooms are in vintage Japanese style and I personally found them comfortable and clean. Mine had a bathroom with a self-heating tablet, skin care soaps and various hygiene products (toothbrushes, brushes, hand cream, cotton buds, etc.). Then there was the main room with a well-kept window corner, a Japanese-style table and chairs, and finally some wardrobes. One of the closets held futons. At the reception you can ask the staff to fix it for you while you are at dinner. I'm pretty sure I've also seen someone around choosing a mattress-cot instead in case you can't or can't sleep on the futon. There are very tight opening hours for breakfast and dinner (breakfast 7-9 am and dinner until 6-8 pm). You can access both with a ticket that you can get for free at reception. For lunch, however, you have to pay separately. It is mainly a buffet type of menu regarding breakfast and dinner. Obviously if you order something special (certain dishes or alcoholic drinks etc) these must be paid for. Small note on the buffet: It is very different from what we are used to in the West so don't be scared if in the morning you find a croissant with a skewer of roasted fish inside. This is not hyperbole. I'm serious. The food is good and the basic portions are small but no one is stopping you from having an encore if you want more. As regards the heart of the structure, i.e. the onsen, this is divided into two types: Private and Public. The public onsen consists of two areas that reverse approximately every 6 hours. One for the male gender and the other for the female gender. A very kind oba-San taught me some basics which I will summarize for the more curious: When you enter, undress and put everything in the basket. Bring with you only the small towel (I will call it "rag" from here on out). When reaching the pool area, do not jump in before having washed in the showers. There are products there (soap, shampoo, conditioner) and basins with chairs. Rinse both, moisten the cloth and then fill it with soap. Wash as normal but be sure to use the cloth to remove dirt and dead skin by scratching the skin. When you're done, rinse yourself and the cloth. Finally, pass the cloth under cold water and wring out. Put it on your head and off you go, go to whichever tub you prefer. Personally I recommend you vary between the hot and cold ones for circulation but if you only like the heat you can still vary with the sauna. The cold patch is used to help with dizziness if you have low blood pressure or to cool down when needed. As for the private onsen, it must be booked in advance and every 40 minutes

The facilities are a bit old. It's not bad as a ryokan/hotel, but the food is average.

The staff are very friendly. The food buffet is plentiful and delicious, and the service is very pleasant. I had a massage, and they also taught me the stretches I needed, which I was very grateful for. It's a quiet place to relax, and I'd definitely like to visit again.

A six-story hotel suddenly appears in the middle of nowhere (satoyama). The greetings from all the staff upon arrival at the hotel were pleasant and gave me high expectations. First of all, I like the bath! There were many open-air baths, and the hot spring water was about 36°C.It was a nice hot spring that made you want to take a dip in any of the baths. The food was all very delicious, including fillet steak prepared in a live kitchen, charcoal-grilled yamame trout, and rice balls. In particular, the dried yamame trout for breakfast was rare, and the sandwich with it between croissants was the most delicious and unforgettable thing I've ever had.

There is a sommelier there, so it's interesting to get a lot of information.

Although the building is very old, the lounge on the first floor has a modern appearance, which is completely different from the ruin-like atmosphere seen from the exterior. The lounge offers free all-you-can-drink draft beer, red and white wine, and highballs in plastic and paper cups until 6:00 p.m. Self-service, and no snacks are provided, so it's a good idea to bring some persimmon beans. Now, the guest rooms (guest room floors) are clean, but they are basically old structures and facilities. Rooms that are undergoing renovation may be different. The key is not an auto-lock or card key, but a key with a large crystal keychain attached. The view from the room is surrounded by mountains and is peaceful, but the window frame is rusted and looks like it's going to rot, so you lose the feeling of looking out. There are rooms on the track side (entrance side) and on the road side (bath side), but the track side (entrance side) is better because you can see less of the hotel's exterior walls. I think the hot springs are alkaline, and I felt that the quality of the hot springs was very good. The open-air bath has a splendid rock bath and cypress bath, but it is surrounded by a wall and created with carefully crafted rocks and trees. You can't see the sky, but you can't see it because of the splendid wooden roof, but being able to feel the cool breeze makes it feel good in an open-air bath. We had a buffet plan for both dinner and breakfast, but the contents were far below expectations. I don't think there are any professional chefs on staff. At least I don't think there are any professional chefs in charge of buffet cooking. It was advertised as beef fillet steak, but it felt more like pork fillet. It is served rare on a small iron plate. It looked like pork, so I was worried about it being rare, so I ate it when it was cooked through. I sometimes see hotels that have an important history, such as having hosted members of the imperial family or famous celebrities in the past, but the way they rely on that history makes me feel sad. This lower hotel is Mr. Yuro Ishihara. There are many photos of celebrities enjoying their private time with their families displayed next to the souvenir shop.

It is a 1-minute walk from Shimobe Onsen Station. I used it for a day trip. The bathing fee is 1200 yen. There is a warm alkaline sulfur spring and a hot alkaline simple spring. Both are heated and circulated. There is a large resting space after the bath. There is also a foot bath.

When you park at the hotel entrance, a staff member will come to pick you up and carry your luggage. The staff's response was good. It was a reasonable room, but the toilet and bath were separate, so the washroom was a little small, but there was no problem with the plumbing. However, there are quite a few steps when entering the toilet, and I'm worried that elderly people may fall asleep and take their feet off, especially late at night. Although it was a low bed, I slept comfortably. The scenery outside is nice, but I think it was a little negative that the screen door couldn't be moved. Well, I guess it can't be helped because insects will come in. Dinner is a buffet. People who are looking forward to it based on the video may feel that there are surprisingly few? However, I am satisfied because I have a certain number of favorite foods. Yamame fish is a signature item, and even though I'm not a big fan of grilled fish, I didn't notice any bones in it and it was delicious. I received two, which is rare. The breakfast buffet has a different style of menu than other hotels. There was a wide selection of breads, and the croissant with wild fish was also delicious. It was also nice that the staff handed out freshly baked croissants! The men and women in the hot springs switch places at night, but the basic style remains the same. The changing room is clean and there are lockers for valuables. The indoor bath is a sulfur spring at 36 degrees, and the alkaline spring next door is the lower communal hot spring. Outside, there is a communal hot spring in the lower part of the building, with hot water ranging from lukewarm to boiling water. The sulfur springs are only faintly perceptible, but the bubble bath and jet bath dissipate the smell, so the smell is quite strong. Therefore, if you put your back against a jet bath, etc., the sulfur smell will not be emitted much, which is unfortunate. After-bath service, alcohol was available until dinner, some drinks were available until the Taiko Festival, and ice cream was available until 10pm. I'm satisfied with the after-bath service, but I wish everything would have been open until around 11pm. It was a satisfying stay for me, who likes both the sulfur smell and the insensible temperature.

This time I went by car, but it is located a 1-minute walk from Shimobe Station on the Minobu Line. Easy to go even without a car. Easily accessed from the Tokyo area using the Chubu Crossing Road via the Shin-Tomei and Shin-Shimizu Interchanges. The information at the front desk was thorough, and the staff members carefully explained to each group about travel discount coupons, etc. while sitting on the lobby sofa. Because the baths were for men and women, both baths were very well designed and very nice. The notes on the rooms and bathrooms were also a bit quirky and made me laugh. It would be a little disappointing if it said, ``If the insects are floating, save them with a net,'' but it also says, ``The insects at the bottom also love hot springs, so if they seem to be taking a long bath, please gently release them.'' It makes me feel warm when I see him. After bathing, we not only offer ice cream and water, but also beer, shochu high, and wine for free. After taking a bath, you can take a short break and then return to your room.