4-Star hotele w: Nagano Prefecture, Japan

It was a really lovely stay but communication with staff was rather difficult. Overall a lovely hotel with great service to ski resorts but please not there there are no convenience stores or services around the property. Food however on site was amazing! Love the bus schedules to the different ski resorts!

Located in the heart of Shibu Onsen, Kokuya is a traditional Japanese inn that has been operating for over 400 years. It's the only inn in the area with its own six different 100% natural hot spring baths, featuring eight public baths and ten rooms with open-air hot springs. It has been passed down through 16 generations. Furthermore, the central area of ​​Shibu Onsen boasts a 1300-year-old hot spring town with nine public onsen (hot spring baths) for hotel guests and residents. The ninth onsen is the largest, featuring a golden bath and a sauna. Next to it is a hot spring shrine and foot bath, right next to Kokuya. Kokuya's hot springs are rich in minerals, beneficial for improving muscle, joint, and skin problems. A free shuttle bus (approximately 3km) takes guests to Jigokudani (Hell Valley) to see snow monkeys and enjoy the hot springs. A free shuttle bus connects to the train station, and freshly cooked onsen eggs (100 yen each) are available at the inn's entrance. The hotel boasts a clean and elegant interior with maze-like corridors and wooden staircases. There are dedicated luggage handlers (three floors in total), creating a perfect setting for a period drama, reminiscent of Yubaba's old house in Spirited Away… The hotel also offers traditional Japanese kaiseki dinners with over nine dishes. Ingredients are freshly delivered from Nagano. The menu changes monthly according to the season. Vegetarian options are also available (please inform us in advance). All guest rooms are designed in a traditional Japanese style, featuring Japanese-style bedding and a bathroom with a sink, TV, safe, refrigerator, towels, and yukata. Ten guest rooms have private outdoor baths. The hotel is surrounded by several temples of varying sizes and different springs nestled in the mountains. The water temperatures of these springs vary, with the highest reaching 56°C. Municipal water supplies are provided to each household. Several bridges connect the two sides of the river in front, including a red-painted bridge that resembles a scene from Spirited Away. I suspect that Miyazaki Toshiro may have drawn inspiration from this place… A very nice hotel and hot springs; the staff are polite and attentive.

This hotel is super close to Karuizawa Station, just a 10-15 minute walk away. They also have a shuttle bus, so getting around is really convenient. While the room facilities are a bit older, they're well-maintained. For Japan, the room size is actually quite spacious. The hotel grounds are beautiful and quite extensive. Plus, they have a free and very comfortable hot spring!

We spent 2 nights in Prince after first 2 nights in Kusatsu onsen town. The hotel looked underwhelming on arrival and the front office service was efficient but cursory compared to the warm hospitality we had in the ryokan stay. It was low season and hotel was very quiet and had a ”cold” atmosphere. I was further disappointed when we were shown our room which was on the lowest floor with a simple garden view. On requesting the check-in staff for a change of room on higher floor and a more scenic view, I was told there is an upgrade charge, which I accepted. The new room was the same size and configuration but on a higher floor with a nice view of Mt Asama. While I was happy to pay the fee, I can't help but compare their practice with all the hotels that I have stayed in all these years, where room changes were complimentary so long as the room type remains the same. Nevertheless, the hotel's facilities delighted me immensely and I enjoyed the overall experience. The highlight of the hotel stay was the fantastic view of Asama in a high ceiling dining room with full glass window. We were able to have different table seatings for both morning breakfast as the hotel occupancy was low, which gave us different perspectives of the scenery. The other highlight of the hotel is the onsen facility which is located in a separate building on higher ground, accessible via a self service automated tram. Aside from Asama view in the outdoor onsens, there is a common lounge which has equally awesome view of Asama. We enjoyed our time soaking in onsen and resting in the lounge. Was I would go back to Prince Asama and experience the scenery during a different season!

What an awesome experience! The hotel offered exemplary service before we even arrived. Due to special travel arrangements, we arrived late and the staff quick to arrange an in-room bento dinner for us before our arrival. When we got there, we were immediately blown away by the gorgeousness of the hotel. Despite its age, everything was very clean and polished. I can see that great care had been taken to upkeep the hotel and it’s premises, which are extraordinarily beautiful. We couldn’t resist taking pictures even after check-out, and it took us an hour to finally reluctantly leave. Words cannot actually do the place justice, you must visit there yourself. We were very impressed with how delicious the food was, and the attention to detail, including the placement of the food, the coordination of food color. My mouth is still watering as I recall how delicious it was. I had 10 helpings of their prime rib one day. Besides, I had a dietary restriction and the staff were really careful with that, to the extent of reminding me what dishes not to eat everyday at their breakfast and dinner buffet. In addition to excellent food and service, the hotel went out of its way to be very eco-friendly. For every day that we did not need our room to be tidied, we earned points, which can be traded in for ice cream or other goodies. Finally, the staff spoke perfect English. This is rare indeed, and it made everything so much easier and so much more enjoyable. Thanks for the experience!

Not far from the train station, it's very convenient to walk. The hotel has just been renovated and is very clean. The front desk staff are enthusiastic and professional. The hotel has an overall Japanese style, and you need to store your shoes on the first floor when you enter. The room is not big but sufficient. Although the bed is only 1.4 meters, the experience was quite good. The bathroom is very clean. There's a hot spring on the top floor and laundry facilities. Through the window, you can admire the train station below and the distant mountains. Japanese breakfast is offered in the morning with a good variety. Free Japanese ramen is served after 9 PM. Satisfied.

The facilities are complete, the service is friendly, and the hot springs are great. The shuttle bus is a real highlight. The only issue is that it gets too crowded, so independent travelers should really try to avoid the peak check-in times when tour groups arrive in the evening. The need to queue for meals, especially dinner, needs improvement; it wasn't a great experience.

Excellent! The environment is beautiful! The room is clean! The service is great! The food is decent! The hotel facilities are very comprehensive! It feels wonderful to look out at the snow-capped mountains! Very comfortable! It's very close to the ski resort!

I stayed in a twin room on September 1, 2025. It was very busy with tourists, and the front desk was congested. The food buffet was more about quantity than quality, so I ended up overeating. I could hear the movement of guests on the floor above me and the sound of water leaking from the drain pipes. Water was leaking from the floor of the unit bathroom. The toilet was child-sized, and the hot water was a little hot, but I would definitely stay here again.

This time, planning a trip to Gifu with a friend, we decided to stay at TAOYA Kisoji, a place I'd been curious about for a while. We took a bus from Nagiso Station to Tsumago-juku, and then another bus to the hotel. The hotel's exterior and lobby were beautiful, and the lobby offered afternoon tea and lovely yukata rentals, which made us excited from the start. The room and dinner were also very good, but I have a slight disability that makes me eat slowly, so the 90-minute meal time felt a bit rushed. Also, there was only one shuttle bus service to the station after check-out, and it didn't align with the train I had planned to take. It would be really helpful if they could increase the frequency of the shuttle bus services.