Hotele Hot Springs w: Gunma Prefecture, Japan

I chose this hotel because of the brand, having stayed at their Izu property before. The Kusatsu location, however, felt a bit lacking. Also, 'low floor' didn't mean a lower level in the main building, but rather a room in the East Wing instead of the main building. The Ctrip prices were quite erratic! While they did refund me 100 for the price difference, that refund came at the cost of not staying in the main building! The evening buffet was decent, but the steak station was always empty, with only a few pieces on the plate and no fresh ones being brought out after cooking.

I looked forward to my stay in this hotel very much given the good comments on the Internet. The open air bath on the rooftop is great. You can see the stars on a clear days, but there is no shampoo and shower gel there. You can also choose your own yukata. They are not very fancy ones but much better than the standard basic yukata. However, I found the dinner disappointing. I paid around 6000 yen for the dinner. There were just a small portion of appetizers, udon noodles with pork, a pot of rice and a small dessert. I also paid extra for the drink. The taste was very average. You can have much better dinner in a restaurant in this area.

We stayed at Naraya Ryokan as a family of four for two nights and three days, and the experience exceeded our expectations from the moment we arrived. We were greeted immediately upon check in, and the staff took time to clearly explain the facilities, meals, and schedule, making the entire process smooth and welcoming. We personally communicated with the staff in Japanese, which made interactions especially seamless. We also observed the staff making genuine efforts to assist other guests in English. While English is not their first language, their willingness to accommodate and ensure guests felt comfortable was evident and appreciated. The ryokan itself is beautifully maintained, offering a calm and traditional atmosphere with thoughtful details throughout. One highlight not to be missed is the coffee spot attached to the lobby, which is an excellent place to relax. Their take on affogato is especially memorable and well worth trying. Dining at Naraya Ryokan is a traditional set menu experience that showcases seasonal Japanese cuisine. Guests should be prepared to enjoy authentic, traditional dishes that reflect regional ingredients and seasonal flavors. Each meal felt carefully prepared and added depth to the overall ryokan experience. Our stay felt unhurried and restorative, and we would have gladly stayed an additional night if our itinerary had allowed. Naraya Ryokan comes highly recommended, and we would happily return for another stay in the future.

It was my wife’s birthday hotel helped me arrange a special case. I have stayed 5+ times it has becomed very tourist mostly foreigners and my only complaint was little control over etiquette people taking photos and wearing swimsuits

Great place. Spacious room. Comfortable futons with a view of the hill. You can hear the mountain river, which is a plus for me. The public onsen is a leisurely 10-minute walk away, making it very convenient to get to anywhere: from the bus station, the ski resort, and Yubataki. There's an art gallery across the street; be sure to check it out. The onsen in the guesthouse is also very nice and clean. The hostess is very sweet and welcoming, ready to help with advice and understand your situation.

Overall, the hotel looks clean, but the room was dusty in places. The location is excellent, literally 2 minutes from the city center. The staff are extremely helpful, really great people. Unfortunately, they hardly speak any English. In our opinion, the price of breakfast and dinner doesn't match the quality.

The entire hot spring town is absolutely beautiful. Since it was newly renovated in 2024, there was no musty smell in the room. The staff were professional, polite, and warmly welcoming without being intrusive, and their English was excellent. There's a shuttle service from the hotel to the station, or you can walk there yourself. This hotel is exactly what I imagined a Japanese onsen hotel to be. The hotel's own hot springs are fantastic. The location is truly the best – some hotels are up in the mountains or require a bit of a walk, but Ichii offers direct views of Yubatake. On the first floor, there's also a large souvenir shop with many unique items that aren't available back home. I'd definitely choose to spend a whole day exploring Karuizawa and then stay at Ichii again!

We had an amazing and relaxing stay! We truly loved it and had a wonderful night surrounded by serene nature. The view was absolutely beautiful — the lake is just right in front of the hotel! The place is spotless and very well maintained. But what truly made our stay special was the incredible staff. A big shoutout to Mr. Ozu, the General Manager, for going the extra mile with his thoughtfulness! When he learned that we were heading to the ropeway the next day (and that there were no bus trips on weekdays), he kindly offered us a ride. He was also genuinely concerned about our hike and overall safety — so heartwarming! Since we didn’t get the dinner package and there was only one restaurant nearby that closed at 4 p.m., we decided to get a takeout for dinner. My friend also asked if there was a nearby café to buy a cake for my birthday, but there wasn’t any. Later that evening, after we came back from the onsen, someone knocked on our door and surprised us with a complimentary cake! They said it was because we didn’t have dinner and they wanted to celebrate my birthday. Awwww! Such a thoughtful and sweet gesture! 🎂💖 In the morning, Mr. Ozu even gave us taxi numbers and the bus schedule for Yumoto Onsen, making sure our travel plans went smoothly. Truly amazing hospitality — we felt so cared for and appreciated throughout our stay! 🌿✨

You need to wear slippers to get in. The staffs can only speak little english, but they are very kind and polite. The room is huge, it's like an apartment. It also has nice snow view from window. And the location is very close to the main road. It also close to the bus station. The dinner and breakfast also tasty. Japanese fine dining haha.

Everything about our stay at Kusatsu Boun Hotel was perfect. The room appeared to have been very recently renovated—it looked brand new, yet still retained a strong sense of traditional Japanese charm and essence. It was also clean, modern, and very comfortable. The only mild minus point is that the 2 TVs using inside the suites are of the same model and brand thus they share the same remote signal. The service was outstanding throughout our stay. The staff were consistently friendly, attentive, and welcoming. They also accommodated our limitations and requests with great care, which made us feel truly appreciated. One of the highlights was the onsen facilities. The hotel offers three spacious public baths sourced from two different hot springs (Nishi-kawara and Bandai), making the bathing experience both unique and relaxing. In addition, our room included a private bath of a very good size, allowing us to enjoy the onsen in complete privacy. The food was also excellent, adding another highlight to an already wonderful stay. Overall, an exceptional stay. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Kusatsu.