Hotele Hot Springs w: Nagano Prefecture, Japan

Location: The hotel is situated at the foot of a mountain in Satoyama, a considerable distance from JR Matsumoto Station. However, it offers a unique charm with panoramic views of Matsumoto Castle from the hillside. Transportation: Unless you're driving or taking a taxi, here are your options: 1) The hotel provides a shuttle service to and from JR Station. There are two morning departures at 9 and 10 AM, passing by Matsumoto Castle before heading to JR Station. Return trips are at 4 and 5 PM. The pick-up point is at the temporary parking area to the right of JR Station Matsumoto Castle Exit (not a bus stop). 2) You can take the Meigahara Onsen bus line from the bus terminal downstairs at Alpico Plaza, opposite the temporary parking lot of JR Station, and get off at Fujii Station. You can find the bus schedule on Google Maps. Service: There are English-speaking staff at the front desk, but no Chinese speakers. Simple communication is not an issue. The service was impeccable. Dining: The breakfast is a buffet style with both Japanese and Western options, very extensive and delicious. There are also welcome drinks, including ice cream, juice, coffee, hot tea, and even draft beer! P.S. There are not many dining options near the hotel, so you might want to eat near JR Station before returning to the hotel, or dine at the hotel. I booked one of the few rooms with a private onsen. Soaking in the hot spring while enjoying views of the Northern Alps was incredibly relaxing. The hotel also has a large terrace, perfect for enjoying a drink during the evening 'blue hour' – truly one of life's most comfortable moments.

Buffet breakfast was great, children eats free. We have a car so is accessible. Ski field a short 8 mins away. Onsen was nice, unfortunately not all guests followed the rules. Would be perfect if they provided Japanese toiletries in the hotel room (Dove brand provided). Room with balcony was beautiful. Overall we really enjoyed our stay, the facilities, hospitality. Highly recommended.

It was a great stay. The staff was super friendly and spoke English. The had parking vallet, provided an outfit to change into and roam outside. The hot springs was super relaxing and great for the feet and body. We tried five of their private hot spring rooms out of the many more they had, some had super hot water while others were warm. The outside room hot springs were beautifully decorated. They gave us access to the 9 public onsens that had different minerals in the  for body healing. At night it was even more beautiful with the night walk and the town puts on a beautiful show and night market. Super glad we booked the stay.

This ryokan is the furthest from Main Street. But I love the hospitality from the owner and the authenticity of this place. There is a private onsen available in the ryokan, just need to pre register. They provide access to shibu onsen as well. Recommended to book your dinner with them. Restaurants in shibu onsen either close very early or not open regularly. We missed our dinner, but the owner is kind enough to prepare a simple oyakudon for us. Though this place is at the beginning of forest trail to snow monkey park. But it is close during winter. Just take note.

📍 Hotel Keigetsu 信州昼神温泉郷 日長庵 桂月 @ Hirugami Onsen, Nagano 🇯🇵 We stayed 3D2N from 13 November 2025 at Hotel Keigetsu (日長庵 桂月), and it turned out to be one of the best choices for our Nakasendo trip. The ryokan sits in a peaceful corner of Hirugami Onsen, surrounded by nature and traditional Japanese charm. There is a designated parking area exclusively for guests, accommodating around 15-20 cars of all sizes, making it very convenient for self-drive travellers. We chose a Japanese-style room with a private bathroom, and the highlight was the beautiful wooden bathtub — perfect for a relaxing soak in complete privacy. In the mornings, the view from our room was calm and peaceful, with gentle bird chirping adding to the serene atmosphere. Our stay included breakfast and dinner, and both meals were exceptional. Each dish was beautifully prepared using seasonal ingredients, and the servers were patient and friendly, taking time to explain each course and share stories about local flavours. Their warm hospitality truly enhanced the dining experience. The ryokan is within walking distance to the Morning Market, just about 10 minutes away, making it an enjoyable little morning stroll. There is also a FamilyMart right beside the ryokan, just a short walk away — extremely convenient for drinks, snacks, or last-minute essentials during your stay. The staff also introduced several nearby activities and hiking trails, and the routes are super visitor-friendly, making this ryokan an ideal base for exploring the Nakasendo area. The onsen baths were another highlight — soothing, clean, and filled with Hirugami’s famously smooth, skin-friendly hot spring water. Perfect for unwinding every evening. Overall, Hotel Keigetsu offers excellent food, warm service, relaxing onsen, comfortable rooms, and unbeatable convenience, whether you’re here for onsen relaxation or the Nakasendo trail. Highly recommended for a peaceful, authentic, and memorable ryokan stay in Nagano. ♨️🍁🌿✨

The location is convenient, with a shuttle bus service between the hotel and Prince Outlet shopping mall and the train station. There's a bit of a distance between the East and West wings of the hotel; the East wing is closer to the children's play area. The jungle adventure is suitable for both kids and adults. The breakfast was quite average, possibly because there were too many guests. You need to call a day in advance to reserve the number of people and time for breakfast the next day. During our stay, we could only choose between 6:30 AM or 9:30 AM. The 'please clean my room' sign was very confusing; instead of simply stating 'yes' or 'no', it had a lengthy message that was open to misinterpretation.

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!

We really enjoyed our week long stay at Hoshikawakan in Jan 2026. We have been driving around Hakuba for 4 weeks to visit various ski resorts and spent our last week at Hoshikawakan to visit Shiga Kogen. The room was spacious and clean with a small toilet like most Japanese hotels but there was a large public onsen and 2 smaller private onsens that can be reserved once each day for 30mins so you could always take your shower in the onsens like the locals do especially later at night about 10-11pm where I was the only one in the public onsen. The hotel had a lovely buffet breakfast spread with local soba, Japnese curry, cold minced sashimi fish, grill fish station, fried eggs station that will keep you adequately fed for the day's ski trip - it even has a hot drink station with free oden daily at 3-5.30pm which we enjoyed as a snack after a hard day of skiiing. The service was excellent too with the staff helpfully arranging to ship our ski equipment directly to Hanade Airport, daily clearing of snow off the carpark and new towels provided daily. The location in Yudanaka is great too especially if you drive as it is between Shiga Kogen (25-35mins drive) and Kita Shiga Kogen (15-20mins drive) with many attractions like Shibu Onsen, Yudanaka Brewery and Snow Monkey Park within 10-15 drive. There were also ample dinner options nearby within 10-15 mins walk but you may need to try and make reservations by walking in on your first night. The only downside was that the WiFi network is poor and patchy when overloaded by a lot of guests over the weekend but otherwise it was good.

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.

Had a really pleasant stay overall. The place was very clean and well-maintained, and the location was convenient for getting around. Service was excellent 👍 staff were friendly and helpful throughout our stay. Amenities were also complete and comfortable. Would definitely recommend for couples looking for a smooth and enjoyable stay.