Satorikan

Satori-kan is in the tranquil riverside town of Sakihana, about an hour from Niigata city. It isn't a typical tourist spot, which makes it great if you want somewhere peaceful in the countryside. For the money, it's the best-value onsen hotel I've experienced, and I could happily stay a week. The staff are charming and very friendly. There's great food, a manga library, and lots of other amenities. The rooms and baths are nice with river views. The lounge is beautiful, with free soft drinks, quality tea and coffee all day, plus free beer during happy hour from 4 to 6.

This is a very traditional ryokan, but it's old and quite run down. I imagine it may have suffered during covid19. The warm, helpful staff made up for that, and we really enjoyed both the stay and the onsen. It was a rare kind of experience. The spring water felt rich, and our skin felt lovely after a good soak. Dinner and breakfast were included, and both were good. The ryokan also surprised us by picking us up from the train station after we updated them about our train schedule. We felt their humility and warmth throughout our stay.

The room was clean, the view was amazing, and we were grateful to have such a nice space. The staff were excellent and made the stay really pleasant. Happy hour, the lounge, and the half-buffet meals and drinks were all fantastic, with lots of tasty choices. My father, my sister's family, and I stayed here. I usually hesitate to book online and call instead, and the phone service was excellent. The hot springs were fantastic too. Sulfur baths often irritate our skin, but this water left it incredibly smooth. I only wish there had been a dinner menu for elementary school children. It was a great trip, and I'd love to visit again. Thank you for such a wonderful time!

We came on April 12 with our family of five, including my elderly mother. The setting and surrounding atmosphere were excellent, and the room was spacious, clean, and well kept. The staff were superb. We appreciated the complimentary sweets, happy-hour drinks, and the quantity and quality of the manga. Check-in on a sofa was lovely, though I felt a little embarrassed since I'm not used to such high-end ryokans. We were delighted to see the steam locomotive, and the hot springs were fantastic. We got lucky and experienced both green and white water. I especially liked the sulfur spring. For me, a hot spring should smell of sulfur. I'd put it third after Nasu (Shika-no-yu), Manza, and Norikura, perhaps even a little ahead of Kusatsu? I'd recommend this hotel to hot spring fans, and to anyone looking for a place near Niigata. It's only an hour from the city, and booking early can get you a stay for around 10,000 yen. I hope they keep operating so I can return. Sakihana Onsen is becoming deserted and is in a bad state, like Kinugawa.