Naguri Onsen Taishokaku

We loved the two-night stay and will definitely come back. We were in the lovely ‘Humming’ villa a few hundred metres away, so I can't speak to the bedrooms in the main building. We did use the onsen facilities and lounge bar, and ate at two of the onsite restaurants, washoku one evening and sumibiyaki (bbq) the next. Both meals looked beautiful and tasted just as good, with plenty to eat and very polite, professional service. The property sits in a pretty wooded spot, a few hundred metres up a lane from the Iruma river. A calming stream runs through the grounds, where glamping is also available. We reserved a lovely large family-size hot spring for private use. Afterwards, we relaxed in the main lounge and bar, which has free coffee, ice creams, and beer in the afternoon. There's also a small library with an interesting mix of history books and manga, plus a toddlers' play corner. The owners' hospitality was excellent. You can tell the landlady puts her heart into the place and that everyone works hard to look after guests. It's a lovely, peaceful place for a calming break.

I'm already booked for April, and I hope to keep coming back for years. Naguri Onsen Daishokaku is a rustic beauty that feels like a dream, with running water, a lovely onsen ♨️ and delicious food. The staff were extremely kind, and the facilities have a luxurious but rustic feel. I don't know when it opened, but it feels like a long-standing local treasure. This time I stayed overnight and tried the private bath called wood Wood. It was fantastic. The other options are stone Stone and a hot sand bath, and I'd like to try them all. I forgot to book dinner ahead, though I wasn't too hungry anyway. Breakfast was fantastic, tasty and local. The pillow was my one small complaint: the fluffy one didn't suit my small neck, and I'd have preferred a flatter option. Next time I'll ask the front desk whether they have another one. I love the little Naguri valley, less than two hours from my home, and come out here for hiking 🥾. Naguri Onsen Daishokaku feels isolated because there's no train line, just a bus and a narrow road, which is part of what makes it a perfect getaway. I visited a few months earlier for a daytime onsen and lunch. There's not much English signage, but after living in Japan a while I can figure most things out.

This was the worst hotel experience of my life. I paid $500 per person, $2,000 in total, and my party often stays at different hotels. We've never been treated as if we were low-level people before. The young woman employee and a man were aggressive and wouldn't stop complaining to me. They said we couldn't use a coupon many people receive from the government, and that we needed a vaccine, though there was no information about that. I said I'd pay the regular price, but the woman kept insisting that I had to pay it. Then another man came over, and both of them looked down on us, as though they were high-level people. They're not, and they were wrong to think that way. I feel ashamed of them as human beings. I think the hotel has huge problems because of the manager, who has a terrible temperament. I'm sure the top boss doesn't know. The manager always lies, that's why. The hotel is the worst!

We stayed two days and my family enjoyed it. The hot spring was very good, the Japanese-style room was clean, breakfast was delicious, and the staff were all kind and nice. It's a bit far from the urban area, and even the nearest convenience store is a 10 minute drive. But it's quiet and beautiful at night.