Miyama Sanso

One of my favorite hotels on this trip. The room was roomy, the onsen was top-notch, especially at the sister hotel, and the service was excellent. A very easy getaway, highly recommend it!

We stayed two nights at Miyama Sanso in late March. The setting is peaceful and beautifully kept, and the photos online match what you find there. With just 16 guest groups at a time, it stays quiet, even though the remote location is part of the appeal. Guests can use facilities at the nearby sister hotels Yamamizuki and Shinmei-kan, but we didn’t try them. After staying, some online praise seemed a little over the top to me, and at this price I’m unsure I’d return. The food was my biggest letdown. We paid around $1,000 USD for two nights and four meals. Only the first dinner met expectations. Both breakfasts were disappointing, especially the second, which felt like a pescatarian meal with little variety. Of the many onsen ryokans I’ve visited, this was among the worst for dining. The staff were friendly and sincere, but English was limited and the management and training seemed lacking. Even after two nights, with so few guests, they didn’t seem to recognize us. It rained during our visit, and although golf cart rides are offered between reception and the rooms, the distance made it hard to stay dry. The grounds are lovely, with carefully tended trees, flowers and landscaping. Still, as the most premium of the three sister properties, I expected more from the onsen. There’s just one indoor and one outdoor bath, which didn’t impress me. I can’t say whether the other two hotels’ baths are better, as I didn’t try them.

The room felt new and spacious, and the free herbal tea in the lobby tasted great. I also liked the bath’s aroma oil, which smelled lovely and was made with local ingredients. The food selection suited the atmosphere of the place really well. I highly recommend staying here.

The property has 16 guest rooms in eight detached buildings, each with its own indoor hot spring bath. Inside, the rooms feel chic and relaxing. The surrounding rice paddies, clear streams and thatched-roof main house evoke an old Japanese landscape. The skin-gentle spring water is also available at Muranaka no Yu Tayutayu beside the mountain stream. Dinner options include seasonal-ingredient kaiseki and Shokado bento.