Hinoharu Ryokan

We spent two nights here with my daughter in a huge room with its own bath. There are public baths as well as indoor and outdoor family baths you can use. The food, room, baths, and friendly staff were all amazing. I can’t find the words for how much we appreciated the stay. Thank you so much.

We didn’t get a room with an onsen, but that was fine: there are two outdoor and one indoor private onsens you can use without booking, just flip the sign on the door. There are also separate shared onsens for men and women. The place is steps from the busy streets with shops and cafes. Both dinner and breakfast were delicious, with beautifully presented dishes made from local ingredients. You need to book those meals well in advance.

The family onsens are private, and there are several, so they didn’t feel overcrowded. The hotel’s location is really convenient, and the service, interior design, and layout were nice.

The meals are worth adding to your stay. The Japanese breakfast and kaiseki dinner were high quality, and head chef Fujiwara Keii changes the menu each day based on how many days you stay. I had a great two-night visit. The staff were friendly and helpful, and I thought it was worth the price. The rooms are nicely made with what feels like high quality wood and tatami, and each has a high-end toto toilet. It’s a good choice if you want to try sleeping on a futon in a tatami room. Some first-floor rooms had weaker Wi-Fi when they were far from the main hallway. It worked better near the hallway, and a mesh network might fix the issue. The public onsen is for ryokan guests and was often empty, probably because there are only 11 rooms. Some rooms have a private onsen too, and there are two private onsen rooms you can reserve on the spot. They’re beautifully designed with Japanese maple, a garden, and mossy rocks.