Katakuri no Hana

The room was a standard tatami room and perfectly fine, but at 60,000 yen I didn’t feel the stay was remotely worth the price. I’ve stayed at many ryokans over the past 15 years, and wouldn’t recommend this one at that rate. We once paid 15,000 yen for a hotel in Yokote and got a much better breakfast, haha. The hotel is beside the lake, with a road to cross to reach it in about 20 seconds. Trees block much of the view, though, so only some rooms get a partial glimpse. During autumn foliage season, I also found the lake disappointing, with not much color around it. The lake-view onsen shown in the photos is the free private bath, which needs to be reserved. The hotel’s pictures show an opening in the wooden wall, but in person only half of that window can be opened, so the view is about half as wide as it looks online. The public outdoor bath is on the first floor, enclosed, and has no view of the lake or even the sky. That seems to send everyone to the private one. There are only a few chances to enjoy the lake view from that bath. In autumn and winter the sun sets around 4:30 or earlier, while bookings start at 3:30, leaving just two slots with some daylight. Morning access runs until 9:30, but it gets booked quickly. At night there’s little reason to reserve it if you want to see the lake. Both the hotel and outdoor bath are beside the main road, and traffic can be heard. Dinner was alright apart from the chicken hot pot, which had a tiny piece of chicken, about the size of my finger. The breakfast curry seemed out of place and had very little meat; the other breakfast dishes were average for a ryokan. The presentation at both meals was nice, though. Staff were friendly, but didn’t stand out compared with other ryokans. The private bath has some real drawbacks, and I wouldn’t recommend the stay for this price.

The lobby decor was welcoming, and the staff were very friendly. Our rooms were clean, spacious, and all had lake views. The location was excellent too. I especially liked the breakfast: a big pot of pork, tofu, and vegetables to share, along with curry rice, yogurt, natto, and other things. The coffee in the lobby was really good, too. Dinner was beautifully presented, but the portions felt small. Along with the dishes in the photo, we later got only a small bowl of udon and a tablespoon of seasoned rice. The black pot held two or three little pieces of beef, though they were very tasty. We asked whether there was an à la carte menu so we could order ramen, but there wasn’t anything else available. I think tempura would be a nice addition, and a full bowl of seasoned rice would make a better finish. I’m not complaining, just hoping the hotel can do even better.

The staff were really friendly, and the price felt fair for the stay. We also had an amazing view from both our room and the onsen. I’d absolutely recommend this place.

The staff were very nice, and the private onsen was superb. Guests do need to reserve a time slot.