Shinzanso

The outdoor onsen was one of the best we’ve tried, and the setting around the hotel has a lot of potential. It’s also well placed for an early morning hike. Unfortunately, we had a really bad night there. Neither of us slept. We may just be unaccustomed to traditional firm mattresses, but both of us had itchy skin in bed, and everything smelled old. The air didn’t feel good, and the hotel needs renovation. At around 18,000 yen a night, it felt overpriced. It was at least fairly clean, but if old blankets bother you, I wouldn’t stay here. There was no food available, either breakfast or dinner, and that wasn’t made clear when booking. The nearest other option was a 15-minute walk away. Even cup noodles weren’t available, which would have been useful.

There’s a heated floor by the window, and the room has a sink and mirror. Toilets aren’t in the rooms, but each floor has plenty of stalls in the shared toilets. The old-style hotel has three kinds of public baths: old wooden baths in the basement, which really impressed me; an outdoor bath for women; and a mixed bath by the river with a beautiful view. They provide modesty wraps for the mixed bath.

The onsen scenery was fantastic, with both private and public baths outside the hotel. The public baths are in the basement, and the men’s bath has a large soaking tub. The hotel itself is a little old, but very clean, and the room looked good. It only had a sink, with no bathroom or toilet, but shared toilets on the first and second floors were close by, so that wasn’t a problem. It’s surrounded by nature and a short distance from Shinhotaka ropeway. Staff didn’t talk much with foreign guests, but they smiled and helped us. There was no breakfast or dinner for travelers on our visit. Parking was limited, though there were enough spaces.

I didn’t stay at the hotel, but the view from outside was really nice.