Kinosaki Yamamotoya

Dinner was quite good, though breakfast might be a little small. The ryokan seems to make its own beer, and I thought it tasted great. The building is over 300 years old but very clean and well organized, and I found it the best value for money of all the places I've stayed in Japan. I was in a Special Room on the ground floor, which looked recently renovated. It had a semi-outdoor bathtub and a small Japanese garden right outside the bathroom.

The dinner with tajima beef and crab hotpot was great, and breakfast was hearty too. Their own snow beer from the microbrewery was exceptional. A fun detail: the owner is also involved in local tourism and the town's digitalisation. Really great hospitality, food, views, and location. A fantastic place to stay.

The staff made the experience even better, they were all friendly, efficient, and attentive. The room was spotless, with a spectacular river view, and every included meal was delicious. We got passes for all 6 onsens and tried each one; the hotel's own onsen was great too. Thank you, Kinosaki Yamamotoya, for such a wonderful stay ❤️

The food was well prepared, with lots of variety across the meals, and the personal bath is worth reserving. Staff were very nice, and the host assigned to us made the stay especially enjoyable. They also lent us a yukata and gave us a pass for the local hot springs. There may be a language barrier with staff outside check-in, but I didn't see that as a negative. The experience felt authentic and we really enjoyed it. If you don't know much Japanese, be ready to use a translator app.