Rekishi-no-Yado Kanaguya

I booked this place nine months before our Japan trip, and by then only two nights were available during our three weeks there. Book early if you want to stay here. Some people say it was one of the places that inspired Miyazaki's Spirited Away. I chose it for the key that gives guests access to the nine onsens in the Shibu Onsen area. The rekan itself has three large public baths and five or six private ones. My favorite was the open-air public bath, sitting in hot water while snow fell around me. We stayed in a traditional Japanese room, sleeping on futons on tatami, and the view was gorgeous. I'd book breakfast and dinner because there aren't many food choices in the area. The meals were tasty and included distinctive Nagano region specialties. The staff at the Rekan were very kind and polite, and helped us with a lot. Special thanks to Umi Chan, the loveliest manager ever. The bus stop is three minutes from the rekan, and the ride to the Snow Monkey Park parking area takes 15 minutes. From there it's a 40-minute hike to the adorable monkeys. Thank you so much for the stay, it was the best experience ever.

The staff were genuinely friendly and accommodating, which makes it hard to write this, but the building and facilities need care. The room felt neglected. It was mostly clean, though the walls were marked and the fans and parts of the ceiling were extremely dusty. There were several smells: a musty odor in the room, a strong urine smell from the toilet, a faint cigarette smell in the curtains, and a sulfur or sewer smell from a tap in the side room. The onsen was nice, but very weathered, with deteriorating walls and a ceiling covered in green mold. The beds were a bit hard. We only liked some of the food, though that may have been a cultural difference. We enjoyed local food at other places in the Nagano region.

The private baths were truly one of a kind, and all the meals were great. It's a stunning hotel with a lot of history, and the service was top notch. I'd absolutely come back.

I'm disappointed with the service we received. At check-in, we were told luggage could be transferred to the station for ¥600 per piece. When we tried to arrange it at checkout, the staff member seemed dismissive, called the process 'too complicated,' and asked if we 'really wanted to do it.' We didn't want to be a burden, so we decided to leave our bags. She then suggested taking them to Snow Monkey Park and said we could store them at a café for ¥500, but didn't mention that the facilities don't open until 9:30 AM. At 8:50 AM, we ended up stranded in the snow for 40 minutes without indoor shelter. The ordeal happened because a staff member put her own convenience ahead of giving us accurate help.