Explore genuine reviews and ratings from real travellers to find the perfect accommodation for your needs.
Posted on Dec 25, 2024
NetotrevinoWoah! This is one of the best ryokans we’ve been to. The staff was super attentive and could speak some English, the rooms were amazing (see the photos!). The onsen in the room was fantastic so there was no need for us to go to the public or private onsen downstairs.
The hotel is located 3 minutes away from the bus station and conveniently situated near everything. We’ve stayed at other ryokans but this one was top notch! We strongly recommend to stay at this place and will try to come back again with friends and family. Oh! The food was wow, too! We had breakfasts and dinners included and the sukiyaki dinner offered Yamagata A5 meat which was to die for. Breakfast was also great!
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Price per night from:JPY 20,052
Posted on Mar 26, 2025
Guest User
Extremely nice staffs in the hotel, although some staffs can’t speak fluent English, there’s no problem in communicating as they are very willing to understand the customer by using translator. Breakfast and dinner were fantastic Japanese meals with no repeated dishes. Hotel room was spacious and clean. Hotel will drive you in and out to cater your itinerary! Wish I could’ve stayed longer!
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Price per night from:JPY 26,673
Posted on Feb 20, 2024|Western Style Twin
sicily.kiBeautiful hotel with a large area for rest and reading books, and play area for young child. A lot of comic books available. My child enjoy the stay very much! Excellent buffet breakfast. Dinner also very nice.
Public bath has a beautiful view of the mountain <3 <3
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Price per night from:JPY 14,143
Posted on Feb 23, 2026
Mon Thailand
This ryokan-style hotel boasts a beautiful location on a snow-covered mountain, right next to a stunning ski resort. The accommodations are very convenient, featuring separate shower and toilet facilities within the room. There's also a private onsen available for a small fee, offering a wonderfully private outdoor bathing experience. The hotel provides excellent shuttle services to various destinations; you can easily request a ride to the Zao Ropeway to see the Snow Monsters, as well as to restaurants, the bus station, and more.
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Price per night from:JPY 15,449
Posted on Dec 28, 2025|Japanese Twin Room - Non-Smoking
Guest UserThe trip was planned few weeks ahead, accommodation options in Zao Onsen are scarce. If there were other options, I probably would not go with this hotel again.
- Before arrival, I called the hotel twice using trip.com but no one answered.
- There was only one front desk staff handling check-in. I have waited for 20 minutes for check-in and the Indian family has it waited for 35 minutes. There was another staff coming out from the office and acknowledged the queue. However no action was taken despite the long wait by guest.
- I inquired about shuttle bus service but the staff at the entrance said “No shuttle bus”. I saw shuttle bus having the hotel name around the Zao Onsen area.
- On the first day of room cleaning, the cleaning lady has not replaced the used porcelain cup and Japanese cup. Also no replenishment on tea bags and toilet amenities. At this price point of over USD500 per night, I was quite surprised.
- There are 2 onsen places, one outside the hotel and one on the 1F. The outdoor onsen inside the hotel was not opened and the reason is “snow accumulation”.
Overall, the room is spacious and clean but the service did not meet the expectations.
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Price per night from:JPY 18,652
Posted on Jan 7, 2026
1380252****
I've stayed in over a dozen onsen ryokans of this type, but this one really missed the mark, especially considering the price of over 3000 yen per night.
1. The hot spring water itself is excellent, but any onsen in Zao is bound to be good.
2. The rooms don't have private bathrooms. Here's the main issue: the entire ryokan only has two small onsen pools. One has 2 shower stalls, and the other has 6. Imagine 8 men squeezed into a pool of about 2 square meters, then queuing to take a shower – what a scene! Plus, all these are indoor pools; the ryokan doesn't offer any outdoor baths.
3. The pictures show the public bath in front of the hotel, which I ended up paying a few hundred yen to use because the hotel's own pools were so disappointing.
Overall, if you're looking to enjoy hot spring bathing, do not book here. If your main purpose is skiing, you might consider it, as it's only a 5-minute walk from the ski slopes.
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Price per night from:JPY 12,031
Posted on Feb 28, 2024
Namkel
Nice hotel located in Zao Onsen
Perfect location for people who go for skiing
Nice dinner and breakfast provided by a traditional Japanese style hotel
Onsen is quite small but comfortable enough
They have a nice rooftop, can go flaming during summer time, but too cold for us in Feb
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Price per night from:JPY 19,174
Posted on Jan 1, 2026
Guest User
The hotel has a Showa-era feel. There's no elevator, so you have to carry your luggage up yourself, thankfully it's only on the second floor. There are six private baths that can be booked in advance, and you can use them freely after 9 pm as long as no one is there – it's fantastic! After soaking in the hot springs, they even give you complimentary milk. Dinner was Yamagata beef shabu-shabu, which was delicious. I'd definitely stay here again next time I'm in Zao!
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Price per night from:JPY 11,391
Posted on Jan 3, 2026
Guest User
Overall a practical hotel close to the slopes, room was simple but fine. Free shuttle provided which proved very convenient. Breakfast was good with different options both Japanese and western styles. Staff was helpful especially the Japanese personnel and the young lady in the breakfast room however there was one Indian-like man who was not really hospitable, never smiling and never talking (no hello, nothing at all) staring at you which made me uncomfortable.
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Price per night from:JPY 11,865
Posted on Feb 2, 2025|Japanese-style Room
Rosina KimIt’s quite a big hotel, 3 buildings are connected and there are many rooms. The rooms are a bit outdated but still maintained well. Service was good and flexible. Transportation to the village is quite necessary when the roads are covered by snow, especially with luggage. They have free shuttle bus which is great.
Best parts: 1. Dinner semi-buffet has unlimited alcoholic beverages including local sake, draft beer and wines. 2. Ski & board rental shop is right outside of the hotel. Although hotel only accept cash for the lift ticket, you can rent the gear (rental shop accepts credit card) and ski down the hill (20sec) to the cable ticket counter to buy ticket, pay by credit card. The location has lifts 5,6 and cable 4
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Price per night from:JPY 15,615