Kashoutei Hanaya

On the edge of town and a good walk away from local shops, restaurants and Hell Valley, this small ryokan is comfortable, although a little dated in decor. Our room was spacious with a view of the river nearby and snow covered hillsides. There is a very small lounge overlooking a tiny garden, but strangely it is not permitted to sit there and drink the free beverages provided in the afternoon - "Go to your room to drink" says the signage! Our meals served in our room by a charming lady were good and plentiful and all staff were very friendly and helpful, with a shuttle bus provided from the station and to Hell Valley on request. We were disappointed with the baths, both indoor and outdoor, which were all very small and certainly smaller than they appeared in the photos. All baths were also run down and in need of maintenance and upgrading. The tokonoma in our room had a picture hanger but there was no picture or decoration attached. Of the six onsen we stayed at in Hokkaido and Honshu during our visit, we felt this one offered the least value for money.

I went to 4 different Onsen hotels/ryokans during this trip to Hokkaido, Kashotei Hanaya was by far my favorite and probably the most traditional. The staff was so friendly, the place had a very calm atmosphere and the kaiseki was possibly the best meal I had during my 17 days in Hokkaido. They adhere to no shoes anywhere on the premises, it's very quiet and while they offer free sake and beer in the afternoon, guests are expected to enjoy in their rooms. They also have a gift shop with plenty of other libations for purchase. The tatami rooms were very spacious and comfortable. The entire ryokan is well maintained. The tatami room was clean and the finishings, from the walls, to the flooring to the bathroom are kept in near pristine condition. There were also decorations and little vases of flowers throughout the hotel that were changed out daily. If you appreciate attention to detail, you will like this Ryokan. The refrigerator in the room is refilled daily if you'd like, but those drinks are also available to grab for free during the afternoon. Breakfast and Dinner are served in your room and you get to choose what time works for you. Breakfast is a traditional set meal and dinners are kaiseki meals. The food was so delicious and meticulously prepared. Of the main touristy ***** of Noboribetsu, this Ryokan is the furthest away from Hell Valley, but it was still walking distance. Last but not least, the onsens on the premises are lovely. They are small, with a limit of 9 people at any given point but I didn't experience any issues while I was staying there. There are 2 indoor and 2 outdoor baths and I had the opportunity to sit it in the outdoor baths while it snowed. Don't expect a lot of English speaking staff here but with the help of Google Translate, everything is fine.