3-Star Hotels in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan

What a gem of a place! The special thing about this place is that there are 5 private outdoor onsens as well as a gender-segregated public bath and one mixed gender outdoor bath (for this one, you need to wear a bathing suit). If you are shy of exposing yourself or like taking photos, then those 5 private outdoor onsens are just perfect. I went in the autumn, which is cooling already and I can imagine what a treat it will be in winter with all the snow. The hotel is located almost to the top of the hill. Either drive or call them ahead and they will pick you up and drop you off in the vicinity. My room is quaint and Japanese-styled. I didn't pay for the meal package as I knew I'd would be busy trying out all the onsens available. They are all open 24hrs. By the way, private onsen number 1 and 5 are the best and most picturesque!!! I'm doing all a favor and posting all the pictures of the private onsens.

The 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.

I spent two nights in Tokyo Daiichi Hotel Tsuruoka and I would stay there again. The location is very good - ten minutes easy walk from Tsuruoka JR train station and it's directly connected to S-Mall, so you don't even have to go outside to access the shops and restaurants in the mall. There is also a bus terminal at the mall for local buses - I caught a bus from there to Mount Haguro. The bedroom was a good size for a Japanese business hotel with a good size desk and chair. However, I could only find one power socket! It's good that I brought a power *****! Typical of Japanese hotels with Onsen / Sentō the bathroom is small - most people would use the public bath facilities to shower. The hotel has a Japanese style bath, however it was in the annexe, so it was rather confusing the first time I tried to find it. Two of the baths were inaccessible - the door was locked. The main bath was okay, there is a sauna and cold plunge pool. The front desk were very polite, efficient and could speak basic English.

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.

A wonderful place to stay in. The service was fantastic. The room was huge, much too large for just a solo traveler like me but it would have been perfect if I had brought my wife and child along. The onsen quality was great, albeit the fittings at the shower area were a bit old. The food was hands down amazing and featured great local produce. Honestly there was too much for one person to finish! What I especially liked was that they had a separate room on the first floor where if it was too early for you to check in, you could drop your luggage off, change, and then grab your gear and head to the slopes. Same thing if you intend to charge the slopes a bit more on your last day, just leave your stuff in the storage room, hit the slopes, come back and change out, hit the onsen for the last time, then go off. Definitely recommending this place to my friends visiting Zao.

The accommodation is about a 10-minute walk from the station, which is a bit more difficult when it snows. It seems that he provides parking lot, which is more suitable for people who drive. There is also a large supermarket within a 10-minute walk nearby, which is very convenient. The baths for men and women are separate, so you don't have to wait for a long time, which is very convenient! Very recommended There is a free bar and snacks downstairs which is a good deal.

We had an absolutely an amazing stay in Tedoso. First, the hot spring there is amazing. We had never felt so relaxed in a hot spring before. The hot water and the cold weather is completely in harmony. Second, the service is sooooooo nice. They always welcomed us and out in a lot more effort than they needed to. Third, the environment is astounding. The Japanese style and the room is way beyond our expectations. The hotel is so neat and delicate, which made us feel like we’re in a whole new world. Last, the food is spectacular. We had food ranging from big and juicy pieces of sukiyaki beef to nicely cut and flavored sashimi. Our experience at this hotel is exquisite, and the price is highly reasonable, our family highly recommend you to visit Tendoso and give it a try. I’m sure you and your family would have a remarkable experience.

Located on the top of a business building linking to the Yamagata station. You won’t have to be worried even if it’s snowing or raining. A side note to travellers from the hotter climate, the hotel doesn’t supply air conditioning during winter. Instead it has a small webbed facility that allows outside air to flow into the room. This slight chills the room. However during the day, the room will be super hot. Initially we had a room facing the sun and when we checked in, the room is super hot. Called the customer service only to find out they didn’t have air conditioning during winter and we have to rent a fan from them. After a slight communication, the customer service is kind enough to upgrade us to a bigger room which is slightly cooler. Big props to the customer service lady! 5 stars service !

Nice and clean business hotel very near the Yamagata train station. Location is top notch! Basic hotel with everything you'd need. There is an artificial onsen on the 14th floor, which was good for a soak after a long day. Breakfast buffet was basic but tasty. Warm foods like rice, miso soup, bacon, stir fried veggies, etc were available in addition to some pastries and bread with butter and jams. Will definitely stay again when in the Yamagata area.

I was looking for a ryokan to stay during my vacation in Tohoku area of Japan and stumped upon this ryokan. It is located to a small onsen village of Yamagata prefecture. Traveling to this location is not so convenient as JR Rikuu East line has suspended its service. However JR East provides bus service instead. This ryokan is operated by Ogawaya family. They are very friendly and very attentive. They don’t speak English well but this not a big problem for me who cannot speak Japanese. They offer breakfast and dinner with additional cost but must be booked in advance. Location is not close to any big city. It is suitable ones who look for a quiet place to unwind. Highly recommended if you want to stay away from tourist areas.