Aburaya Tosen

Beautiful property lovingly cared for with a breathtaking mountain view. The kaiseki absolutely delicious!

Chambre japonaise correcte, belle vue, futon au sol de 3 pouces environ et salle de bain minuscule. Faut absolument reserver les soupers d’avance car nous etions la deux nuits et les deux soirs complets

酒店的公共温泉非常舒适。日式标准房间住三个人刚好。自助早餐很不错。强烈推荐。

Nice hotel but a bit dated.

Just amazing! Wonderful staff. Thank you for making our stay so special. Could not recommend it enough! My family felt really well taking care of. Thank you!!!

Such a wonderful and unique experience ! The owner greeted us outside the door with a warm welcome and also on our departure was there to say good bye. The entire staff was so kind and courteous. Marina, especially went out of her way to help us throughout our stay. We chose to book the private onsen room and it was well worth the extra charge. We also opted to have the traditional Japanese dinner. Again, such a unique and amazing experience. We were asked to choose from a beautiful selection of yukatos/kimonos upon our arrival to wear to our dinner. And of course don’t miss the snow monkeys! It is a short train ride, but then quite a long walk uphill and a further beautiful hike to get there. (We did see taxis dropping off people to the top but it would still be half an hour easier hike to arrive there ). Worth it !

Absolute excellent experience from beginning to end. Hospitality, service, food and dining, in room Onsen and very attentive and sweet owner always assuring we are comfortable. That’s why we have become repeat customers!!!

Staff are friendly & service is good. Good breakfast spread & rooms are clean. We enjoyed our stay & will consider to be back again.

If you’re going to stay at this hotel, I would suggest you pay the extra money to have one of the rooms with a private onsen. Somehow I booked a basic room that was more than basic. It smelled like mold and had little more to offer than a futon on the floor. Thank goodness we were able to upgrade. I would have left the hotel otherwise. Staff were great, very friendly and helpful. Few spoke English just as a side note.

Excellent room with private onsen, clean and spacious. Dinner was solid, felt slightly rushed during the first seating.

The owner and staff were amazing and so friendly. We loved our stay !

Awesome location! Walkable from Yudanaka Station. Has a shuttle service for pickup and dropoff to the station. Short walk to the bus stop to the Snow Monkey Park. Breakfast buffet is decent. Right next to a brewery if you want to try some local crafted beer. Rooms are nice and big. 2 public onsens and also a private onsen is available. Downside is the kaiseki dinner option may not to available so prepare to plan for dinner elsewhere. They have a do-it-all-staff, this one receptionist was checking us in/out, driving the shuttle van, and communicating in English~ impressive.

Booked this hotel for our family trip this Jan. I have never seen such a dirty hotel in Japan in my whole life. stains on the cabinet, room is small, it is claimed to be luxury kaiseki dinner, it is a joke, small portion, not fresh. we paid extra for the sushi course, two tiny sushi, beef with lots of tendon and hard to chew, the worse Japanese hotel and meals I have ever seen. will never ever go back

We stayed during the shoulder season and it was quiet at the time so we were able to enjoy the public onsen all to ourselves. Private onsen in our own room was perfect for us as we have tattoes, but the staff said if your tattoo is for fashion purpose only, it'll be ok - just let them know in advance. Food was great, they have free trf services to/from Yudanaka station. We didn't get to go this time but it's not too far from Jigokudani snow monkey park. We loved the roof top bar they had! Staff including the owner were very polite, friendly and courteous that we enjoyed our time there and we'll definitely recommend and go back!

Great experience for the family. Japanese hospitality at its finest. The meals were exceptional and meticulously served. Onsen on our balcony was a treat. Lovely escape after a day of skiing. Highly recommend. Special mention to our dinner waiter Koji-San. Great job!

Staff was very friendly and accommodating since i had to check out before the available checkout time. Clean waa absolutely spacious and clean. Love having my own open air bath! I definitely would come back fo spend more time there.

This is a very traditional Japanese Ryokan – our first experience of Japanese Ryokan culture including sleeping on futons. At first, on arrival, we weren’t quite sure if we were in the right place – we drove down a narrow lane, past a derelict block and thought we were lost. Very soon, however, we were warmly welcomed by a member of staff from Aburaya Tousen, who showed us where to park and took us into the hotel where the welcome was warm and informative. Our room was super-clean and beautiful, a tatami floor and three carefully laid out futons. We had a large picture window with views of the river below and a stunning beautiful range of mountains all around us. The colours in Autumn all around us were breath-taking. In terms of location, it’s a short walk from the hotel, across the bridge to Yudanaka where we found a handful of restaurants. The village was very quiet but maybe we were there out of season. The snow monkey park is a short easy drive away from the hotel. Disappointingly, we hadn’t booked in for dinner at Aburaya Tousen and it was booked up for both the evenings we were there. Next time we definitely will do this and I’d highly recommend it. We visited the hotel’s brewery close by and had a drink there – the evening we visited there was no food being served there. The breakfast buffet is mainly Japanese traditional food, with extensive choices. We visited the hotel’s rooftop Onsen every evening – this was a beautiful experience out in the fresh clean open air. The Onsen is separate females/males. The hotel also offers private Onsen options. Overall, we were delighted with our stay at Aburaya Tousen – a very traditional, clean and comfortable hotel and a wonderful experience. Very friendly, super helpful team of staff too. We would definitely recommend this hotel.

Traditional

This hotel made feel like royalty. This hotel was really and staff was very accommodating, professional and kind. I loved our suite and breakfast and dinners we had.

Ayako was amazingly warm and welcoming to us. The owner fed us even though we areived too later for dinner. We were absolutely spoiled by their hospitality and if I could spend my entire trip there I would.

Our stay at this location could not have been better! It was a 5 Star experience in all categories! We stayed in the suite with the open air onsen and it was amazing. The staff offered the best costumer service all throughout the hotel. The food was incredible for all meals, another 5 Stars! The owner of the establishment came and spoke with us on 2 separate occasions to make sure we were enjoying our stay. This place is a total gem if you are staying in the Nagano area. We will definitely be returning in the future!!! Domo arigato gozaimasu!!!

Loved this place. A calm and quiet Onsen with wonderful facilities. The highlight was the amazing dinner we booked in the restaurant which was made even better by the fact they could cater for both omnivores and vegans without any issues, something we have struggled with on this trip.

All was fine. Thank you very much.

We went on a Japan trip for 2 weeks and this was our favorite ryokan, because they made us feel at home. It's in a little town surrounded by snowy mountains, near Shiga Kogen and Snow Monkey Park. The kaiseki was unbelievable, well worth the price. We don't want to ruin the surprises during dinner and the attention to detail throughout the experience. The staff were thoughtful, kind and thorough to us foreigners that don't know all of the customs of the area. The onsen was beautiful, well maintained and allowed us to connect. The owner greeted us several times and was so welcoming. They also have the best chopsticks, it's worth checking out their gift shop. We highly recommend staying here. You won't regret it.

Loved the greeting on check-in, very friendly and welcoming. Excellent room, great breakfast dining, very helpful staff

Our stay at this hotel was really wonderful. Even without our room having access to its own onsen, we were still able to book a private onsen for ourselves. Additionally, this hotel had one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in Japan. A mixture of fruits, veggies, curry and so much more. It was an incredible way to start our days in the snow. The access we also had to the station was convenient for our day trip to see the snow monkeys. All-n- all we were not disappointed in our selection and would choose this location again and again if we ever decide to come this way again.

We had no idea what to expect. We booked a Japanese style room with a private onsen. Our kids are 9 and 12. We arrived around 100pm but check in wasn’t until 2:30pm. The hostess didn’t speak English but using translation apps we were able to secure a taxi to the snow monkey park and get our bags into storage. That evening we wore hotel provided yakuta and enjoyed the most awesome Japanese meal. It was 9 courses and included everything from salad to wagyu steak to hand prepared sushi. The owner came and chatted with us and it was such an epic experience. They prepped our Japanese style beds while at dinner. The next morning we had the breakfast buffet which was also quite the experience. Our kids loved it and you will too

Beautiful hotel at a very convenient location. Could walk to the bus stop that went around town, and to the Snow Monkey park. Onsens at the hotel were lovely and spacious.

We went as a triple generation group of 8. The staff was so helpful and polite. We could only get the family rooms, which was 4 to a room but they were very spacious so we didn't feel crowded. I would highly recommend getting the kaiseki dinner. We enjoyed the private room, the sushi chef preparing our sushi, the owner coming in and checking on us, it was all very special & attractively presented. We all wore our yukatas to dinner and will have an amazing Christmas card picture. The onsen was wonderful, so spacious and full of amenities. They provide lots of amenities in your room too. The breakfast was amazing. My mom grew up in Japan and couldn't get over the selection of Japanese items. Best breakfast we had during our Japan trip. We also utilized the shuttle to Snow Monkey park (which was a highlight of our 12 days in Japan, so many baby monkeys, go early). It was also easily walkable to the train station, even with luggage. We bought gifts in the little gift area and really appreciated the hospitality of all the employees.

Sure will recommend friends to stay in this Hotel

Wonderful hotel. Outstanding service. Excelent food and amenities.

This ryokan is excellent! Very comfortable rooms with plenty of space. The private Onsen tub in every room feels great! The food tastes great and is healthy. Massage and Kaiseki service at the hotel is also wonderful!

The snow filled landscape was so beautiful facing the river. Was glad to be able to travel before all the covid lock down. Private onsen on balcony was very relaxing and private dining was fun and delicious. Dressing in a Yukata for dinner and breakfast was different, most of the Japanese people also wore them. Roof top bar at night in a plastic igloo covered in snow was unique. They also shuttle you too and from the station and up to the snow monkey park. All staff were excellent and the lady owner came to speak to us several times.

There was a mix up during check in and we were shown to the wrong room but it was sorted out quickly. And their record had me staying for a night instead of 3 nights based on my booking. Otherwise, everything else was fine, then owner and the staff of the ryokan are friendly and helpful.

Private onsen on balcony was very relaxing and private dining was fun and delicious. Dressing in a Yukata for dinner and breakfast was different, most of the Japanese people also wore them. Roof top bar at night in a plastic igloo covered in snow was unique. They also shuttle you too and from the station and up to the snow monkey park. All staff were excellent and the lady owner came to speak to us several times.

The staff is very nice, respectful and helpful! The place is clean and we had a beautiful view out of our room.

Staff was very attentive, provided excellent customer service and were very helpful! The spa is excellent and the massage i got was one of the best i've ever got. I would encourage the staff to provide more details on how to use the private facilities as that was not 100% clear. Also, in a very good location near the ski resorts, snow monkey park and onsens. I'm hoping to come back soon!

We were lucky enough to stay here for 2 nights in Jan 2020 and absolutely loved it. We received such a warm welcome with a glass of sparkling wine. We enjoyed the private onsen twice which was amazing in the evening. The tasting menu served each night was absolute fine dining, served in a private room, and our hostess was brilliant - super attentive and very friendly - thank you so much!! We also loved immersing ourselves in the Japanese culture here with clothing provided, and were very appreciative of a lift to the station when we checked out. Highly recommended! Darren and Claire

This hotel was awful. The photos and the description was not accurate. The cost was also crazy for this property. The owner was an awful man who didn’t care about his guests. I would never recommend this hotel. Room had a view of a gas station and broken bus. They claimed to have a spa with massage but massage was only available from 8pm-1am. My husband is 6 feet tall and had to duck in the room. The amenities in the bathroom were shared from prior guests. We travel the world in high end hotels and stayed in plenty of moderately priced properties. This was by far the worst value of any property we have ever stayed. The worst part however is the owner who was literally the only bad person we encountered in two week trip to this fabulous country. Do NOT stay. Our hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto were fantastic and as advertised. This hotel is misrepresenting themselves as a luxury property.

Very impressive hotel, nice decor, outdoor onsen bath, super friendly and helpful staff who would help push my car out of snow on kimono and sandals.

Hospitality was great, rooms were clean, if coffee n tea sachets are provided in the room will be even better.

My partner and I had a lovely stay here. We had a private Onsen on our balcony which was incredible. It is not too far from the train station, maybe 10-15 minute walk? We absolutely *loved* the rooftop bar. The staff were all absolutely lovely. Highly recommend.

Great hub for exploring area, lovely helpful staff

Great place to relax and enjoy the sceneries and surroundings. Ample parking space. Close to attractions and restaurants.

Wonderful experience, and awesome staff. Room in the old japenese style, with tatami and futons on the floor. Onsen on the roof with a nice view on the town. Pefect moment, even if weather was really poor. Thank you for the amazing people working there.

We spent a night at Aburaya Tousen for an luxurious onsen stay before heading to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park the next morning. Well within 5 minutes walk from the Yudanaka Station, we had our lunch near the station before we checked-in at 1430. We packed an overnight bag while we stored our big luggage at our previous hotel in Nagano city for free. The first impression of Aburaya Tousen is how it achieved the look of a contemporary home by the clever use of modern colours, lightings with simple furniture to make our stay a homely and comfortable one. We went to the public bath for our onsen as we did not book a guestroom with an attached private open-air bath. We truly enjoyed both the open-air and indoor onsen while the breathtaking mountainous and river view took us away. It even offered a lounge exclusive for guests where we got to enjoy our drinks and snacks in our own comfort. Great touch to enhance our stay in Aburaya Tousen! Another nice touch is how they switched the public bath for males and females during the dinner time so we could enjoy different baths with different views in the daytime and night time. The dinner experience was equally fantastic. The Japanese appetizers, the oil fondue where we deeped fry our seasonal ingredients into the oil prepared by the staff, the sushi where they were handmade in front of us by the staff, everything was great except for the mains, the shinshu beef on hot plate, which we felt was below par. An English menu was placed besides every seat so we were not lost on the food served throughout the dinner. The owner even came in and greeted us midway into our dinner and did her homework about where we came from! We made an arrangement the next morning to ferry us to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. The staff even ferried us to a cafe opposite Yudanka Station to store our bags, so that we could collect them and took the train back to Nagano after the Snow Monkey visit. Overall, a great modern onsen stay with japanese hospitality and friendly staff. The price speaks for itself.

Lady boss is very hospitable. She followed and sent us off to the train station personally while her lady staff drove the van and helped us to load and unload the luggage. Onsen is clean with good view

We arrived at Yudanaka station and asked how to get to the hotel. The train conductor directed us to the office who informed the hotel of our arrival. Within a few minutes a private car picked us up and in 5 minutes we arrived there. We were welcomed with a drink a dried fruit as we waited to check in. Our room was a Japanese style room overlooking the river and town. Our booking was half board so we were expecting a buffet style dinner and breakfast. To our surprise it was a private dining experience.The food, service and flavours were amazing. The owner of the hotel came to say hello and thanked us for staying in her hotel. After the dinner we enjoyed a few drinks on the top floor in their igloos. It was snowing that night. I suspect that on a clear night the sky would be magnificent. Later on we tried both their indoor and outdoor onsen. I highly recommend this hotel.

This place is absolutely fantastic, it impressed me so much that I actually decided to write a review right away, before the memories fade after our trip! The service here is top notch, and I don’t say that easily about any place. From the moment we arrived at Yudanaka station, their staff were already there with Aburaya signs waiting for us. We didn’t even have to call for a shuttle! Check-in was a breeze as well. All staff members were incredibly friendly and full of smiles, and the hotel instructions were delivered in English to us. They took our dinner and breakfast reservations at check-in, and even served us tea and a treat while checking in. Our dinner server for both nights, Azu/Asu (?), was amazing. She was always full of smile and seemed like she genuinely enjoyed being there. We were so impressed that we asked for her name so that we can let the owner know how great she is. Our monkey park shuttle driver and check-in staff were also incredible as well, but unfortunately we didn’t get their names. Room: We stayed in the suite with a private onsen, and while the views weren’t comparable with another ryokan we stayed in (it had a view of Mt Fuji, so it would be hard to compare anyway), it’s not as bad as what some of the reviewers said. You still get some mountain views and the bamboo window screens gave an authentic Japanese feeling. The only thing that was a little off was the toilet area in our room - it had a tiny sink that looked a bit like a urinal. I didn’t really notice a smell, but my other half noted that there was slight weird smell in the washroom stall. We rectified the smell issue with the included incense burner. The toilet was separate from the shower/sink area due to the in-room onsen setup. This ryokan is full of great, small touches. Like the aforementioned burner in the room, it also has a Bluetooth speaker, yukatas, socks, slippers, and nightly sweets left in our room. The room even has a Japanese teapot set! The owner came by one night during dinner to chat with us, and she did her homework because she already knew we were from Canada! Great gesture to show that she really cares about her guests. I will definitely be recommending this place to my family and friends. And if we return to the area in the future, we will be certainly stay here again!

If you are going to see the snow monkeys, it is well worth spending a night at this nearby hot spring inn. We had a room with a hot spring tub on the deck and it was well worth the extra $ to have private relaxation. It’s japanese style rooms, so westerners will have to get used to not having a regular bed, but just do it. It’s worth it!

If you are looking to experience a real Japanese Inn, this is it. The proprietress is a wonderful person and made me feel at home! Important to note: everyone spoke English and explained everything. At no point was a the lost tourist from another land. The rooms have tatami floors, and I slept on a futon on the floor. So comfortable, more than I imagined! The room is super comfortable and to be in a place like this, I understood much better Howe a traditional Japanese home is organized. The private spa on my terrace was devine! The minerals in the water made my skin very soft. Dinner here is a 5 Star ***** deal! If you have made the trek all the way here, this is where you MUST stay.

The staff are really nice. Eventough they're not speaking English fluently, they are trying their best to help giving the best experience for their guest. Also very good Onsen experience. The hotel got a public onsen area and also a bedroom with private onsen on it's balcony which very nice. The cleanliness of the hotel it self was very good and clean. All the property looks well maintained. All i can say is this hotel is a must to stay when you're in Yudanaka.

Firstly I'd like to know where the people who gave the Aburaya Tousen bad reviews usually stay because if they found this dissapointing the places they go must be out of this world! We stayed for one night in the traditional Japanese suite with onsen on the balcony, it was breathtaking, would happily have stayed for longer. The room was huge with a separate dressing room, 2 tables and chairs, one was moved while we were dining and our futons were laid out. The onsen bath on the balcony was the best thing ever, big enough for two and such an amazing experience to be bathing in hot natural water while it was snowing! The dinner was excellent about 8 courses, each course was explained to us, one course the chef came in and prepared sushi for us! Everything was delicious, whilst eating the hotel owner came in to introduce herself and welcome us to the hotel, which was such a lovely touch. Full after dinner we went up to the rooftop bar and had a couple of drinks in the pods. For breakfast we chose the Japanese option and again were not dissapointed. The highlight for us were the staff, all were so friendly and went out of their way to make our stay extra special, they all apologised for their lack of English but we were surprised especialy after reading other reviews how well they spoke. It was all the little touches that also made the hotel so special, being met at the station (even though it was only a 10 minute walk) the free drinks and snacks in the lounges, tea in the room, sweets left at night time. We had the best time here, it was probably the highlight of our Japan trip and hope to return one day.

Good experience, good service but need a bit of communication improvement. We arrived hotel around 3.15 PM but can actually enter the room around 3.45 PM due to the slow check in process. The condition of the hotel is good, service level is good but the communication is a major problem here as most staff can not speak much english. Anyways, we had a good stay and its worth visit this place.

The staff here are amazingly friendly and services was excellent. Every meal was amazing and attention to details in preparation. I had the in room onsen and it was really good with snow blowing on to the onsen.

Stayed there for 2 nights with my daughter while visiting the Snow Monkey Park. The onsen hotel was very professionally run, and the staff were friendly and helpful. A staff of the hotel somehow was at the train station to bring us to the hotel when we arrived on an express train, even though it had not been prearranged. We used the public bath on 2 separate days, and was lucky enough to have the whole place to ourselves on both occasion. It was very clean, and well maintained. The only complaint was that the temperature of the water was a bit too hot for comfort. The 8 course dinner was scrumptious. The best part was being offered the choice of main course on the 2nd night. All courses were different on the 2 nights, which allowed us the chance to sample many different types of food. The owner even made an appearance during dinner time at our private dinning room to personally welcome us. It was a nice touch. I have no reservation in recommending the hotel.

Stayed 3D 2N in Aburaya Tosen. We had such an amazing experience at the ryokan. Service was excellent. I just love how the lady boss will put in effort to meet and make small conversations to her guests during dinner and waved us good bye on our last day at the ryokan. Food was tasty and we love how they put in so much effort on the presentation of the food. They will also cater to our special dietary needs. Choose the room with an outdoor bath for an amazing time! Just a tiny complain - Would prefer if they could provide us with thicker towels or maybe provide us with new towels in the evening as they will usually get really soaked by the time we used them during the day for our outdoor bath :)

Onsen hotel with Kaiseki meal option. Luxury retreat.

Can not recommend this ryokan highly enough. The rooms, scenery, location, staff and services were fabulous. It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. Additionally, we were 10 minutes away from Yamanouchi National Park with its stunning walk and access to the cheeky snow monkeys.

The staff is wonderful. The inside of this hotel is very nice. The lobby coffee machine was great. Better than the special room further in...

We stayed here on our Honeymoon and was not disappointed. The staff were incredible and nothing was out of the way. Very friendly and would highly advise. Private onsen was perfect for stay.

We had a room with an outdoor onsen Included in our package was breakfast and dinner The food was outstanding and the staff and management were superb 6 Star ! Highly recommend for personalised service Don’t go anywhere else 😀

We made a last minute booking of a room with outdoor hotspring which was superb. The building is modern but the room design and dining are are traditional Japanse and look really good. The staff is amazing and the set course dinner was great. Highly recommended

We came to Japan to experience the culture outside of Tokyo and what memories we got from Aburaya Tousen. From the time we got picked up at Yudanaka Station till we bid sayonara the next day, we felt so welcome and appreciated. Even the owner came by and spoke to us during dinner and she was so down to earth. She even walked with us to the shuttle as we were leaving. The experience of staying at this Ryokan was priceless. Well maintained facility but it's the people that was the difference. Highly recommended.

Great service. Excellent dinner. Top floor onsen must try. Foreigner friendly. Futons a bit hard but this is the only thing I can complain. Will come back for the ski season next time.

The room was amazing!

Staff room and hotel is very nice. Staff are amazingly friendly and helpful

We stayed here to visit the monkeys but the hotel turned out to be the better attraction! We did the private hot spring bath and hot rocks. Very relaxing. It was nice as a westerner to partake in Japanese traditions.

This hotel was an incredible experience from the moment we arrived at the station where a staff member of the hotel was waiting to pick us up with a shuttle to the hotel without us even requesting that service. We were greeted with a warm welcome at this beautiful hotel with green tea, shown to our beautiful room and the lovely staff explained the amenities available. The room was comfortable, the multicourse meal that evening was top quality and because of the special occasion we were surprised with a bottle of bubbly and fresh sushi made by the chef right in front of us. We had Japanese style breakfast the next morning which was the best hotel breakfast we've ever had. We were then given a conplemtary shuttle service to the snow monkey park and also to the train station when we left. Would definitely stay again!

Convenient location and friendly staffs. Both private and public onsen are excellent. Breakfast food variety is limited. Overall a nice place to relax.

I was truly satisfied in my stay here. From check-in to leaving the hotel, the experience was wonderful. Staff are courteous and friendly. I thoroughly enjoyed the public baths. The hotel had just the right amount of people during my stay. Not too crowded so I had a lot of privacy and space during each bath. Great value for money and authentic at the same time! One of my best hotel stays!

Was awesome to have the hot spring tub right in the room. Wasn't used to the tatami sleeping arrangement, but it was ok. Most places in the area were closed because of a big snow storm.

When we arrived at the hotel, they told us to sit in the lobby and served us some hot green tea and a little sweet. Staffs were very friendly and they all have big smile on their faces. We booked a room with a private hot spring on our balcony. the room was very spacious and the private hot spring was AMAZING! The room was super clean and the view was nice and open. Our stay included dinner and breakfast. You have a choice of private dining or dine in the banquet hall. We picked private dining for both. The dinner was good, sashimi was very fresh. the chef even come in with his little cart and make sushi right infront of you. when we got back to our room, our bed was made for us as any other japanese ryokan would do. The breakfast was what really got us! It was a very nice surprise! you have the option to choose Japanese or western, and of course we picked japanese! the breakfast was like a full size dinner! dish after dish and when we thought it was over, the chef came in with his little cart and this time he is making tamago!!! We were so full that we almost wanted to go straight back to bed. When we headed back to our room after breakfast, our futon was surprisingly still there, our friend said they usually would put away the futon. It'd be nice if they did since we still had another hour an a half till check out.

It was a wonderful traditional Japenese experience. The dinners were amazing and they were very accomodating to our diarery needs. You get your own dinning space, to which you arrive on time, and dinner takes a long time with many small Japenese dishes, most of which were delicious. The earliest dinner time was 6, so with jetlag my child fell asleep before getting much to eat. The next night, we fed him elsewhere before going to dinner and when he fell asleep at the table, we gently placed him on cushions on the floor, where he continued sleeping while we enjoyed our many course dinner. Service was excellent. Sleeping on the floor was an interesting experience - the mattresses are not very thick. The Snow Monkey Park required serious walking skilles to reach - mostly the first half a mile, which was a steep incline. The weather there is colder. The park is small, but very much worth the climb. There is not much to see on foot from the hotel. Apart from the Snow Monkey Park (and the delicious food at Enza Cafe at the entrance to the path up), the other main sight-seeing is at Shibu Onsen. There are also Japenese style hotels there, and if you are car-less, I would stay there. Aburaya Tosen is great if you are travelling by car, but I would not bring one into the narrow roads of Shibu Onsen.

Very enjoyable experience with polite staff in kimono. If one would like to immerse themselves in Japanese tradition with tatami floors, sleeping on futon, and taking a traditional bath (onsen)/dress in yukata provided by the hotel, then this is the hotel for you.

We wanted something convenient to the Snow Monkey Park. They provide a shuttle to the park and from the train station, but you need to find your own way the opposite directions (no big deal, though). The accommodations were well worth every penny, especially with the included meals which were excellent. Beautiful onsen as well.

This ryokan offers shuttle service to and from the station as well as shuttles to various points of interest (you will need to find your own way back, though, taxis are easily accessible.) Feel very pampered at this hotel from moment of arrival, until departure.

I only had 2 nights in japan on a layover while travelling on business. I decided to squeeze in a day of skiing, see the snow monkeys, and dip in the region's famous hot springs and public baths. This is a wonderful place to stay. The room was beautiful and immaculate with traditional style and fine mountain views. The food was delicious and delicately presented with many small plates and courses of house made and local ingredients. The masseuse was an expert providing highly customized service and offering tips on sustaining a sense of well being. The bath was clean and comfortable with great roof top vistas and both outdoor and indoor offerings. The service was what takes this hotel from great to amazing. There was never any hesitation to make me feel valued as a guest. I had not pre-booked any excursions or tours so they were able to make recommendations and arrange transportation for a very seamless private experience. As i was travelling alone i appreciated the feeling of having gotten to know the staff on a personal level learning a little more about the day to day of life in the region. They also helped me understand protocol and tradition in usinf the bathing facilities, enjoying the food, and using room features. All in all this was a fantastic experience for me and i was sad to leave. I usually don't leave reviews on booking websites, but i really feel compelled to share this positive experience.

We LOVED this place. A typical Japanese Ryokan writ large. Each room is made to look like a classic inn but it's all brought into the modern world. At check in yukata clad staff greet you warmly and take you to your room for a nice tea ceremony you are pampered. Though the outside could use some work, the ryokan itself is lovely. We had the family room with a balcony hot tub, outside, enclosed shower, nice bathroom, entry alcove for shoes, refrigerator, tea service etc. The public baths upstairs are spotless, brand new and they offer a nice twist by switching male and female access each evening so each can appreciate the other's uniquely styled bathing areas. Open baths take in the mountains (though views around the hotel aren't so nice. I sat out under the roofed (and I hope lightening protected) bath during a thunder storm and deluge, it was totally cool. A couple of downsides: we didn't realize that the meals needed to be booked with the reservation and were unable to add it after checking in. (Why not?) Did I say the town is sleepy and tired? A real disappointment. We went to the recommended sushi restaurant and it was one of the worst meals we had in Japan. At check in, a staff member took my passport and driver's license and then forgot to return it -- I was caught up in the excitement of the place and failed to notice when I only got my license back. Fortunately, ryokan forwarded passport to next lodging after we noticed it was missing. .

We treated ourselves to a suite with private bath on the balcony plus the traditional 7 course meal. Room was great, spacious and clean. Futon mattress super comfortable. Took about 30 mins to get to snow monkeys (I know that's why you are here :-). The staff were very attentive and the owner introduced herself to each guest during their stay - lovely lady. Great hotel and experience.

Most beautiful ryokan/hotel i've ever stayed in. Great view of the river and the room was perfect. Only wish I could stay longer.

Nice baths, superb food and fantastic people working in the hotel. We had a room with a bath on the terrace. I would definitely go back.

We really enjoyed our stay here. Our private onsen was amazing, with great views too! Service was 5 star. We will be recommending this place to everyone!

After a long (5 hour) train connection from Kyoto, we were very surprised and happy to see the wonderful staff from Aburaya Tosen waiting at the local train station - it was even more special due to the fact that we hadn't told them which train we were arriving on!! I can't put into words how wonderful the accommodation and service is - and I highly recommend a room with a private outdoor onsen - a truly magical experience; especially while it is snowing!!

Better than we ever expected. The quality of everything in the hotel is very high but the Japanese baths on the seventh floor are exceptional. To have use of these baths as part of your hotel booking was truly wonderful. I would happily recommend this hotel for the baths alone.

Enjoyed every minute of our stay, the hot spring on the balcony was sensational!

Our balcony hot tub was fantastic! The staff also spoke some English which was a great help.

This is a wonderful place to stay. The rooms are spacious and traditionally themed with a lot of nice touches. The view from the rooms in winter is beautiful. The staff are very friendly, welcoming and accommodating. The breakfast served was also very nice. If you can afford it treat yourself to a room with a private outdoor onsen (we did for one night - very special)

Overall speaking, the hotel is pretty good except there is no wi-fi in the guest room. Staff are very helpful although they can speak little english only.

All are fine except no wi-fi in guest room

This price is little high but it is totally worth. the Hotel is very nice and the attention and service from the staff is just fabulous ! The onsen on the top floor was an amazing experience !. There is one indoors and another outdoors and considering the weather outside was very cold, was a really great experience being in the outdoors one. The bed is a traditional Japanese bed, but it was the most comfortable Japanese bed we had in our trip, however you need to consider is not comparable a western type of bed. Definitely I would recommend to stay at least one night here to recover energy if you are travelling around Japan. Finally, a lady from the front desk was quite nice and she took us to the Monkey park straight away when we just arrive in her own car ! Not sure if this is a hotel policy, but it was an incredible and nice help from her.

Stayed in a Japanese room. Very nice, clean, and modern yet traditional, if that makes sense. Onsen was great. Clean bathing stalls and the bath had an incredible view of the mountainside. For a little extras you can get the fresh air onsen. The bath is on the top floor on the tallest building in the area so there is privacy. Great hotel, would recommend highly.

It was a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, and the location was perfect if you're looking for something a little more scenic and tranquil. Wished we had the extra day, 2 nights wasn't quite enough. As these are traditional inns, you won't necessarily get the cleaning service as you would do in a typical hotel.

The service was impeccable. Although the staff spoke very little English, they tried their very best and was always attentive to our needs. There was little to do around the hotel (April - not the skiing season), but the surrounding area was nice and quaint to explore the area on foot. The drive to Monkey Park from the ryokan was only 8mins. Rooms were very clean and spacious. Would definitely stay there again!

The staff were super friendly and helpful. The room we had was amazing. Only thing we had an issue with was all of the toilet rooms were stinky. Apart from that, a winner!

Designed to function like a Ryokan, the hotel has a distinctive Japanese feel, but the feeling is still a bit corporate. We bought the room without the meal plan, so I can't evaluate the food. The one thing I can say is there are very few eating options outside the hotel, and the hotel was not helpful in identifying good restaurants. It is almost as if the town decided all visitors must eat at a hotel with a meal plan. The meal plans offered through Hotels.com were $75 per person, and about $90 per person if we bought it after the fact. We did find a couple restaurants. Both old, very small (3 tables) japanese style Mom and Pops, where mom and pop literally live upstairs. The food was good and clearly home cooked, and about $10 bucks. No breakfast options other than Lawson or 7-11. The one outstanding feature was the onsen. On the 7th floor, the views from the onsen were fabulous. The inside onsen was glassed in with full views of the city. The outside onsens had half glassed in railings. It made for a beautiful view of the village. You could see all the way to the ski resorts. All in all, a good place to stay. Just wish they had better dining options.