Shirahone Hotels

"BYAKU Narai feels less like a hotel and more like a pause in time. Set within lovingly restored Edo-era townhouses, it invites you to slow your breath and listen—to creaking wood, soft light, and the quiet rhythm of Narai-juku after the crowds fade. Nothing is excessive, nothing is missing; every detail exists with intention and restraint. As night falls and the street empties, the town glows gently, and you realize BYAKU isn’t trying to impress you—it’s asking you to stay present. A rare, soulful place that lingers long after you leave."

"I had high hopes for this hotel because of the onsen, so we booked three nights in a japanese-style room with half- board (breakfast and dinner). First, this hotel is located in the middle of nowhere. You cannot walk to town or any restaurants outside of the hotel property. The closest town is Hirayu Onsen, which is a ten-minute bus ride. We should've stayed there instead. We've been traveling all over Japan for the past five weeks so we've stayed at several hotels before this one. This hotel is the worst so far. If I had to pick one main reason for my low rating, it would be the front desk staff, specifically the Japanese male manager. He was borderline rude. Did not speak a lick of English. The foreign workers are the nice ones. Here, the japanese service staff are surprisingly cold and unwelcoming. They gave us the impression that they do not like western tourists. As I mentioned earlier, we pre--paid for the kaiseki breakfast and dinners. All but one (dinner on the second night) were huge disappointments. We should've just eaten in town, even with the inconvenience. The Japanese-style rooms are subjective. I would never do it again. The tatami beds are just too hard on my back. The onsen is nice. We tried all of them and found the ones outside (shared) were just too hot for us. I guess this is the only redeeming feature of this hotel, but you can also find a better hotel option in town (Hirayu Onsen) where you can walk to many restaurants and the bus station."

"We had a wonderful 4-day, 3-night stay at Ryokan Sansui and truly enjoyed every moment. The ryokan has a very traditional Japanese atmosphere—an old wooden building full of character, beautifully maintained, clean, and well cared for. It feels authentic and calming, exactly what you hope for in a classic ryokan. After skiing during the day, the indoor and outdoor onsen were incredibly relaxing. Soaking in the hot spring in the cold winter air was one of the highlights of our trip and the perfect way to unwind each evening. The ryokan is also very kid-friendly, which we really appreciated while traveling with our toddler. All the staff were exceptionally kind, patient, and welcoming, and they went out of their way to make our child feel comfortable. That warmth made a big difference for us as a family. We stayed on a half-board plan, and both breakfast and dinner were excellent, with a wide variety of beautifully prepared dishes. Over the course of our stay, we enjoyed Hida beef in different styles, including shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, and nikuyaki—each one delicious and thoughtfully presented. Overall, Ryokan Sansui offers a perfect blend of traditional charm, comfort, great food, and heartfelt hospitality. It’s an ideal place to relax, especially after outdoor activities, and we would happily return again."

"We had a wonderful experience here, the staff, the food and the hotel were all wonderful. Would love to come back one day. "

"We had a really great stay, the location and the Onsen is the main attraction for this hotel. There are generally not that many options and variety with food both in the hotel and in the nearby by restaurants and cafes, but that’s understandable given that the location, nature and ski resorts are nearby instead."

"Okuhida Hot Spring Hirayukan is conveniently located, just a short and easy walk from the Hirayu Onsen bus terminal. A small shop beside the ryokan sells snacks and drinks, which is useful especially in the quieter evenings. Check in was smooth and the ryokan already had our Expedia reservations. As with most Japanese ryokan, copies of our passports were taken. We stayed in the Japanese Style Room, Sengakuso, Non Smoking (35 sqm). Footwear must be removed at the main lobby and changed to the in house slippers, in line with traditional ryokan customs. Our room was located some distance away from the main lobby and required climbing two flights of stairs, with no lift access. There were no shower facilities in the room, which is typical for many traditional ryokan. The onsen baths are located in the main building, and the male and female bathing areas are rotated once a day. Buffet dinner offered at Y4400 per person from 6pm. It was enjoyable and good value, with a wide selection including seafood. Each table is provided with two fuel stoves, and guests can choose between grilling, hotplate, or hotpot to cook the raw food. A nice touch is the free ramen served at the main lobby from 10pm to 10.30pm, perfect for a light supper after a soak in the onsen."

"Great location for the hotel to see both the Shinhotaka ropeway and the Kamikochi park. Inside it was clean, quiet and, of course, great private onsens. 2 indoor and 1 outdoor. Water was very hot, but relaxing. Will definitely book again if we're back here"

"It was hard to appreciate the full experience as the staff did not have an English translation for key protocol or amenities (I realise it is noted when booking that staff don’t speak English ) But to move forward and guests to experience the full Onsen experience this would be an enhancement The room was spacious but suffered from condensation and could do with some more up to date Electrical points "