Suminoyu

The breakfast and dinner were amazing. sadly I missed one of the dinner due to delay coming back on the day Nagano encountered heavy snowfall. I am also very grateful to the staff for their top notch service. they definitely went the extra mile, and I would love to compliment them and share how they took good care of me during my stay. When I was caught in the train delay due to snowfall, they got worried when I didn’t turn up for dinner. as they couldn’t reach me (my local sim was data only and they didn’t use WhatsApp), they contacted Singapore embassy which got in touch to make sure I was safe. when I finally reached Yudanaka station, a staff was already waiting to send me back to the ryokan in the mini bus. I got back cold and hungry, and the staff contributed rice dumpling snacks and made a simple hot soup for me. Very thankful! the next day, I tried to set off early but snowfall was still very heavy. the plan was to send me to yudanaka, and hopefully I could get a train to shinshu-nakano and then Nagano. But alas, the train was suspended, and while many travelers were waiting aimlessly in the waiting room, the lady staff came back to find me (I was so touched!) and told me she would drive me to shinshu-nakano where trains have a better chance of departing. she also came back to remind the train master to inform me in English when trains are ready. I finally made it out on a limited express train by 11+am. I wouldn’t believe any ryokan would go this far to care for their guests! big thanks to all of them!

none!

This was my favorite hotel on our trip and one of the best hotel I have been so far. First, the service is incredible. They come and pick you up at the train station so you don't have to worry about walking over there and they drop you back on your last day. They also take care of your luggages. When you arrive all the staff welcome you. They are always smiling and nice. They pay attention to you to offer you the best service. They give you all the recommendation in the village and guide you. They even make your bed when you are having dinner. Second, the facility is super clean. Their Onsen is in/out which is very enjoyable. The dinner is very good, you need to like fish and pork. Plus, the view from the room is gorgeous on the mountain. I will recommend this hotel to everyone who is looking to come in the region. I will be back!!

I have nothing to say, this was just perfect.

We booked this place primarily for its proximity to the snow monkey park, but were absolutely delighted by the accommodations. They picked us up from the bus station upon arrival, dropped us off at the park, and had our luggage delivered to a cafe across from the train station which made arrival/departure so easy. The staff were exceptional - kind, accommodating, and polite (and spoke excellent English). The meals were yummy and filling. The ryokan is next to a street of onsens which they give you a special key to access, but we felt the onsen in this ryokan was the best (and obviously most convenient) - there is a spacious and clean indoor onsen, as well as a smaller open air onsen (it was magical sitting in it while it snowed). We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here.

Our room was perfectly adequate but it wasn't the "comfiest" - for lounging there were just 3 floor chairs (but they had backrests which was key) and a table (the room was converted into a bedroom while we were at meals). FYI they are not able to accommodate dietary restrictions, but they were able to tell us about the food and let us know what had dairy, meat, etc so we could avoid dishes accordingly. All onsens were separated by gender, which is pretty standard, but I wished there had been an option for a private onsen that could be reserved for mixed genders.

the hotel facilities and meals are great. the station pick up is important. if you arrive before 13:00, remember to access the taxi arrangement center in front of the train station. hotel can not pick you up or answer the phone before 13:00. Remember this is japanese ryokan in countryside, not hotel in city. so do not expect very quick message response or 24hr reception. contact to arrange your arrival a few days before. meals are really tasty and the hot spring is good. hosts can speak fluent English and are very helpful.

it will be better to have curtains shield light. windows are too bright in the night.

We could not meet the regular shuttle schedule at the train station, so the staff offered to pick up us at the Jigokudani Yaen Koen (Snow Monkey tourist site) parking area. I guess that a senior staff (if not the boss) used her car to pick us up, coz we took the “real” shuttle the next day to the train station. Knowing we do not speak Japanese and wish to have a private onsen, but Suminoyu only has public, they helped us book a private onsen at a nearby location saving us some time to figure that out. Although not all staff speak English well, they are always helpful. Those English-speaking staff always try their best to assist us. We came for the Onsen and Snow Monkey so decided to stay a night in Ryokan instead of rushing back to Tokyo. The Japanese Ryokan style 2 meals deal (一泊二食) is always enjoyable. It was the first time we had a traditional Tatami room, very neat. It's a worthy revisit place!

If I really must pick on something, perhaps, the ink scroll painting on the wall is a print. This is only because of my art profession; most people will not bother to notice. In my personal opinion, many ink paintings are cheap copies but better than prints.

The staff drove us to the monkey park and gave us instructions on how to get back before we had even checked in. They do free pick ups and drop offs at Yudanaka station which is fantastic. They were so nice and welcoming. The room was large and extremely cozy and warm given the -10° temp outside. We had a private bathroom which was a luxury for a ryokan stay. They supplied us with the key for the 9 public onsens and all the instructions. We also had all the necessary items for the onsen trips including warm jackets for going out. The onsen at the hotel is indoor and outdoor with an amazing view outdoors. The shower area felt clean and comfortable given it’s a shared space. The changing room felt luxurious with hairdryers, razors, lotion etc. We wished we could have stayed longer here!!

If you want breakfast or dinner you will need to let them know well in advance so they can prepare it for you. This doesn’t look like a typical traditional Ryokan but I don’t think that matters unless that’s something you’re specifically after.

One of those better ryokan we have stayed in. Due to heavy snow which caused slow driving and we were also stuck in traffic on the highway that prevented traffic from moving, we arrived late to the hotel. The hotel even dropped us an email to check on our wellbeing. We kept in touch with the hotel telling them our predicament thus causing us to arrive late hence to hold our dinner. On arrival the Manager was outside waiting for us! And all staffs were really helpful, friendly and welcoming too. The dinner and breakfast provided were fantastic! The onsite onsen is great. The entire ryokan is good and located on the beginning of the street as one enter this little town. Since it is winter and snowing heavily the whole little town looks lovely and beautiful. They have a little parking space so they will assist you to help park your car too. Ryokan will also provide you with the key for access to the 9 public baths in Shibu Onsen.

Only thing not your expectation of quaint typical historical looking ryokan 😁

Exceptional location and incredibly warm and welcoming staff. More than just accommodation - it’s a unique and memorable experience. Everything about our stay was wonderful, from the view of snow capped hills from the rooftop outdoor onsen, experiencing the traditional public onsens along the main street, to the delicate dishes served in the private dining room.

I found the single mattress to be too thin to provide a comfortable night’s sleep but there were spare mattresses in the cupboard so I was able to put an extra one beneath.

Very attentive staff. Meals were delicious. Room was spacious and a great to experience traditional Japanese rooms. The stay included access to the public baths which was fun. The team also picked us up from Yudanaka station when we arrived (arrival time communicated through booking app), which allowed us to bring our luggage along instead of forwarding to the next location. Drop off in the morning at the start of the walk up to snow monkey park. We checked our the same day as the monkey park visit and our luggage was sent to a shop near Yudanaka station for pickup later with no extra cost.

Other than the pick up from Yudanaka being flexible based on our arrival, other usage of the shuttle followed a fixed time table (sending to the station and sending to snow monkey park) . I don't think it was reflected properly on the hotel description so we had to make some changes to our schedule on the fly once we found out about the timings (as we had a very tight trip). The staff were very helpful and made great suggestions on how get around shibu onsen.

Fantastic staff, great central location. They offer a shuttle ride to and from the train station which was awesome to have! Very clean ryokan, great amenities. The breakfast and dinner were very tasty! There are a lot of different public onsens that you have available to you as a guest. They also will drive you to the Snow Monkey Park entrance if you arrive at the appropriate time. The do not offer pick-up from the park, but the hotel is 15 or so minute walk from the park entrance. I actually enjoyed walking back (downhill too!), it was nice to see the town. You will not regret coming here! It was a wonderful and relaxing experience! Tips for Snow Monkey Park. Go later in the day or very early to avoid a lot of people. It also depends on the time of year for bigger or smaller crowds. I I came in early November and went in the late afternoon and there were many monkeys, and not a lot of people. However, I imagine can get quite busy during the winter time. They don't seem bothered by the people. I was even lucky to see on go in the hot spring which I don't know if that's normal for early November. Tips for public onsen: In the public onsen that I went to there wasn't a cleaning station, so instead you take the bucket and pour the onsen spring water all over the body upon entering. It's VERY hot, again the one I went to, which I believe is one of the bigger public onsens. I enjoy hot water, but this was so hot, I couldn't stay in it for more than 10 minutes.

The traditional ryokan beds were a bit uncomfortable for me. However, I realized it's because I prefer the more western style beds.