Hanagokoro Yamadaya is magical. Our two days there were extremely special. Highly recommend. I imagine that some lower ratings for this property are from westerners who were perhaps not prepared nor appreciative of the traditional nature of this ryokan. The room was beautiful and spacious. I don’t think photos online do it justice. The level of service is impeccable, though it may feel stiff if you are expecting bubbly hospitality. The private onsen was unlike any experience my partner and I have ever had. Utter magic. Traditional Yukata kimonos are provided for your stay, and it is traditional to wear them throughout the hotel, including at meals. We loved this. It was so comfortable to relax at dinner in these robes after enjoying the onsen. Breakfast and dinner were stunning. I am an avid eater of Japanese food, and there were a number of ingredients and dishes that were a first for me which was so delightful and something you hope for during a stay like this. I found the portions completely appropriate and for a female, certainly filling. The only minor critique I have of the experience is that it would have been lovely to have had more information provided up front about some of the traditions e.g, protocols for using the onsen and wearing the robes, but anytime we asked a question, the staff were kind and gracious in answering. If you are looking for an authentic onsen ryokan, it doesn’t get any better than this.

Hanagokoro Yamadaya is magical. Our two days there were extremely special. Highly recommend. I imagine that some lower ratings for this property are from westerners who were perhaps not prepared nor appreciative of the traditional nature of this ryokan. The room was beautiful and spacious. I don’t think photos online do it justice. The level of service is impeccable, though it may feel stiff if you are expecting bubbly hospitality. The private onsen was unlike any experience my partner and I have ever had. Utter magic. Traditional Yukata kimonos are provided for your stay, and it is traditional to wear them throughout the hotel, including at meals. We loved this. It was so comfortable to relax at dinner in these robes after enjoying the onsen. Breakfast and dinner were stunning. I am an avid eater of Japanese food, and there were a number of ingredients and dishes that were a first for me which was so delightful and something you hope for during a stay like this. I found the portions completely appropriate and for a female, certainly filling. The only minor critique I have of the experience is that it would have been lovely to have had more information provided up front about some of the traditions e.g, protocols for using the onsen and wearing the robes, but anytime we asked a question, the staff were kind and gracious in answering. If you are looking for an authentic onsen ryokan, it doesn’t get any better than this.

This is a great tourist accessible onsen ryokan. The food was great, the room was great, and the private onsen we had was pretty good. The service was exceptional!

This is a great tourist accessible onsen ryokan. The food was great, the room was great, and the private onsen we had was pretty good. The service was exceptional!

There was another couple that rated them poorly and they, too, went on their honeymoon. We thought it funny because their was exactly our experience! We are also in our honeymoon and we have been to another Ryokan..this just was not it. The traditional food was a bit too traditional and mostly bland and not very good. We were kind of dreading our meals..but for the most part,it was a hit or miss if the course meal was going to be good. Get ready for a LOT of bones in fish, gooey pastes, and little tiny eyes looking at you (tiny krill) as you debate whether or not your brave enough to eat it. For breakfast, no fresh coffee...that to us was the straw that broke the camels back. At least have some fresh coffee. The staff were super sweet but at times a little over bearing . The room was ok. The onsen was ok as well, but never saw some of the ones in the photos so I'm curious to know which were those. They had a "relax room" that was in a big room with just...chairs. Not lounge chairs, just normal chairs. Reminded us of a nursing home. At least try to make it relaxing... Put out snacks or books or tables..anything to make it more inviting. Seems like wasted space ! It has a lot of potential honestly..a face lift and better food and it can be really nice! This just wasn't it, we were shocked at all the great reviews.. Not a terrible stay but not good either. We looked forward to checking out ,that's not the experience you look for.

There was another couple that rated them poorly and they, too, went on their honeymoon. We thought it funny because their was exactly our experience! We are also in our honeymoon and we have been to another Ryokan..this just was not it. The traditional food was a bit too traditional and mostly bland and not very good. We were kind of dreading our meals..but for the most part,it was a hit or miss if the course meal was going to be good. Get ready for a LOT of bones in fish, gooey pastes, and little tiny eyes looking at you (tiny krill) as you debate whether or not your brave enough to eat it. For breakfast, no fresh coffee...that to us was the straw that broke the camels back. At least have some fresh coffee. The staff were super sweet but at times a little over bearing . The room was ok. The onsen was ok as well, but never saw some of the ones in the photos so I'm curious to know which were those. They had a "relax room" that was in a big room with just...chairs. Not lounge chairs, just normal chairs. Reminded us of a nursing home. At least try to make it relaxing... Put out snacks or books or tables..anything to make it more inviting. Seems like wasted space ! It has a lot of potential honestly..a face lift and better food and it can be really nice! This just wasn't it, we were shocked at all the great reviews.. Not a terrible stay but not good either. We looked forward to checking out ,that's not the experience you look for.

Very relaxing stay with nice food and lovely private onsen,

Very relaxing stay with nice food and lovely private onsen,