The most wonderful place, beautiful location and kind service. The private onsen is definitely worth the visit. And the food service is traditional and generous. Only a few minutes from the snow monkeys and the staff will take you there and pick you up.

Shibu Hotel is very beautiful. Our Deluxe Twin room looks like new. The room is much larger than advertised. We were lucky to book half board as the private dining room is beautiful and the staff is just so courteous. The meals are so beautifully decorated and delicious. The onsen is clean and very warm. We were picked up from the train station and were driven to the Snow Monkey Park. We love this place and will definitely come back.

A really incredible town and hotel. The service and hospitality was amazing. A really great stay.

The Shibu Hotel is a family run ryokan. The service level is beyond exceptional. They both fulfilled everything we wanted before we asked, but found ways to make our stay more pleasant than we had thought of. The kaiseki dinners and Japanese breakfasts were rich, varied and authentic. And again the staff that served us were exceptional. While we enjoyed the village onsens, the onsens at the Shibu Hotel were our favorites.

A fantastic place to stay. The staff are just exceptional. Was very kindly welcomed and was offered transport to and from the monkey park. In detail instructions for the onsens were provided along with the traditional robes and shoes. I highly recommend staying here. Just ensure you contact the property with you train arrival time asap so you don’t have to walk from the station

Very friendly staff. Lovely stay. Great location for onsens.

Great hotel with a clean, large room. The Onsen hot bath was absolutely awesome: you can have it private and outdoors or indoors. Very helpful staff has completed an overall picture. Highly recommended.

Stunning traditional Japanese hotel, with onsen onsite. The kaiseki meals were spectacular, and they accommodated dietary requirements impressively well. Fantastic place to stay.

I absolutely loved the Shibu Hotel! The staff were incredible. They were extremely helpful and kind during our entire stay. There are public bathhouses around the area that you get free access to. You can also use the hotel's private onsen which was AMAZING. The dinner and breakfast were very delicious! And they offer a shuttle to and from the snow monkey park nearby. I would definitely stay here again!

The free shuttle service is really good. The staff drove us from and to the station and also to the monkey park. They even made sure I could buy the famous apples from Nagano before leaving town (which are much more expensive anywhere else)

So much to say about Shibu Hotel so let me start with the big points - Free pickup from Yudanaka Station - you can transfer here from Nagano (go down the steps). Call the Shibu Hotel when you know your train time - Free transfer to the Snow Monkey Onsen leafing you to do the last 10 mins on flat ground - MUCH appreciated - Free secure key access to 9 Onsen in the town + 3 at the Ryokan = TWELVE Onsens are for your use. Ask for the ‘souvenir towel’ (in red envelope) and you can get a stamp for visiting each Onsen + a 10th stamp from a small shrine above Onsen number 9. Check the example of a completed towel to the right of reception. The hotel is a Ryokan which means traditional Japanese style without skimping on quality. There are some basic rules about Ryokan the owners will be all too happy to explain to you which are simple things like leaving your shoes at the door. Optionally you can wear a sized Yukata (similar to a kimono) for your stay and even when visiting the neighbouring onsens (it makes changing easier and you won’t look out of place). They’ll be ready and welcoming with a smile and “make yourself at home” mantra that is embodied thoughout your stay.

A really enjoyable stay. Everybody was very friendly, welcoming and helpful and the room was clean and comfortable. We were taken up to, and collected from, the nearby Snow Monkey Park. This was great to see with the monkeys out in large numbers. In and around the hotel you are encouraged to wear the traditional Yukata which adds to the experience and we enjoyed the use of the hotel’s private onsen. Both dinner and breakfast were excellent, fantastically presented and we had the added pleasure of our own private dining room. An evening walk around the Main Street where most of the nine renowned public onsen are located was rich in atmosphere with the way the wonderful old buildings are lit at night.

This was a delightful hotel with amazing customer service. Get the breakfast and spend time visiting the onsens!

Hotel itself is becoming a bit dilapidated. Any lacking of hotel condition is made up with the friendliness and service of the staff. They treat you like family and happily go the extra mile to ensure an enjoyable stay.

Absolutely delightful experience. The staff is attentive and courteous.

Outstanding place in the heart of Shibu Onsen. A genuine Japanese experience. A friendly, competent staff.

We spent big money compared to the rest of our trip, not realising we had picked one of the most popular venues of the area. From the moment we arrived we felt looked after. Staff picked us up from the train station. English speaking staff helped us check in and settle into our room. Including sizing the yukata to wear. We were driven to and from the monkey park. We had access to the onsen on site as well as the communal ones in town. We had a map of stores and restaurants. The hotel is very traditional. The room fit 4 very comfortably. The room was a tatami room. Nice touches like our shoes being left ready at the door when they knew we were going out. And the lovely matriarch even bagged us joice and lollies to take when we left as it was really early in the morning. It was expensive but absolutely worth it.

Extremely courteous and friendly service. This was our first Ryoken experience and it could not have been better! Close to Main Street and the hotel provides shuttle to/from snow monkey park and the train station.

Extremely helpful hotel staff. We were surprised that driver offered us a free ride to the snow monkey place upon our arrival at the train station.

Amazing staff, loved the location

What a fantastic ryokan. The hotel met us at the train station, then showed us the 3 onsen at the hotel and then took us up to a huge bedroom. There were 3 Japanese beds made up for us plus a little sitting room. A separate toilet and shower. There was a safe, lots of electrical outlets, a fridge, cold water carafe, yukata, and overcoat to wear in the hotel and outside. Everything was clean and so lovely. We had a wonderful view of the mountains and river. They also took us up the snow monkey park entrance (and will pick you up, too -although we walked back down). Very attentive staff. Always trying to help you. There are a couple of people there who speak English. We did have the Japanese dinner there one night. There must have been 12-15 courses (I stopped counting after a while). Delicious but be aware that a lot of it is fish in case you don’t like fish. There was beef as well. I would stay there again in a heartbeat. We had room 504 with a great view of the river and mountains.

Shibu is an older hotel but don't let that sway you. We stayed in a Ryokan in Kyoto, two adults and our teenaged daughter and this one was much bigger in comparison with a separate large shower/bathroom and sitting area. Extremely quiet for sleeping with views of the river and mountains. The hotel staff didn't miss a thing, were extremely accommodating and polite offering free shuttles to the monkey park and train station. We came back from the monkey park with muddy shoes which our driver must have noticed as when we went out later that evening they had been cleaned off and looked brand new! Also our daughter left her little bag behind and Shibu staff contacted us immediately to advise and arrange for shipment back to us in Canada. We wanted to stay longer and enjoy the wonderful onsens both in the hotel (one of the few outdoor onsens we discovered) and in the neighbourhood.

The manager/owner is extremely helpful and professional in providing his service which made our 1 day trip a pleasant memory. The hotel is well maintained and very clean, the staff are very professional as well by the Japanese standard. One thing worth mentioning is that they even cleaned our dirty shoes (due to the melting snow and mud from the nearby Snowmonkey park) overnight and placed them in front of the front desk tatami area when we head out. Shibu hotel has the attention to detail in a friendly way that makes you feel like the guest of honor.

We loved the Shibu Hotel. The service was excellent. Everything about the town and this hotel were delightful. Can’t wait to come back!!

Wonderful place! Such a lovely experience to stay in a family run resort that’s been around for a long time. Our corner room was wonderful. The breakfast was great and dinner was simply amazing! One of the best meals I’ve ever had. Absolutely loved our stay.

Excellent service and nice location if you want to go to the onsen

A very special two days staying here. Friendly, gracious hosts who could not do enough to help our enjoyment. Monkeys and ski fields in two days made so easy and relaxed by our hosts.

It was a relaxing stay and staff were friendly, helpful and attentive. The food was just ok though. I’ve stayed at other Ryokans and this one just doesn’t stack up with quality, quantity and taste. Breakfast was especially disappointing.

Great hotel, in centre of Shibu with nice Onsen and very pleasant staff.

Great hotel, in centre of Shibu with nice Onsen and very pleasant staff.

This ryokan is located on the main road of the shibu onsen area. The staff was simply awesome, very humble and very friendly. They went out of their way to make sure my stay was enjoyable and memorable. They offered pick up and drop off service at Yudanaka station (I was able to use expedia messenger when I was boarding the train at Nagano station to advise them of my arrival time and they made sure the shuttle bus was waiting for me) and snow monkey park (even made sure to provide the train schedules for the day we left to make sure we were able to maximize our time at the park before being dropped off at the station). The hotel had its own onsen (indoor, outdoor and private co-ed) accessible anytime from 15:00 to 09:30. They also provide the "town key" to the 9 public bathhouses, a must do experience if you enjoy onsen-ing (word of warning - the water is very hot at most of the bathhouses and they are old so don't expect marble floors/shining wall tiles). When you go, I highly recommend the dinner and breakfast combo. The food was simply amazing and a great way to enjoy a traditional japanese meal. They also offer free yukata use during your stay. I highly recommend this place and would definitely stay again!!

This ryokan is located on the main road of the shibu onsen area. The staff was simply awesome, very humble and very friendly. They went out of their way to make sure my stay was enjoyable and memorable. They offered pick up and drop off service at Yudanaka station (I was able to use expedia messenger when I was boarding the train at Nagano station to advise them of my arrival time and they made sure the shuttle bus was waiting for me) and snow monkey park (even made sure to provide the train schedules for the day we left to make sure we were able to maximize our time at the park before being dropped off at the station). The hotel had its own onsen (indoor, outdoor and private co-ed) accessible anytime from 15:00 to 09:30. They also provide the town key to the 9 public bathhouses, a must do experience if you enjoy onsen-ing (word of warning - the water is very hot at most of the bathhouses and they are old so dont expect marble floors/shining wall tiles). When you go, I highly recommend the dinner and breakfast combo. The food was simply amazing and a great way to enjoy a traditional japanese meal. They also offer free yukata use during your stay. I highly recommend this place and would definitely stay again!!