MattEvan

Shot in the dark, but has anyone stayed at Yakimochiya in Nagano City? Curious to hear about it!

RichardInSF

Looking at their website, I doubt that this is a luxury ryokan as it appears many of the rooms don't have a private bathroom! Or as their website says, " Toilet and a washroom are not located in the room. Share space is immediately near the room."

Aventine

This can happen at some ryokans. They're not squatter toilets but I'll never pay to stay somewhere and share a bathroom.

Smiley90

Does anyone who's been to both have strong opinons on Hakone-Ginyu vs. Yama No Chaya? We have reservations at both at the moment - Roughly the same price for private onsen rooms, a Sora Room at Hakone-Ginyu and Ajisai at YamaNoChaya (with the extra sashimi meal plan ). Looks like Hakone-Ginyu has the better view and YamaNoChaya has the upgraded meal plan going for it, but hard to say without knowing the quality of the food/rooms at either place! On pictures they both look amazing...

747FC

Thinking that those who frequent this thread may actually go north to Sapporo, I wanted to know if anyone has a recommended hotel or ryokan that is close to where the main Snow Festival activities are held each year.

Many thanks!

RichardInSF

It's likely that the best accommodation in town is in the "Grand within Grand" section of the Sapporo Grand hotel. I've stayed there once and I thought the rooms were quite decent and, I suspect, dramatically different and better from the rest of the hotel, which likely is a not so good world. The problem is that the rooms are crazily overpriced when the Snow Festival is NOT on, so I cannot imagine what they would be charging when it is on. I am talking prices that are higher than the most expensive Tokyo hotels during the non-Snow Festival season -- Y80,000 a night and up for a 50sqmt regular room -- and again, these are the rates when the Snow Festival is NOT on.

747FC

Thank you for your insights. Might you have an email for the concierge or reservations? I cannot find any availability in dates in January and February.

RichardInSF

No, I never had any contact with the concierge or indeed with management at all. I am not surprised that it might be sold out a year in advance but it is also the case that many Japanese hotels don't even open up most of their space that far in advance. A booking site like Rakuten travel also sometimes has space when the hotel site does not.

747FC

Thanks for the suggestion. After responding to you yesterday, I contacted the hotel via its "Contact Us" button on the website. I very quickly got an email from reservations that said that inventory has yet to be released.

RichardInSF

Bear in mind that while it is priced like a luxury hotel, it is not one, although the hard product in "Grand In Grand" is good and paying rack rate gets you access to a lounge.

Kagehitokiri

curious how well best luxury hotel concierges do, and if some things do not have to cost a fortune

thetimes.co.uk/article/behind-closed-doors-in-japan-hs5ghhzd7
luxurique.com/img/media/thetilesluxx2018.pdf

Anlun

Anyone have any ryokan recommendations in the Kanazawa and Yamanouchi area? Working on a trip for December and trying to gather more info. Right now I'm considering Asadaya, Beniya Mukayu, Kinjohro, Kayotei for Kanazawa, and for Yamanoichi we were considering Sekiya, Myojinkan, and Kanaguya (more for the novelty). Ideally we prefer something with a good outdoor bath. We loved our stay at Asaba and were hoping for something similar.

Aventine

Kayotei isn't exactly in Kanazawa (located in Kaga Onsen) but it does belong in this forum. Get a suite for the private outdoor bath. Do the private Kaga lacquerware tour offered by the owner of Kayotei.

KI-NRT

I'd also consider Hanamurasaki - it's just around the corner from Kayotei, btw. Of the three towns in the Kaga Onsen area, we found Yamanaka Onsen (where Hanamurasaki and Kayotei are located) to be by far the nicest.

747FC

Bumping this note in case anyone else has a recommended lodging option in Sapporo. Thanks!