Momijiya Honkan Takao Sansou Mountain Villa Ryokan

Very disappointing stay – poor service and not worth the price We had high expectations for this ryokan, but our stay was truly disappointing. Communication before arrival was already slow and unclear, and things didn’t improve upon arrival. At check-in, everything felt rushed. The staff member practically walked away from us, and the whole process was reduced to: sit down, pick your dinner and check-out time on a paper – no welcome, no explanation, no hospitality. The building itself was very old and quite run-down. It was clean, but clearly in need of renovation. The onsen photos online were misleading: the beautiful baths shown actually belong to another building, which we couldn’t access from where we were staying. Dinner was another disappointment. It was traditional Japanese style, but the food quality and taste were poor, and nothing was explained. The staff spoke almost no English and showed little effort to make guests feel comfortable. When we tried to order something to drink afterwards, we were first ignored and then told quite rudely that it wasn’t possible. The only nice thing was the surrounding nature, which was peaceful and scenic, but even there, guests weren’t allowed to explore or do much. Overall, the whole experience felt cold and impersonal – as if you just come, eat, and leave. We were honestly relieved that we had booked only one night. Definitely not worth the high price, and we would never stay here again.

The quality of this accommodation was extremely poor. It fell way short of an acceptable standard and regretfully I had to check-out after only one night (we had booked for three). It transpired there is a total contrast between the main building (where I was housed) and a much newer annex: both offered at the same rate. Our room in the former was old and tired with chipped woodwork, stained carpets, torn screens, dirty bathroom grouting and rusty fitments. The public bath / hot springs facilities were similarly disappointing – old and tired – with barely enough room for two or three people at a time.On registering my disappointment, I was told that these elements of my accommodation were considered “retro” and apparently extremely popular. Popular perhaps in the 1960’s when everything was fresh and new but the time had clearly come for some major refurbishment. In addition, the staff – despite an air of friendliness – did their utmost to rush us through our arrival and later expedited the quickest service of both dinner and breakfast the following morning that I have ever experienced. This was not a place to rest, relax or enjoy. In a magnificent country that prides itself with the some of the highest quality hospitality, I couldn't have been more disappointed. To be avoided.

If you’re looking for a truly restful & authentic stay, this is the place for you! 15min drive from Hanazono Station, in the mountains. Tranquil air. Beautiful service. Delicious food.

The view and surrounding mountains was remarkable however this stay was extremely overpriced for the value experienced. Though the staff was quick to help with shoes, baggage and making beds, it almost felt intrusive. We were told we could have dinner or breakfast in our room, which was not the case upon arrival. We didn’t realize the onsen would be an additional charge- with that, it was not clean in the soaking tub. Coffee was not allowed in the rooms nor did they have any other food for purchase. Once a day we received hot tea with a small treat. We were so excited to have a relaxing 2 nights in the mountains and completely disappointed to be on a strict schedule with minimal choice. The dinner was quite elaborate yet very, very texture and taste challenging. We didn’t realize our best to be respectful yet we found ourself not eating much meat the rest of our trip after being grossed out. The only thing served for desert was a small cube of watermelon. Come to find out any drink we had aside from tea was charged as well. We had a ginger ale from a plastic bottle. The highlight of the whole trip was seeing fireflies for the first time and listening to the sounds of the mountainside beliefs and creatures. The outdoor walking path was remarkable as well. This place needs to reconsider the customer’s experience. NOT a 4-star hotel.

The absolute perfect spot for a ryokan experience with my dad and sister. Really enjoyed dinner and breakfast and a private bath looking out at the mountains. Lovely hikes to a shrine right over the river. All three of us had a truly relaxing and beautiful time.

Service was top-notch; view from the private bath was beautiful! Meals were alright - the Ryokan we visited n the outskirts of Tokyo set a high bar for us so in comparison we were a tad disappointed. Baths were alright too. No open common baths for couples so we had to book a private bath at an additional ¥4000. But service was definitely top-notch.

Not sure how this Ryokan got all these good reviews, so I feel the need to share my experience. Service felt off. We were rushed to check in and book everything very fast, not a very warm welcome. Then checkout was at 10am, which barely gave us time to enjoy our stay in the morning. We also asked to be window side for breakfast which didn’t happen. The owner didn’t seem to care when we told him we were a bit disappointed. Dinner was good but breakfast was a bit tasteless. Not at all the relaxing experience we were hoping for. Room and bathroom feels old and musty. Overall in dire need of renovation. Feels more like a beat down motel turned into a tourist trap than a luxury hotel. Not up to standards given price.

Great little traditional Ryokan hotel in the northern mountains of Kyoto. You wear kimono/ Yakuta around the premises, tatami mat rooms, free communal onsen and paid private onsen, traditional free breakfast and dinner (there is dinner entertainment). Helpful and friendly staff, and it’s next to a bus stop to go into town. There is also free shuttles directly to train or subway stations. No convenience stores close by, but there’s vending machines outside.

I was insanely excited to stay at one of these places. If you come to Kyoto, you should never make the mistake of skipping out on this sort of an experience. I've seen travel shows about staying in this sort of traditional styled hotel, but my mind was still blown away when I saw the room. It was so simple, clean, and definitely traditional. Moments after we explored the room, a lady came in to pour us some delicious and authentic green tea before handing us the things we need for the onsen. It's not that pricey to get a private onsen, so I honestly would recommend that if you're antsy about bathing privacy. It's extremely relaxing and you get a beautiful view as well. The dinner and breakfast they give you is super healthy and delicious and it's everything you could dream of when you think of a traditional stay in Japan. I definitely would return to this place. The service and comfort is incredible.

This place has been pretty good so far. I didn't know what to expect, but the service here was pretty good. Our bus shuttle pick us up and took us to the hotel. Or rather, it was an inn. Right when we got off, the staff quickly got all of our bags and escorted us into the lobby where they took our shoes and gave a slippers. And then they took us to our room where the lady served us some tea and told us what to wear as they brought in our new clothes. After wandering around the place a little bit, we decided to take a bath. At least in the men's bath, it was pretty nice. There was an area to wash yourself, and then two separate bathtubs. One was inside and the other one was outside. I'm not sure about the women's bath, but I heard there were only one and it was inside. You can actually reserve your own private bath with a great view unfortunately that cost about $27 in order to use it. We had a great big dinner. It started at 6:45 PM and we didn't finish until 8:05 PM. Mainly because they keep serving us food, a lot of food. It range from sashimi to some sort of fruit pudding to grilled salmon to a lot of other things. There were at least 2 to 3 different soups. All in all, it was very filling. So after dinner we decided to wander around a little bit outside but they said the temples around here were closed so there wasn't much to see. In the morning we had breakfast and it was good. And then our shuttle took us back to the JR station where we continue our way to Kyoto station to look around the city of Kyoto. To summarize, this was our first experience with a Japanese inn, but we felt it was sufficient. I'm sure there are other better inns with better service but here it was still pretty good. We are in the middle of nowhere, traditional setting, good service, all Japanese ladies and men, and definitely something you cannot experience in the United States. I would say if it's your first time, give this place a try. Although it is kind of hard to get here so you need to do your research on how to get here. Just take the JR train to Hanazono station and wait for the shuttle to take you here. It's all free for the ride. The stay, however will cost you a pretty penny. FYI.

This was my first ryokan. It was expensive! I think approx $600 per night for one room and private bath. It was our anniversary so I guess it was worth it. If u want a real country side Japanese experience you will not be disappointed. The service is top notch. The scenery is beautiful. The only reason why I wouldn't give it five stars is the food. It very local, seasonal and traditional, but some of it I didn't know either what it was or had a very weird texture.

Beautiful area and very quiet. The service was great but the food and bath we not what I had expected. A lot of people did not wash their bodies off before entering the bath as they were instructed to do. The first time I entered the bath it was nice but after dinner I noticed some stuff floating around in it. They also switch out the baths so one day the women can use the outdoor bath and the next day they can't (unfortunately we were only here one night so we only had access to the indoor facility). The dinner and breakfast did consist of a lot of food but it wasn't very appetizing. Online we had ordered the beef hot pot but upon arrival we received the smorgasbord of cold Japanese fish and plenty of sticks and root vegetables. Overall the experience was decent but it definitely wasn't worth the price.