Yusen Shidate Shidotaira Onsen — Hotel in Hanamaki

Definitely one of the best cozy little onsen inns we have stayed in (and we have been to many throughout Japan). We checked in early and checked out very late, making the most of our stay. The staff are very friendly and love to chat and tell you about the local area, if given the chance. We got lots of good advice on the area. Nothing ever seems too much bother for them ...||The room had everything we needed: the amenities, the tea making facilities and the big fridge were all good. The beds were very comfy. Sitting outside on the verandah soaking up the fresh air, listening to nothing but the birds and river was wonderful. The private outside bath (although plastic) is invigorating - we must have had at least 5 baths, during our stay. The onsen baths leave you with a silky feel. The big public baths (downstairs) are also very clean and the onsen water is warm - not overly hot.The only trivial complaint is that there aren't enough racks nor hooks to hang towels. The foot bath was good and you can enjoy a drink, while doing so.||Best of all were the meals. Each dish was beautifully presented. Using only the freshest local ingredients, everything was brought out warm and at a leisurely pace - as requested. The local bottles of "sake" we tried were perfect for each dish we had. We chose the beef and the pork - the pork was exceptionally good. It's definitely the best Japanese breakfast I've had at an inn. The baked salmon, rolled omelettes, dumplings, miso soup, tofu, Ono yoghurt were all filling and superbly made.||We definitely hope to stay...

Had a one night stay in March and regretted the fact that we did not stay longer. Our room was on the ground floor, with a balcony that opens into a small garden and the river that runs next to the resort. All rooms have their own private rotenburo (open-air hotspring) and ours was no different. The resort also has two "public" rotenburos.||||From our rotenburo, we could heard the river flowing and the trees swaying in the mountain in front of us. It was absolutely serene and peaceful. The room had modern amenities such as the washlet, LCD TV complete with cable channels and a sound system complete with "spa tunes". There was also a "rest area" complete with massage chairs and best of all, a drink machine complete with soft drinks and all kinds of tea. Right next to the "rest area" is an outdoor foot bath where you can dip your foot into a warm pool.||||Breakfast was served in a restaurant and unlike other restaurants, there are booths so as to enhance the privacy factor. It was not buffet unfortunately but was more like a Japanese-set meal. It was beautifully presented and the staff was on hand to explain the different food items and refill our drinks. That day, I opted for the locally-produced apple juice and boy, that was the sweetest and most delicious apple juice EVER!!! I probably had 5 glasses of them by the end of breakfast.||||I highly recommend this hotel for anyone who wants to get away from it all. I would definitely try to return...

I chose this hotel after I read a travel blog. The blogger introduced this hotel and I like every part of it. That’s why I arrived at the hotel early, right after the check-in time, so that I could enjoy the facilities longer.||The hotel is a small onsen hotel. Its sister hotel next door is a very large one with a lot of guests and a water park. The guests of Yusen Shidate can go to the sister hotel through an indoor passage and enjoy the onsen there. If you choose Yusen, you may not like the other hotel as it is too crowded. ||There are only around 20 rooms in Yusen. Every time I went to the public onsen, I did not soak with other guests in the bathhouse. It may be due to the fact that every room has an outdoor private onsen. There is also a foot bath and two massage chairs. ||I had a room on the third floor. All the rooms overlook the stream in front of the hotel. As I mentioned before, there is an outdoor onsen in each room. I enjoyed it very much. I also like to sit on the balcony, listening to the tumbling of the stream. ||The dinner and breakfast are all served in separate rooms for different parties of guests. It is the best onsen dinner and breakfast I had...