Beniya Mukayu Ryokan — Hotel in Kaga

Beautiful, spiritual, healing. Splurge for at least 2 nights with people you love. It is worth it.

There are very few rooms, each affording a private onsen surrounding a peaceful sakura forest, and on our visit it was snowing but spring was approaching and the trees were beginning to blossom.

Generous bath/face products, and thoughtfully produced and woven into the philosophy of the ryokan. However, I recommend you bring your own if skin is sensitive or you need more hydrating and less herbal-scented products.

We stayed in the very first room - a nice mix of Western and Eastern and a step-down onsen. They provide yakuta and jacket and full traditional wear (taba, etc), some guests wear it, others don't. There are 3 libraries to contemplate and admire views, and the garden is walkable in season.

Only edits would be an additional heater for the traditional bamboo floors sitting/viewing room for the garden, and perhaps more and thicker towels and some touching up of peeling plaster in the wet areas.

Loved the separate water closet so sharing guests can easily take turns in the onsen without complications.

Bed was fluffy and a delight. A solid wet bar with sink came very handy, including non alcoholic drinks. A little snack was provided daily. Plenty of drinkware, too.

Your room is turned down when you are at dinner; dinner alone was an experience worthy of its own review - partake. It is a delight of the senses. An artful experience of several courses against the backdrop of the floor to ceiling windows, you feel part of the art installation. Breakfast is a simpler but no less happy affair.

Staff is earnest, thoughtful, eager to enable and be helpful and kind. Alessandro's team shines with his hard work and leadership. You feel seen here, and welcomed, genuinely. As a black woman, that was very special for me. There is a strong international showing of staff and my theory in watching each of them work is that they have each come here with a deep passion to create an experience that embodies traditional Japanese cultural experiences with a fervor and a quiet joy not unlike the monks who used to live and work in its prior incarnation. And it is beautiful to see and be touched by.

There is a small bamboo forest nearby that we could not visit due to the snow - visit it if you can! And direct access to town by a staircase and funicular directly next to the hotel. It is a small town and Allesandro and the staff will explain your best options for lunch and shops to visit with a helpful map - many close at odd days but that is part of the fun. It could have been that we were in off season but I liked that the town was quiet and not filled with instattravellers.

In your room you should find a book about the ryokan and Japanese culture featuring Ms. Sachiko, the current generational manager with her husband. Read it, to better appreciate Japanese culture and the ethos of this specific ryokan and its owners.

Then sit in your onsen under the stars, or the blue blue sky, and the soft boughs of the sakura and reaching clouds or wilding wind, and embrace being nothing and everything and one with nature, as this...

Beniya Mukaya offers a mixed experience that combines elegant aesthetics and high-quality dining with several service shortcomings that may leave seasoned ryokan enthusiasts wanting more.||Pros:|The ryokan excels in its traditional Japanese style and attention to detail in its physical offerings. The tatami rooms are beautifully designed, creating a serene and authentic ambiance. The dining experience showcases high-quality ingredients, delivering an exceptional taste of Japanese cuisine. Guests will also appreciate the comfortable beds, premium linens, and thoughtful touches like pajamas and yukata provided in the rooms.||Cons:|Unfortunately, Beniya Mukaya falls short of the service standard expected from a luxury ryokan, particularly one associated with accolades like Michelin and Relais & Chateaux. The absence of turndown service, room service, and a lack of complimentary snacks or beverages detracts from the overall experience. Personalized service is limited—an example being the awkward situation where a taxi driver had to request umbrellas from the front desk on behalf of the guests.||The staff, while polite, appear inexperienced and have limited local knowledge, which makes exploring the area more challenging. The washroom and open-air bath area feel disproportionately small for the room size, and the lack of conveniences like an in-room coffee machine adds to the sense of missed potential. Even the “executive suite garden view” feels underwhelming in this context.||Overall:|Beniya Mukaya seems to trade on its Western accolades rather than delivering the warm, personalized experience that defines the best ryokan stays. The sterile vibe and lack of attention to service details are disappointing, especially given its price point. While the aesthetic appeal is undeniable, it ultimately fails to compensate for the absence of those personal touches that make a ryokan stay memorable.||There are undoubtedly better options that provide more value and an authentic, welcoming atmosphere. For now, Beniya Mukaya feels like a missed opportunity, a shadow of what it may...

Rarely does a dream come true. About thirty years ago, an idea took hold. I imagined staying at a Japanese ryokan with an open-air private onsen bath somewhere in nature during winter, hopefully with snow on the ground. The stars aligned in more ways than I imagined at Beniya Mukayu.||Located a few miles from the Kagaonsen Shinkansen Rail Station, Beniya Mukayu is a short couple of hours from Tokyo but a world apart from the urban hustle and stress. The Zen enveloped me as I stepped out of the taxi. Beniya Mukayu is nestled up a hill surrounded by the forest; sounds of melting snow and a slight breeze could be heard as I was escorted into the architecturally planned inn. I inhaled, taking in the design of every piece of furniture, every window, every angle, all with purpose and all with artistry. I was overtaken with emotion and teared up. It was more than I could imagine. ||After an introduction to the inn and a cup of tea, we were escorted to our lodgings, an expansive Japanese-style room with a deck, separate bedroom, large bathroom, and private onsen bath filled with this area's warm healing mineral waters. Ours had hydrotherapy jets. We did not want to leave the room, and the television was ignored.||Beniya Mukayu supplied us with kimonos, slippers, and a wrap in our respective sizes, and soon we were immersed in the way of the ryokan. It was better than therapy.||The inn had two or three libraries for relaxation, public baths separated for men and women by time; kaiseki dinners served nightly, and excellent breakfasts. Service was in the ryokan tradition: polite, honorable, and caring. Pilar, from Patagonia, Argentina, helped guide us during our too-short two-day stay. She was wonderful. The owners, a charming couple, led us through a tea ceremony on our first day, an apt introduction to the zen of Beniya Mukayu. ||As I sat in my onsen bath, freezing rain falling around me, all cares drifted away. I was one with myself, too content with life. Beniya Mukayu does that. I...