湯宿だいいち — Hotel in Nakashibetsu

Stayed 2 nights.||The ryokan experience starts with being met in the car park, bags whisked away, shoes off at the entrance and slippers provided. Then an orientation with a very nice Vietnamese lady, one of the few members of staff who spoke English. We were given a detailed explanation of how to use the two different onsen, and lots of other info that you really need, because this is an experience like no other. The rooms are beautiful ( ours looked onto the stream), the (long and many) corridors are decorated with beautiful art and ikebana, and there are lots of drinks dispensers everywhere - the corn soup is delicious.||The food was some of the finest we had anywhere during our 4 weeks travelling in Japan (including a couple of Michelin- starred restaurants), presented exquisitely, and wonderfully flavoured - a true feast over several courses and a couple of hours. Breakfast buffet equally memorable.||We only went here to see the Blakiston's Fish owl, so the whole experience was a wonderful surprise - if you've seen the Studio Gibli film "Spirited Away" you will get a sense of what it was like. And we were the only westerners here, which was great, and only added to the sense of being on a different world.||On that note, if you're an uptight westerner who doesn't like getting naked in front of strangers, you might struggle here - there are no showers or washing facilities in the rooms ( apart from a basin), only those in the onsen themselves. I don't think we would have chosen to go if we had understood this beforehand, but I'm SO...

An amazing stay!

The onsen is the best onsen I've been to in Hokkaido. Newly renovated, the inside area is wooden and smells like hinoki. The outdoor area includes an outdoor stone bath, a bath carved out of a giant tree trunk, two saunas, cold bath and a secluded lie down bath overlooking the river. There is also a mixed gender onsen which is right on the river. From the ladies area, you are able to check to see if anyone is in the bath currently (usually it was empty) and it was a really unique experience to try.

The staff at the accommodation was so lovely and welcoming. The room was also phenomenal. We stayed in the loft room and it was very spacious. The loft space was so cosy and comfortable. We were also offered our choice of yukata upon check in.

The food was also outstanding. Highlights being the fried whole fish at dinner, the onigiri we could take to our rooms for a late night snack and the freshly cooked items brought around and offered by staff members in addition to the breakfast buffet.

The Ryokan is also a hotspot for birdwatching with a calendar tracking the number of owl sightings each day, coffee offered 24/7 to birdwatchers and complimentary binoculars offered to guests.

Highly recommend making the trek out to this peaceful ryokan. It's...

Let me first say that my family members were unanimous about coming back to this place, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ||||The room we were assigned to was very clean, spacious and well appointed. The beds were comfortable and pillows were supportive enough to not cause a neck-ache the next morning. I have a bad back, so my saying that I woke up with no issues says much about the level of comfort the bed provides.||||The staff were attentive, and very, very obliging. ||||The dinner course was something I may not be accustomed to, because it comprises mostly Japanese dishes which I hardly come across nor would I order at a restaurant, but the saving grace were the few familiar ones like chawan mushi, miso soup, saba fish and salmon and chicken kamameshi.||||Breakfast spread was sumptuous.||||We even managed to catch sight of the Blakiston's Fish Owl on the second night of our stay. It was a magnificent creature to behold.||||The baths (especially the mixed bath next to the river) was a great place to be at if you want to be close to nature while enjoying a good soak. Best times to go are after guests' checkout time at 10am in the morning or late at night around 11pm, when it is usually empty and you can have the place to yourself.||||We missed the place as soon...