中津川温泉 ホテル花更紗 Nakatsugawa Onsen HOTEL HANASARASA — Hotel in Nakatsugawa

Our travel agent needed to change our accommodation from Tsumago as the roykan we were to stay in was fully booked for our dates. They recommended Hotel Hanasarasa as an alternative. From Nakatsugawa Station we caught the free shuttle, checked in to our Japanese room and went for a walk along the river. The hotel is certainly older - the area around the hotel and river could really do with a tidy up, overgrown vegetation, uneven paths. Maintenance of the hotel could do with a bit of a clean of the exterior. Seeing a large fridge/ freezer unit by the entrance way is also a little offputting. I used the onsen at the hotel the first night in their basement, but the neighbouring Kur Resort next door onsens were a lot newer and cleaner, and certainly more patronised.||We took a taxi from the hotel to Magome the next day and walked to Nagiso station, making numerous stops along the way. The English signs from Tsumago to Nagiso were not as clear as between Magome to Tsumago, however it was a wonderful walk, with the walk being one of the highlights of our trip. We caught the train back to Nakatsugawa, and the shuttle bus back to hotel. ||Our travel agent had booked us for both breakfasts and dinners at the Hotel. The food was delicious, and served in the dining rooms within the hotel on the ground floor.||Our room on the 3rd floor had a little balcony with 2 chairs and a table.||Staying two nights allowed us to walk from Magome to Nagiso at our leisurely pace and not feel rushed to complete by a certain time.||The staff at the hotel were very friendly and as mentioned the food was delicious. On reflection, I would suggest that the onsen facilities at the hotel are not used, and go direct to the Kur resort (which you are given a voucher to use - access from Level...

Our travel agent needed to change our accommodation from Tsumago as the roykan we were to stay in was fully booked for our dates. They recommended Hotel Hanasarasa as an alternative. From Nakatsugawa Station we caught the free shuttle, checked in to our Japanese room and went for a walk along the river. The hotel is certainly older - the area around the hotel and river could really do with a tidy up, overgrown vegetation, uneven paths. Maintenance of the hotel could do with a bit of a clean of the exterior. Seeing a large fridge/ freezer unit by the entrance way is also a little offputting. I used the onsen at the hotel the first night in their basement, but the neighbouring Kur Resort next door onsens were a lot newer and cleaner, and certainly more patronised.||We took a taxi from the hotel to Magome the next day and walked to Nagiso station, making numerous stops along the way. The English signs from Tsumago to Nagiso were not as clear as between Magome to Tsumago, however it was a wonderful walk, with the walk being one of the highlights of our trip. We caught the train back to Nakatsugawa, and the shuttle bus back to hotel. ||Our travel agent had booked us for both breakfasts and dinners at the Hotel. The food was delicious, and served in the dining rooms within the hotel on the ground floor.||Our room on the 3rd floor had a little balcony with 2 chairs and a table.||Staying two nights allowed us to walk from Magome to Nagiso at our leisurely pace and not feel rushed to complete by a certain time.||The staff at the hotel were very friendly and as mentioned the food was delicious. On reflection, I would suggest that the onsen facilities at the hotel are not used, and go direct to the Kur resort (which you are given a voucher to use - access from Level...

Like several other reviewers, we booked for two nights either side of walking the first part of the Nakasendo way from Magome to Tsumago, and we managed to squeeze in walking from Tsumago to Nagiso station on our first afternoon, although that meant we got back a bit late and had to get a taxi from Nakatsugawa station (cost 3000 Yen = £GB20), as the last shuttle bus leaves at 4:55pm. It's about 15 minutes from the station up in the hills. We got a taxi to Magome (Y1.5k) as the bus times weren't ideal; but there is a bus stop a short walk from the hotel.|We booked for a traditional room with meals, which is definitely the way to go if you want to get the full experience. (If you're a veggie, this may be a challenging option, as traditional Japanese food has both fish and meat.) For omnivores, the food is delicious, and a highlight of the visit. It takes some adjusting to have a Japanese breakfast, which is like having a lunch or evening meal for a European. But when in Japan ... |The staff don't have much English, but do their best and are kind and helpful.|Top tip: before using the spa (onsen) read the info on the touch screen near the lift near reception: the info in the room is hard to understand and not much is in English. It's open from early until 10pm, so no idea what the last reviewer was on about.|We travel with our own pillows, and one of these on top of the traditional hard pillow works well. But that's something to plan on before you leave home!|We can recommend the massage, which is in the basement of the neighbouring building, but needs to be booked in advance at reception: Y3k for half an hour.|Our first experience of a ryokan, and one we appreciated, and can...