Moriaki Ryokan — Hotel in Shibukawa

Location is about half way up the Ikaho Stairs, only a 3-minute walk. The Onsen was quite large, with an outdoor bath overlooking the area. The waters are clear but when they touch oxygen they turn a golden color, rich in iron with those health properties. There is also another outdoor bath, and one large indoor-bath with hot springs water flowing down the rocks. Very calming. Men and women alternate sides at midnight so don't miss one of the baths.||||We had a really nice room on the 8th Floor with Western-style beds, very large entry way, a Tatami room with a splendid view of the Akakgi Renzan mountains. ||The Biggest surprize: the room had a complete chashitsu- Japanese room for serving tea, complete with its own tokonoma, water server in the tatami, and an entrance that is only a meter high (sit on your knees and slide through). If you request it, they could arrange a little ceremony for you!||Pick up some of their Daruma senbei cookies for a great present.||||To be honest, the outside is pretty shabby, when we drove up I said, "What have I gotten us into?" Inside is very clean and new for a hotel...

In business for more than a hundred years, the ryokan's low key entrance leads us to the high-quality hospitality and attention to details. Super clean. There's a gentleman on board that speaks excellent English, then after check-in a couple staff scurry to help you with the luggage. Western and Japanese style rooms available. Even basic rooms are spacious with separate, up-to-date shower and toilet, and another area outside these with a dressing table, fridge and ready-to-use hot water pot. Kaiseki style dinner. Breakfast is an unbelievable spread, buffet style, on the 5th floor with large windows that overlook the valley below and snow-capped mountains. Both Japanese and western dishes that don't seem to end, and delicious. A few steps from the entrance is the famous "step street" where souvenir shops and small restaurants abound plus quite a few "shooting" games room. At the top of the street is the temple and a couple steep...

Stayed here for 3 days while attending a conference. The rooms as is your typical Japanese room. No bed. Traditional tea making set. There is a small coffee table and two chairs in front the window. Heater available. I stayed in on the 6th floor which was close enough to the lobby (5th Floor) to receive adequate Wifi signal for me to surf the internet.||||When we arrived, someone briefed us on the hotel while we enjoyed a bowl of delicious mushroom tea (I think). Upon checking into the room, a staff would come over to help you with your Yukata. ||||My stay included breakfast, lunch and dinner. Except for lunch, the other meals was a feast indeed. ||||The hotel had both an indoor and outdoor hot bath. ||||The town is not big but you should hike up the hill at the back as the view was absolutely stunning from...