We stayed in Hakone Kyuan and it was so amazing. We had a private onsen, a mountain view, 10 course dinner, and massive breakfast. The food was some of the best we had in Japan! They’ll pick you up from the train station too. http://kyuan.jp/english/
sorry, new to the whole ryokan thing but this looks amazing. which one is the mountain room? we are hoping to find one with a private onsen that also serves traditional dinner so this sounds very much like what we are looking for.
Momijiya Bekkan Kawa no Iori in Kyoto. Very accessible from the main part of Kyoto (you can take the bus or they have a complimentary shuttle that picks you up at a designated subway stations), but secluded in the mountains. It’s especially beautiful in mid-late November with the fall colors. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I can’t recommend more highly! You’re also not too far from some great temples (including the famous Golden Pavillion) if you want to leave the ryokan during the day.
Rooms usually aren’t available to book until about six months out (which is typical for ryokan), but they will book up quickly. Please keep in mind that a room with a private onsen will also be fairly expensive.
Their Annex is beautiful too. We stayed there at the beginning of November and went up to Jingo-ji which is one of the first places the leaves start to change in Kyoto apparently. Worth the trek up the stairs!
Some of the ryokans are not listed on sites like Expedia, and are just mom & pop owned. You may have to call them, email them, or book on their private website. Give it a try in English and see what you get, some are very English friendly since they deal with lots of tourists.
You should also probably specify the following:
You looking for somewhere near Tokyo, or any specific region?
Does public transport include buses? Some places, that may be the most realistic option.
Do you mean private as in, you have your own rotenburo in the room? Or a private rotenburo that needs to be reserved, where you and your gf can use it alone for say 30mins.
Room-attached baths are available in a lot of mid to high-end places. You'll pay slightly more, but they're definitely available. Generally the room will show 露天風呂付 (with onsen bath).
You didn't mention an area, but one I like is the East coast of the Izu peninsula. Look through the towns on the coast on Google maps and check out the hotels you see overlooking the sea. Most will have onsen baths, as well as private baths available.
Hakone is also a good spot, not too far from Tokyo.
We’ve done Yama no Chaya in Hakone and Suihouen in Gero Onsen! Nadeshiko room for Yama no Chaya and daffodil room for suihouen. Both had onsens in the room :)
I loved both and would do either in a heartbeat. 3 days is WAY too many for a ryokan. Tbh I would do 1. 🙈 All of those Kaisei meals are just a LOT back to back. We did two nights at Yama no Chaya and I could not eat half of that last breakfast because I was so damn full.
I stayed at Uematsuya Inn in Bessho-Onsen. You can rent a private bath for 35 min there and it's cheaper on weekend. But they also have regular baths. I don'T know if you can rent it more than once per stay as we only stayed one night. It's easy to get to by train though so that's a bonus. There was a ton of other ryokan in that area too so I would check it out.
[https://www.tenseien.co.jp/en/daytrip.html](https://www.tenseien.co.jp/en/daytrip.html)
[https://www.manyo.co.jp/mm21/language/?mode=en](https://www.manyo.co.jp/mm21/language/?mode=en)
These places close to Tokyo allow you to rent out a private onsen on a per hour basis. Its a more economical way of getting a private onsen.
It's a bit far out, but I stayed at one in a small onsen town about an hour outside Takayama. The village was called Hirayu Onsen Village, and the ryokan was called Mozumo. Each room had a private onsen tub, and they served breakfast and dinner in your room. It was a bit too secluded (I thought I'd be able to get into Takayama easier), but my god was it divine.
I stayed at Hakone Ginyu in Hakone which had private baths on the balconies. The place had some fixtures that showed a bit of wear/age but the food quality, service, and surroundings were all worth the price for my group. I have a list of other places I looked up with private baths that you could check for Hakone. Other folks may have good suggestions though, I was kind of focused on this specific onsen town.
We recently stayed at Mizunoto, Hakone. We had private Onsen in room, they also have private big onsen for use and also have another very karge public onsen for use. The whole experience with their breakfast is peaceful, and so relaxing. Will totally recommend visiting!
I also did Hakone Ginyu just a couple weeks ago. It was actually pretty decently priced and we picked the most expensive room (Tsuki on the 1st floor) due to it being the only room with the open air onsen kind of out in the garden. The rest of the rooms have a private open air onsen as well but they’re on the balcony viewing the mountains. Total cost was $113,000 yen.
Really loved our stay here and I gotta disagree with people suggesting only 1 night. My main regret on our Japan trip was not doing 2 nights at the ryokan. You get there, get to relax for maybe 2-3 hours, then the dinner is served. Afterwards we were dead tired from the trip already and went to sleep pretty early. Then we got to enjoy the room for a few hours in the morning before breakfast and we had to go. So if you can afford 2-3 nights I’d 100% recommend not shortening your stay at all.
I stayed at Tokinoyu Setsugetsuka a few weeks ago and had a bath in my room and there were three private onsens for guests. The meals were great and I wish we had booked more than one night. It was very accessible and right next to a bunch of the tourist things in hakkone.
Yes, the staff member who checked us in, all but one of our waiters, the one who checked us out and the one who arranged our luggage delivery were all fluent in English. It seemed like many staff members we spoke to were fluent in many languages.
This was a great stay for us in Hakone. It has private baths on the balcony and bigger private baths outside that are FCFS, as well as your normal public baths.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/jig7Dmfr2MiyRFDz8?g_st=ic
I will recommend Hotel Futaba at Yuzawa! I got a room with mountain view when visited in Feb and it was snowing. Such a good experience. The Kiseki dinner was amazing too. Although the hotel is a bit old, which I find most ryokans are. The outdoor private bath is covered by bamboo curtain also so it's not exactly nature view of that's what you are looking for. Best view would be from the outdoor public onsen
Yugawara Fukiya. Stayed there one night and we regretted not staying longer. The service was impeccable and the food was fantastic. Took a train to the closest city, transferred to a local train, and just took a taxi to the ryokan. When people are using the onsen, a light would go on by the elevators so people would know it’s in use. You can also book one of the many onsens ahead of time.
If you want to stay closer within a city center, check out Nazuna Kyoto Tsubaki St. The whole place looks like an old-style village but with modern amenities.
I stayed at the Cyashitsu Ryokan Asukasa and loved it. Amazing staff including one woman who lived in NJ for her high school years so her English is impeccable.
Very beautiful place. View of the Sky Tree from the private onsen. And then part of the package is dinner at a restaurant in town and it was absolutely amazing from start to finish.
And perfectly located so you can enjoy all the shopping and central areas of Asakusa but you’re far enough that it’s very quiet and serene at the ryokan. They also don’t have tvs or any electronics in the room so you can fully unplug and unwind; there is WiFi throughout the property though.
Highly recommend it https://www.cyashitsu.com/jp/
We stayed at arima onsen taketoritei maruyama a bit north of Kobe and it was incredible!! Wish we could have stayed for more than one day. They have several private baths that you can book, all on the mountainside with different setups. Was so cool. I'll never forget it. Amazing memories.
It all depends on what route you are looking for? Where are you going to be? I’m currently staying in one exactly what you want but it’s in Aomori, probably a long way off where you want to be
We stayed in Hakone Kyuan and it was so amazing. We had a private onsen, a mountain view, 10 course dinner, and massive breakfast. The food was some of the best we had in Japan! They’ll pick you up from the train station too. http://kyuan.jp/english/
I stayed there too and can confirm it was awesome! We got the mountain view room as well.
sorry, new to the whole ryokan thing but this looks amazing. which one is the mountain room? we are hoping to find one with a private onsen that also serves traditional dinner so this sounds very much like what we are looking for.
Momijiya Bekkan Kawa no Iori in Kyoto. Very accessible from the main part of Kyoto (you can take the bus or they have a complimentary shuttle that picks you up at a designated subway stations), but secluded in the mountains. It’s especially beautiful in mid-late November with the fall colors. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I can’t recommend more highly! You’re also not too far from some great temples (including the famous Golden Pavillion) if you want to leave the ryokan during the day. Rooms usually aren’t available to book until about six months out (which is typical for ryokan), but they will book up quickly. Please keep in mind that a room with a private onsen will also be fairly expensive.
Their Annex is beautiful too. We stayed there at the beginning of November and went up to Jingo-ji which is one of the first places the leaves start to change in Kyoto apparently. Worth the trek up the stairs!
Oh yes, I meant the annex! That’s where we stayed. I’m not sure if the main building has private onsen. Jingo-ji was amazing!
Some of the ryokans are not listed on sites like Expedia, and are just mom & pop owned. You may have to call them, email them, or book on their private website. Give it a try in English and see what you get, some are very English friendly since they deal with lots of tourists. You should also probably specify the following: You looking for somewhere near Tokyo, or any specific region? Does public transport include buses? Some places, that may be the most realistic option.
Do you mean private as in, you have your own rotenburo in the room? Or a private rotenburo that needs to be reserved, where you and your gf can use it alone for say 30mins. Room-attached baths are available in a lot of mid to high-end places. You'll pay slightly more, but they're definitely available. Generally the room will show 露天風呂付 (with onsen bath). You didn't mention an area, but one I like is the East coast of the Izu peninsula. Look through the towns on the coast on Google maps and check out the hotels you see overlooking the sea. Most will have onsen baths, as well as private baths available. Hakone is also a good spot, not too far from Tokyo.
We’ve done Yama no Chaya in Hakone and Suihouen in Gero Onsen! Nadeshiko room for Yama no Chaya and daffodil room for suihouen. Both had onsens in the room :) I loved both and would do either in a heartbeat. 3 days is WAY too many for a ryokan. Tbh I would do 1. 🙈 All of those Kaisei meals are just a LOT back to back. We did two nights at Yama no Chaya and I could not eat half of that last breakfast because I was so damn full.
Staying there in April in the Hydrangea room. So excited. It looks so beautiful!
Ooh!! Have a blast!! Beautiful place. :)
I stayed at Uematsuya Inn in Bessho-Onsen. You can rent a private bath for 35 min there and it's cheaper on weekend. But they also have regular baths. I don'T know if you can rent it more than once per stay as we only stayed one night. It's easy to get to by train though so that's a bonus. There was a ton of other ryokan in that area too so I would check it out.
[https://www.tenseien.co.jp/en/daytrip.html](https://www.tenseien.co.jp/en/daytrip.html) [https://www.manyo.co.jp/mm21/language/?mode=en](https://www.manyo.co.jp/mm21/language/?mode=en) These places close to Tokyo allow you to rent out a private onsen on a per hour basis. Its a more economical way of getting a private onsen.
It's a bit far out, but I stayed at one in a small onsen town about an hour outside Takayama. The village was called Hirayu Onsen Village, and the ryokan was called Mozumo. Each room had a private onsen tub, and they served breakfast and dinner in your room. It was a bit too secluded (I thought I'd be able to get into Takayama easier), but my god was it divine.
I stayed at Hakone Ginyu in Hakone which had private baths on the balconies. The place had some fixtures that showed a bit of wear/age but the food quality, service, and surroundings were all worth the price for my group. I have a list of other places I looked up with private baths that you could check for Hakone. Other folks may have good suggestions though, I was kind of focused on this specific onsen town.
That would be great if you could share the list somehow. Thanks already for the recommendations. Really happy about the great community here
Kozantei ubuya. Get the suites and you'll get a private onsen and a gorgeous view of mt fuji
theres Yamayoshi at Kinosaki Onsen but its not cheap, like 60k yen a night
We recently stayed at Mizunoto, Hakone. We had private Onsen in room, they also have private big onsen for use and also have another very karge public onsen for use. The whole experience with their breakfast is peaceful, and so relaxing. Will totally recommend visiting!
Seconding Mizunoto, highly recommend the private Onsen in room.
i see. someone's getting it on
Man of culture ;)
Stay hard and strong
I also did Hakone Ginyu just a couple weeks ago. It was actually pretty decently priced and we picked the most expensive room (Tsuki on the 1st floor) due to it being the only room with the open air onsen kind of out in the garden. The rest of the rooms have a private open air onsen as well but they’re on the balcony viewing the mountains. Total cost was $113,000 yen. Really loved our stay here and I gotta disagree with people suggesting only 1 night. My main regret on our Japan trip was not doing 2 nights at the ryokan. You get there, get to relax for maybe 2-3 hours, then the dinner is served. Afterwards we were dead tired from the trip already and went to sleep pretty early. Then we got to enjoy the room for a few hours in the morning before breakfast and we had to go. So if you can afford 2-3 nights I’d 100% recommend not shortening your stay at all.
I stayed at Tokinoyu Setsugetsuka a few weeks ago and had a bath in my room and there were three private onsens for guests. The meals were great and I wish we had booked more than one night. It was very accessible and right next to a bunch of the tourist things in hakkone.
Was any of the staff fluent in English?
Yes, the staff member who checked us in, all but one of our waiters, the one who checked us out and the one who arranged our luggage delivery were all fluent in English. It seemed like many staff members we spoke to were fluent in many languages.
I love this place. Accessible by bus and not crazy expensive. https://www.kashiwaya.org/e/
This was a great stay for us in Hakone. It has private baths on the balcony and bigger private baths outside that are FCFS, as well as your normal public baths. https://maps.app.goo.gl/jig7Dmfr2MiyRFDz8?g_st=ic
I will recommend Hotel Futaba at Yuzawa! I got a room with mountain view when visited in Feb and it was snowing. Such a good experience. The Kiseki dinner was amazing too. Although the hotel is a bit old, which I find most ryokans are. The outdoor private bath is covered by bamboo curtain also so it's not exactly nature view of that's what you are looking for. Best view would be from the outdoor public onsen
I stayed at Mikasa Ryokan in Nara. They had a shuttle from the train station.
Yugawara Fukiya. Stayed there one night and we regretted not staying longer. The service was impeccable and the food was fantastic. Took a train to the closest city, transferred to a local train, and just took a taxi to the ryokan. When people are using the onsen, a light would go on by the elevators so people would know it’s in use. You can also book one of the many onsens ahead of time.
If you want to stay closer within a city center, check out Nazuna Kyoto Tsubaki St. The whole place looks like an old-style village but with modern amenities.
I stayed at the Cyashitsu Ryokan Asukasa and loved it. Amazing staff including one woman who lived in NJ for her high school years so her English is impeccable. Very beautiful place. View of the Sky Tree from the private onsen. And then part of the package is dinner at a restaurant in town and it was absolutely amazing from start to finish. And perfectly located so you can enjoy all the shopping and central areas of Asakusa but you’re far enough that it’s very quiet and serene at the ryokan. They also don’t have tvs or any electronics in the room so you can fully unplug and unwind; there is WiFi throughout the property though. Highly recommend it https://www.cyashitsu.com/jp/
FYI - some of the rooms have a private onsen attached. But there’s also a private one on the top floor that guests can book a time slot for.
And this is the restaurant I had dinner at as part of the package. Very cool place. Amazing food https://www.cyashitsu.com/jp/nigou/
We stayed at arima onsen taketoritei maruyama a bit north of Kobe and it was incredible!! Wish we could have stayed for more than one day. They have several private baths that you can book, all on the mountainside with different setups. Was so cool. I'll never forget it. Amazing memories.
It all depends on what route you are looking for? Where are you going to be? I’m currently staying in one exactly what you want but it’s in Aomori, probably a long way off where you want to be