Takayama
Well positioned on the fringe of Takayama's entertainment district, this consistent travellers' favourite remains good value. There's a range of room…
Must-see hotels in Central Honshū
Central Honshū
Ryosō Tsuyukusa is an eight-room mum-and-dad minshuku (Japanese guesthouse) with decent tatami rooms and a cosy mountain-view rotemburo (outdoor bath) of…
Central Honshū
This building is 300 years old and oozes history and charm – great for an authentic and atmospheric retreat. The friendly family owners speak no English…
Nagano Region
This friendly ryokan has been in the family for generations. The owner's attentive service and excellent English ensure its abiding popularity with…
Takayama
Popular with overseas guests, this tourist hotel's refurbished rooms have a splash of colour. Good-value rates can be found online and sometimes include a…
Nagoya
This characteristic Hilton benefits from an excellent location and features spacious, stylish rooms with Japanese accents, a selection of suites and an…
Takayama
This smart ryokan has a central location, and its tiny, elderly proprietress is worth a visit all on her own. All tatami rooms have an en-suite bath,…
Nagoya
This popular ryokan centred on an attractive Japanese garden can get a little noisy when busy, but it has a lovely common bath and an even lovelier self…
Nagano Region
Ryokan Hanaya is a step back in time to the Taishō era (1912–26) – a traditional gem set among wonderful manicured Japanese gardens. Fourteen beautiful,…
Matsumoto
By the river, just a few minutes' walk north from JR Matsumoto Station, you'll find this clean, friendly set-up in a converted old house with tatami-mat…
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
Expect exceptional service and rustic, European Alps–styled rooms in this historic red-gabled lodge completed in 1933. Prices are elevated, but a wide…
Nagano Region
This foreigner-friendly place has Japanese-style tatami rooms with futon, some with bathroom, some with shared facilities. There's a large living room,…
Matsumoto
You'll find a night at the isolated Ougatou Hotel atop the beautiful Utsukushi-ga-hara-kōgen plateau something to remember. Rooms are plush, comfy and…
Nagoya
This fabulously friendly hostel about seven minutes' walk from Nagoya Station has its own cafe and bar that's popular with locals and guests alike. Staff …
Central Honshū
This newish hotel is five minutes' stroll along the elevated walkway from JR Gifu Station. Bright rooms are functionally compact. There's an on-site onsen…
Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast
This immaculate 10-room inn has beds on tatami, hot-spring baths (including a private-use rotemburo – outdoor bath –for an extra charge), dark woodwork,…
Mitsui Garden Hotel Nagoya Premier
Nagoya
More stylish than your average business hotel, the Nagoya outpost of the Mitsui Garden Hotel chain is sleek in its shiny black veneer. Popular with…
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
This lovely little ryokan in Happō has smart, though compact, traditionally styled rooms with lots of hinoki (cypress) detailing and lovely views. Only a…
Konashishidaira Camping Retreat
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
About 200m past the Kamikōchi Visitor Centre, this campground can get crowded. Rental tents are available from ¥7000, and there's a small shop, a…
Kanazawa
Run by a friendly Japanese man who did a stint in Southeast Asia as a monk, Pongyi is a charmingly renovated 140-year-old kimono shop alongside a canal…
Nagano Region
Yokokura Ryokan is in a thatched-roof building from the early Meiji era, about 150m from the steps up to Chūsha shrine. It's both a hostel and a ryokan,…
Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast
At 2450m, this sprawling, high-altitude lodge can squeeze 750 happy hikers into its four dorm buildings. In low season (May to June) dining choices are…
Nagoya
Brilliantly located opposite Hisaya-ōdōri-kōen (Central Park), between Sakae and Yaba-chō subway stations, the b has enthusiastic staff who are eager to…
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
Near the end of the road to Nakabusa Onsen, this seasonal forest lodge has basic, dorm-style rooms and a nourishing onsen (day use ¥600). The lodge is at…
Nagano Region
This intimate, woody hostel is set amid older buildings one street back from Chūō-dōri near Zenkō-ji. Look for the beige building with a chalk signboard…
Takayama
Surrounded by the greenery of Shiroyama-kōen, this upscale hillside ryokan at the edge of town has wonderful outdoor rooftop hot springs with city views…
Dormy Inn Premium Nagoya Sakae
Nagoya
Located in the heart of Nagoya's Sakae district, this busy tourist hotel is that little bit more luxe than the usual offering in the popular Dormy Inn…
Nagano Region
Opened in 2016, Nagano's newest member of the Dormy Inn family is a stone's throw from the station and has all the plush comforts and electronic gadgetry…
Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast
A hop, skip and jump from JR Fukui Station, this refurbished hotel has tastefully decorated rooms, free wi-fi, a coin laundry, and a variety of room types…
Kanazawa
Kanazawa's most luxurious hotel has a wide range of spacious rooms, from singles to lavish suites, and an impressive selection of restaurants and bars…
Route Inn Azumino Toyoshina Eki-minami
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
This newer business hotel is located close to Toyoshina Station, two stops south of Hotaka Station – perfect for forays into the Azumino area. Rooms are…
Matsumoto
Matsumoto's sharpest Western hotel recently undertook a makeover of its public spaces and rooms, leaving it looking quite the part. The executive rooms…
Matsumoto & the Northern Japan Alps
Lovely Tsuruya Ryokan has both contemporary and traditional touches and great indoor and outdoor baths. Each of its 28 rooms has lovely views of the gorge…
Nagoya
If you're merely transiting in Nagoya and need cheap, clean (and yes, compact) digs near the station, look no further than this modern business hotel with…
Nagoya
You'll find this immaculate, modern business hotel on a quiet block a few minutes' walk from the main Sakae action. Rooms are predictably compact, yet…
Nagano Region
This secluded hotel 2km north of Naka-Karuizawa Station has welcoming staff and stylish, well-designed rooms. This is a family-friendly place with meal…
Central Honshū
Unmissable in town, in a central location, this towering onsen hotel has a wide range of luxurious room types, dining options and baths. Rooms on higher…
Nagano Region
Close to the cable-car base station and the Sun Valley ski area is this pleasant little hotel with a variety of rooms and its own indoor and outdoor onsen…
Yoshida-ya Ryokan & City Hotel
Central Honshū
By the bus terminal, this pleasant ryokan has been in business since 1880. It offers both traditional Japanese (shared bath and toilet) and spacious …
Toyota Shirakawa-gō Eco-Institute
Central Honshū
Ten minutes' drive in the hills above Ogimachi brings you to this ecolodge, which caters heavily to groups but also welcomes individual travellers…
