Okunikko Yunomori

If you want to escape the crowded touristy areas and find a quiet little hotel in a beautiful setting with top notch service then this is a great choice. Yunoko is a small gorgeous lake up above Lake Chuzenji. The people working at Okunikko Yu No Mori were so friendly and welcoming. Meal service was wonderful, skilled wait staff seemed to bring an endless series of courses, everything beautiful and delicious. I went for an early morning walk up by the hot springs source and saw several monkeys! Very happy I decided to add this stop to my Japan trip, thank you!

Located not too far from Lake Chuzenji is this small hotel tucked among the snow. Driving is preferred. There are only 16 rooms in the main building. The staff were very attentive and service was top notch. They even assisted us with our luggage all the way and parked our car for us. The highlight of the hotel is of course the open air onsen right in your own room. It was snowing and this made it all the more magical. The room itself was huge and we had modern twin beds and even a rocking chair. The bath and the toilet were separate. Meals were provided and were delish. Very fresh ingredients from the local area. There were 2 more small onsens that guests could use all to themselves without a booking. Just walk in and lock the area after yourself. There were indoor and outdoor baths and again the view was awesome. It was not crowded and we did not have trouble getting to use these public areas all for ourselves. Small areas with sitting and log burning fireplaces to chill and have some complimentary coffee and ice cream were a nice touch. Though pricy the experience was worth it.

Beautiful scenery, wonderful hot spas, extravagant dishes ever. Highly recommended place to stay. Just amazing.