Around Oze Lake × Highly rated Hotel·Ryokan

About a 2-hour trip by bus transfers from Kinugawa Onsen Station. I was hesitant because I’d be traveling by public transportation and worried about the transfers, but I decided to make a Reservation and spent my summer vacation here alone. I reserved a Room in the main building with shared washbasin and toilet, and it was well maintained and very clean. The baths included an indoor bath and a women’s open-air bath, and I also tried the mixed-gender bath while wrapped in a bath towel. The bath near the waterfall felt immersive and was great, but the stairs are steep, so please be careful at night. Both dinner and breakfast were delicious, made with local ingredients. It seems you can get refills of rice, but there was no 안내; I would have appreciated being told. At night, a cricket (?) appeared in my Room, and I looked for insect spray but couldn’t find any… There’s no internal phone to reach the front desk from the Room, and the front desk is only open until 20:00... There were also unfamiliar bugs on the window screen—if you’re afraid of insects, summer might be tough.

This was the best Livemax I’ve stayed at so far. If you regularly use Livemax, you shouldn’t have any complaints. It’s pointless to compare it with other hotel chains that offer all-you-can-eat breakfast and dinner. If this is your first time at Livemax, please don’t write a Review. There was plenty of salmon roe, and the open-air bath had a wonderfully rustic feel—like a secluded hot spring deep in the mountains. The river flow was impressively dynamic. The Room was spacious, and the interior and Facility were new.

Both dinner and breakfast included warm dishes, and everything was very delicious. The portions were generous. We could use the bath as a private reservation, which made us feel at ease. The Room was clean and comfortable with no issues. There are no amenities provided, so bringing your own towels, bath towels, and toothbrush is essential. I would like to stay again.

We thoroughly enjoyed the delicious meals, carefully selected coffee, and the friendly hospitality of the owner couple, which made our family of three feel truly comfortable. They asked about our plans and gave us a discount voucher for the Marunuma Kogen Gondola, and also marked on a map a great tofu shop, a place known for tasty maitake mushrooms, and a soba restaurant—so we were able to head home in high spirits.

I was worried about bears, but the manager explained that because Suganuma Campground is at a high elevation and too cold, acorns and other bear food do not grow there. As a result, it cannot become a feeding area for bears, so they generally do not come to the campground or its surroundings since there is nothing for them to eat. Hearing that reassured me and I was able to stay with peace of mind.

Excellent value for money! The meals were especially good.

As we did last year, we stayed here again during Golden Week. The log house is well equipped with pots, plates, and other essentials, and it felt very clean. Our kids don’t like insects and usually have a hard time getting used to log houses, but this place was clean and they enjoyed their stay. The BBQ area has a greenhouse-style roof, so even though it rained at night, we were able to enjoy it without any problems. The bath is in the main building and is available until 10:00 PM.

I was a little uneasy when I arrived because the Accommodation’s exterior has quite bold colors, but there was no need to worry. The Room was a 6-tatami Japanese-style room, and it was nicely cleaned. Both dinner and breakfast were generous portions and delicious. I wonder if most of the ingredients were local? The tomatoes and corn were sweet and tasty. The bath isn’t an Onsen, but the water was pleasantly warm and I could relax. The surrounding nature is refreshing, and the river water is so clear you can see all the way to the riverbed. There are no shops nearby, but that inconvenience might actually be part of the charm. You may want to bring your own towel, hair dryer, toothbrush, etc. It feels more like a dormitory than a Hotel. With the beautiful nature around it and how pleasant all the Hotel staff were, I think it’s a great Hotel that makes you want to come back.

We stayed for 3 nights and 4 days for a tournament. The staff kindly prepared an early breakfast just for us to match the ski resort's opening at 8 AM. Each meal had a different menu, which was very satisfying. The bath was almost private, allowing us to relax and recover, with the temperature being perfect even for my husband who usually doesn't enjoy Onsen. We will definitely stay here again when we participate in next year's tournament.

The Onsen temperature and water quality were excellent, and we were very satisfied. There were many types of shampoo available, so we could try different ones—an amazing idea and a first-time experience for us! However, it was disappointing that only one towel was provided and reusing it was expected (additional towels cost extra). We’d like there to be no limit for overnight guests. The guest Room is old, but it’s a satisfying size. As for the air conditioning, there was no heating/cooling switch in each Room—only fan strength adjustment. After the Onsen it felt hot, so we opened the windows fully to cool down with outside air. The meals were delicious and the portions were just right—we finished everything (both of us are women in our 50s). Rice doesn’t come unless you ask for it, but there weren’t many staff members so it was hard to find the right timing. Amenities are available at the front desk, so you take what you need; I think that’s good because it avoids waste. There are yukata and samue as loungewear; we chose samue and that was the right choice. We usually bring our own loungewear when traveling, so we appreciated having less luggage. Overall, it was excellent! Also, we were happy with the welcome drink service (alcohol)—whisky or wine is fine—but we’d appreciate it even more if beer were available.

Dinner and breakfast were extremely delicious and satisfying! For breakfast, you can choose between Japanese and Western styles, and even select your preferred dining time. It was perfect!