Hase Station (Hyōgo Prefecture) × Stays Popular For Snow-View BathsHighly rated for dining at Hotel·Ryokan

Unfortunately, due to cloudy and rainy weather, we couldn’t see the starry sky, but we’re already thinking about when to come back for another try. There was a warm, homey atmosphere among guests as well—people asked questions and helped each other out. The drink corner was a great idea, but even after trying many times, no ice came out, and there were a few things that were unclear. An elderly guest seemed troubled because the coffee wouldn’t stop dispensing. I think it would be helpful to post easy-to-understand instructions. At mealtimes, the staff serving us were all foreigners, but they were very polite. Their Japanese was quite limited at times so we didn’t always understand what they said, but we could generally guess from the context and had no issues. One thing that stood out compared with other hotels I’ve stayed at: since it’s a quiet Hotel I thought this might be normal here, but I was surprised that none of the staff said “good morning” to guests in the morning. When my husband passed by the front desk he greeted them first; they may not have heard him, but they were chatting among themselves and didn’t greet guests even as people walked right in front of them. In contrast, the foreign staff in the restaurant—even with limited Japanese—did say “good morning.” Also, the Onsen was wonderful, but there is no fan in the changing room. Having one would help guests cool down more easily and might reduce crowding there. The large public bath and open-air bath are very comfortable and warm you up well. The green view from the open-air bath—and in the morning, clouds or mist drifting over the mountains—felt truly unique. The meals were a good portion size and showed creativity within their price range. Dinner offered an enjoyable mix of Japanese- and Western-style dishes with plenty of variety. Breakfast was buffet-style with many options including both Western and Japanese items as well as desserts; everyone seemed to be enjoying it. The highland area is beautiful—it feels like it could even become a villa resort area someday. We also visited Relaxia Forest next to the Hotel (apparently used as a movie filming location). It’s a lovely forest where we could enjoy forest bathing too. There don’t seem to be any other Hotels around this area, so we’d like to stay again.