4-Star Hotels in Gunma Prefecture, Japan

The room is clean, tidy, comfortable, spacious, bright and sanitary. It is very comfortable to live in. The breakfast and dinner are rich and delicious. I arrived early and the front desk arranged for us to check in in advance. The hotel's gold and silver soup is great and it is very comfortable to soak in!

I booked the highly-rated Bouun Ryokan three months in advance, supposedly in business for 462 years! The interior decor and tatami rooms were surprisingly new. The room service, the dining environment for dinner, and the exquisite Kaiseki cuisine were all incredibly impressive. We stayed for two nights, with breakfast and dinner included. The hotel uses only the finest Japanese ingredients, and not a single dish or dessert was repeated. I especially want to commend the Japanese gentleman who picked us up and dropped us off at the bus station, and the young lady who helped us with our luggage on check-in day, January 5th. Both were exceptionally thoughtful. However, I must criticize a young male receptionist at the front desk – fair-skinned, round-faced, and wearing glasses. He didn't seem Japanese and was very impatient with guests. A high-end hotel like this shouldn't have such staff; it really detracts from the experience! Nevertheless, this won't stop me from staying here again on my next visit to Kusatsu.

Rooms were small and tight for a couple. Location was great with the rail station just next door. Eateries were easy to find and there is a mall. Super convenient if you need anything. Overall we had a great stay

The hotel is quite a walk from the bus center, and the uneven roads make it inconvenient for luggage; taxis are also scarce. The room is spacious, and the tatami area with heating was very comfortable. It was handy to be able to pick up yukata (robes) for men and women in the lobby. The service level at the hotel's front desk was generally poor. They didn't even bother with a fake smile, haha 😂. Japanese service is becoming more expensive and the quality is getting worse – a clear sign of decline. The hot spring pool in the hotel is very small and the facilities are quite old, so don't expect too much. My favorite part was still the Nishinokawara露天温泉 (outdoor hot spring) outside the hotel. It's 100% natural mountain spring water, so healing! For 800 yen, there are no services, no showers, and you need to bring your own towel. It was totally worth the trip and instantly made up for the round-trip train ticket from Tokyo.

A very good hotel with a free shuttle bus to Yubata, the train station, and the ski resort. The hotel is large and has comprehensive recreational facilities, including bowling, karaoke, and billiards. The receptionist speaks excellent English, making communication completely seamless. It's a long walk from the reception to the rooms, but you'll pass a large gift shop with prices the same as the gift shop next to Yubata, and you can even get tax-free shopping. There are also many art exhibitions in the hallways. The rooms are spacious, with two beds and one tatami room, and underfloor heating. The bathroom has a Jacuzzi. The open-air bath in the large public bath is very comfortable, allowing you to enjoy the snow while soaking in the hot spring. The hot spring water is piped from Yubata Genyu, and the temperature is quite high. The hotel's most unique feature is its series of walking/hiking activities, with three sessions in total. I participated in the 7:00 AM forest hike with a professional guide. The hotel provides rain boots, but I recommend wearing thick socks as the rain boots are quite thin. We will walk into the forest and reach the ski resort. We will hike in the snow for about an hour. It will be cold, so be sure to dress warmly.

We had a very good overall experience at this onsen hotel. The atmosphere was relaxing, and we enjoyed our stay very much. We especially appreciated having an English-speaking staff member available — it made communication much easier and helped us feel more comfortable during our visit.

Overall, Kizunoniwa is definitely better than Konoha. Dinner was a delicious Japanese meal served in a private dining room, and breakfast was also good. My only minor complaint was that the rice wasn't quite up to Japanese standards. The location is quite far out. If you're heading to Ueno Station in the city, leaving the hotel at 9 AM and having a smooth journey, you'd likely arrive around 1 PM. The hotel shuttle takes ten minutes to the bus stop, then it's an hour and a half by bus to Karuizawa, and another hour-plus from Karuizawa to Ueno. The main delays are due to waiting for various connection times. It snowed on our second day, which was truly beautiful. I'd love to come back during autumn leaf season if possible.

Kanemidori is a short walk from the bus depot. The staff at the reception and restaurant in the hotel were all very nice and helpful. The futons and bedding in the room are very comfortable and warm for winter. You can also control your own in room heater. The hotel onsen is well maintained with full amenities: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, face pack, hair treatment, and multiple types of lotion. We booked the room only but added on a dinner and breakfast at the hotel. Both meals were carefully prepared and delicious. The main tourist area is within walking distance of the hotel and you can go around in the yukata paired with the long and short kimono jackets provided by the hotel in the winter.

I booked two rooms. In one of them, even with the heating set to 28 degrees, it was still freezing cold, and I shivered through the night. In the other room, with the heating set to just 20 or 21 degrees, it was unbearably hot. For a hot spring hotel, not having a private in-room hot spring bath and only a shower is a bit of a letdown. I booked three hot spring hotels for this trip, and this one was the least comfortable. Overall, it was just okay.

It was a short walk away from the Minakami Onsen bus stop and the room was clean. Loved the private onset overlooking the river as well. We didn't have breakfast there as the price was a little steep for us (~27 SGD) but there's a nearby bakery and other F&B, so food was not an issue. They provide PJs and a cardigan to put over as well. Staff was nice too.