4-Star Hotels in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan

"This hotel exceeded my expectations completely. The yamagata airport shuttle (from airport) has a drop-off point right in front of the hotel. The hotel is a 5minutes walk from yamagata station. There is a seven-konbini on 1F of the hotel building, and a toyota car rental directly across the street (1min walk). The hotel room was much bigger than hotel rooms in tokyo, with an amazingly luxurious toilet. Bottled water is provided everyday, as long as you remember to place the ”Make-up room” magnet outside your room door by 10am. The restaurant on 1F sells delicious yamagata beef sukiyaki, it is highly recommended though semi-expensive. The surrounding area of the hotel has a good mix of izakayas, konbinis (all 3 big brands incl lawsons & familymart), and fast food; you'll never go hungry. The reception desk is on 3F and the self-service amenities were of good quality (i.e., scented and thick oshibori, 2 different brands of facial cleansers & lotions, and drip coffee). The staff deserve praise for being so friendly, helpful, and accomodating; they allowed our request for cleaning to be done after 11.30am instead of the usual 10am, and gladly provided extra hangers and laundry bags. Speaking of laundry, there are coin operated laundry machines in this hotel, which have both washing and drying in a single machine; the machine is also password-protected per wash, which gives one a peace of mind. Stayed here for 9 nights as my base of operations for this holiday, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Daiwa Roynet Yamagata Ekimae. 10/10."

"The hotel is quite old but very well-maintained. The onsen facilities are a bit lacking, but the quality of the hot spring water is genuinely good. I booked the Rian Sansui room with an open-air bath, but the staff informed me that it was just regular hot water and that I had to fill it myself. It felt like such a waste to have booked that room. Plus, the room was on the top floor, so I had to climb a lot of stairs, and then take off my shoes on the last floor before entering – it was quite exhausting. After checking out, the hotel dropped us off at the bus station. I didn't see the proprietress, only a welcome note."

"I booked this hotel for its location. After checking out in the morning, it's only a 7-8 minute walk to the bus stop for the Zao bus (though you definitely need to buy tickets early, an hour in advance during peak season). The hotel maintains the high standards typical of a chain, with good cleanliness. They've also added some local flavor, with a very rich breakfast spread featuring some local specialties. Most importantly, they have rooms that can accommodate multiple people, which is perfect for families or a large group of friends."

"The room is spacious and in traditional Japanese style. Was expecting a private onsen in the room but it was only a bathtub. The staff couldn’t communicate well in English which caused some misunderstanding during our stay but they’re friendly and responsible enough to solve the problem for us so it’s still a great experience overall. The breakfast was very traditional and got more and more abundant every day. We had a great 4nights stay in Hayamakan. The highlight has to be the nearby restaurants. The hotel will give you some recommendations nearby, please make sure you try some of them!"

"The room was a bit small, but it had all the necessary facilities and amenities. The staff were generally friendly and helpful. While the breakfast didn't offer a huge variety, the taste was quite agreeable. My only real complaint about breakfast was how crowded it got; I felt quite squeezed in with other guests, which made conversations awkward and a bit uncomfortable. Another minor issue was the strict check-in time. You couldn't get into your room until 3 PM, and checking in earlier required an additional fee."

"This hotel is about 1.5 km from Tsuruoka JR Station. The nearest bus stop is 'Science Park.' There's a direct bus from Yamagata Airport, but other bus connections are unavailable, making transportation a bit inconvenient; it's more suitable for those traveling by car. The hotel itself is newly renovated, surrounded by rice paddies, offering a beautiful and clean environment. Breakfast is a Japanese-style buffet featuring locally sourced ingredients. Dinner requires a reservation, as dining options nearby are limited to a convenience store. There are three dinner set menus, which I found a bit pricey, but the food was delicious, especially the bread and desserts. Service was, as always, attentive, and the hot spring facilities were excellent. The only downside is its relative distance from famous Tsuruoka attractions like the Dewa Sanzan mountains and Kamo Aquarium. It's also a bit far from the S-mall bus terminal and the JR station."

"The service was excellent. You can pre-book a free shuttle bus to pick you up at Tendo Station; the driver is holding a sign for the hotel as soon as you exit the gate, so you won't have trouble finding it. The hotel environment is beautiful, the rooms are very clean, and the food is delicious. The hot spring didn't seem to have any particularly special effects, but overall, the hotel is quite good."

"This hotel is located in Tendo City. For reference, Tendo City is about a 2.5-hour Shinkansen ride from Tokyo. As it's a small city, it's perfect for a relaxing hot spring getaway. The public bath is quite large for the number of guests, so you can enjoy the onsen at your leisure. The only downside is that it's a bit pricey. Tendo City is also known as the city of shogi (Japanese chess), producing 95% of Japan's shogi pieces. It's also famous for its peaches and cherries."

"The hotel has free parking, which is a big thumbs up, you can park in the parking lot behind the hotel, then take a ticket to reception and plug it in, you can park until the next morning, and the famous and delicious Mizawa beef next morning to the hotel"

"The food was delicious, and the sauna, hot springs, and location were all great. The service was also very polite. I was on the first floor, so the view from my room was a bit disappointing, but I'd like to go again. Thank you very much 🙂"