Top 10 Gugan Hotels

Visited in March 2023 for a family event, and didn't book this hotel myself so wasn't sure to expect. But.. wow! One of my favourite visits to a ryokan in Japan. First and foremost, the staff were all kind and extremely friendly. Particularly the lady who served us our wonderful kaiseki meal in a stunning huge private dining area. We ate in the same room the following morning for breakfast, which was equally delicious, and once more the staff were lovely. Enjoyed the coffee service sitting in the lobby before we left, so relaxing. We stayed in a comfortable and large Japanese style room with futons, the bedroom was very good. Most of all I think the location and ambience of this hotel makes it one of my favourites. There's a wonderful courtyard-esque area near the lobby with a stunning view, and it appeared to have large lanterns that are likely lit during the evening time (I didn't see this myself). Overall, this place makes for a great experience in Iwate and the staff and food are A***.

There is a shuttle bus from Hanamaki Railway Station to the hotel free of charge, which is very convenient. Our room is equipped with a private outdoor bath, soaking in the hot spring on the balcony at night, and watching the stars, not to mention more comfortable. In addition to the beautiful natural environment around, the thoughtful and meticulous service, the various products in the room gave us a big surprise: the bedding is a goose down quilt, which is loose and soft; there are two types of bathrobes for men and women, and each type is available. Equipped with three sizes of small, medium and large; the cold-proof shawl is actually RalphLauren's! The breakfast is very rich and definitely worth recommending!

I was a little surprised to be in the room such as beetles and crickets because it was in the mountains. It was a little disappointing that there was a spider nest in the room in the Irofuri, and the garbage on the floor was in the same state from the whole day. In addition, there were no appearances of ventilation during the meal, and many people were chatting normally without masks. I felt a little uneasy because there was no partition. The lighting in the facility and the room (especially the toilet) was too dark and I felt inconvenient. The hot spring was very good and the quality of the spring was very good. There is only one bathroom in the bathroom, so if several people overlap, you will wait. The meal was really exquisite. I feel like I keep the quality of my stay only by eating.

There were inn department and Yuji department, both of which stayed. Only the bath was good. The Yuji department is old and very dirty in the whole building. Because it is a Yuji department, it is okay to know that it is old. The only problem was that it was not cleaned and it was really dirty. There were many things like the thread of the spider's nest made of dust from the ceiling of the room I stayed in, and I was swaying in the gap wind. Are you eating here? The joint bathroom is old. However, there are many dirty things that can be wiped, or a bathroom that has been dirty like a proof that has been cleaning for many years, and a dirty mat like garbage? It was too dirty to brush teeth or wash face. The joint toilet also had two Japanese style, Western style ２, but Western style １, black and wet cloth? Matt? It is left on the floor and cannot be used (maybe an emergency treatment for leaking water or leaking rain?). There was a spider's nest and a thread made of dust everywhere in the building, and I really felt down. The corner of the corridor is a storage and there are many rooms that are not used. The stairs to the third floor are closed and the third floor is dark. Every time you see, you will be zoomed, so don't look as much as possible. Maybe the Yuji department is a good area where employees do not have to manage cleaning? Do customers have to clean and manage? It was really in a state of relaxation. Old is good. But I don't like dirty. I want you to clean it a little more than taking money and staying at the customer. The good thing was that the bath towel, yukata, and kerosene fan heater were free of charge. But there was a terrible destructive power to cancel the good point. I don't want to stay anymore. By the way, the inn department was heaven compared to Yujibe. The joint toilet was clean and normal. The corridor was heated and comfortable and the meal was good. The room was old but the cleaning was normal. And the inn department, the Yuji department, and the slippers are different. Why is this distinguished? I presumed that Yuji Club customers do not use the joint toilet of the inn club??? I have to change my clothes to the slippers for the toilet in front of the toilet, so I can see it there? I thought that if you make the toilet of the Yuji part comfortable rather than using the slippers, you can solve it.

Stayed at the Sansuikaku wing (which is the newer and upmarket part) but I would suggest to visit the other 2 wings which offer a glimpse of how a traditional house. Multiple onsens throughout all 3 wings - great variety! There was even 3 smaller private onsens for families/couples. Enjoyed the big rooms (with river views; toilet but no shower), service and the multi-course japanese dinner too. If I want to be picky, it will be that its not the easiest to get too by train. You can drop off at either Hanamaki or Shin-Hanamaki stations and there will be scheduled buses to pick you up (1 run by the onsen association and another by the Osawa). However, you need to take note of the specific timings. Otherwise, I was told that a taxi from Shin-Hanamaki would set me back about 6000 Yen.

I used it because I was looking for it near the station. It's good to be close to the station, but it was February when I went there and the sidewalk was snowy, so it was a ski trip, so it was difficult to move with big luggage. There is no convenience store around, so it is better to arrange it somewhere for a midnight snack. Immediately after entering the hotel, there was a small shop space, but there are few products. It is cup noodles and sweets. The room was small but clean and quiet. The bed is relatively large, with low repulsive pillows, and comfortable to sleep in. The bathroom and toilet are also clean. Amenity is minimal. I think it is a good hotel for those who want to use it reasonably.

After taking a leisurely bath in the hot springs, we had dinner after relaxing in the book lounge. It was late, but I received a very pleasant response. After that, I was able to refresh myself with a heartwarming response at the cafe lounge. The next morning, I was healed by cute goats and had a very fulfilling time. We will stop by again!