Beniya Mukayu

This ryokan is a truly luxurious and unique experience, with spectacular service, incredible food, and serene and stunning natural surroundings. So much care has gone into the aesthetic and beauty of this spot, and the onsens (both the shared and private) are just incredible. 10/10, incredible experience.

Absolute luxury. A very very different experience. Private onson sooo lovely. Food very Japanese but delicious.. western breakfast was a welcome and tasty. Limited walks in March but we made the most of what there was and 2 nights was perfect for chill time and luxury. Special mention to Julie who looked after us at meal times. So attentive and friendly.

Beniya is not a property, not a location; it is an experience. You check in, yes, and you offer your passport, yes, but then you enter another world. A world fast disappearing of peace, tranquillity, where you can glimpse the emptiness and space of perfection. in the art, the rooms, the spa, the library, everything. Beniya sits on the site of a Yakuoin Temple, and in many ways, it remains a place of healing and contemplation. Once you robe yourself in a Yukata and sit and contemplate the garden, or lie in the Onsen or enter the dining area where old-fashioned virtues like quiet and thoughtfulness abound in both those who serve and receive your joy in the moment is profound. As a solo traveller whose earth-bound requirements are respect, dignity and quietness, this is an entirely adult environment, and it could not be more appropriate or desirable. The food offerings are exquisite, and Mrs Nakamichi draws a delightful menu card for you to consider how the evening will unfold. The staff are not Geisha, but they inhabit a small part of that world. Charming, respectful and gracious, not simply 'have a nice day." This was my second visit to the Healing Buddha Mountain, Sakura, the Change of Leaves, and the next will be the growth of spring. Thank you to one and all. Blessing upon you.

A wonderful, modern, pristine zen retreat with excellent service. We stayed here after Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto and were completely impressed and instantly able to relax in this luxurious retreat. Our room was spacious, beautifully appointed & had an amazing private onsen bath. The garden was exquisite - incredibly serene. The shared onsen baths are beautiful too. All meals were incredible and in particular our service at mealtimes was faultless (shout out to our lovely host at the restaurant, Jackson). All in all the experience was restorative & re-energising. 100% recommend.

Everything about this hotel is first class - the people, the owners, the location, the facilities, the rooms, the gardens, the private and communal onsens, the food & the spa. It was a real treat from start to finish, the only downside is that we only booked 2 nights! We were awe struck from the minute we arrived with the sheer beauty of the location, the building and art. Superb!

Rarely does a dream come true. About thirty years ago, an idea took hold. I imagined staying at a Japanese ryokan with an open-air private onsen bath somewhere in nature during winter, hopefully with snow on the ground. The stars aligned in more ways than I imagined at Beniya Mukayu. Located a few miles from the Kagaonsen Shinkansen Rail Station, Beniya Mukayu is a short couple of hours from Tokyo but a world apart from the urban hustle and stress. The Zen enveloped me as I stepped out of the taxi. Beniya Mukayu is nestled up a hill surrounded by the forest; sounds of melting snow and a slight breeze could be heard as I was escorted into the architecturally planned inn. I inhaled, taking in the design of every piece of furniture, every window, every angle, all with purpose and all with artistry. I was overtaken with emotion and teared up. It was more than I could imagine. After an introduction to the inn and a cup of tea, we were escorted to our lodgings, an expansive Japanese-style room with a deck, separate bedroom, large bathroom, and private onsen bath filled with this area's warm healing mineral waters. Ours had hydrotherapy jets. We did not want to leave the room, and the television was ignored. Beniya Mukayu supplied us with kimonos, slippers, and a wrap in our respective sizes, and soon we were immersed in the way of the ryokan. It was better than therapy. The inn had two or three libraries for relaxation, public baths separated for men and women by time; kaiseki dinners served nightly, and excellent breakfasts. Service was in the ryokan tradition: polite, honorable, and caring. Pilar, from Patagonia, Argentina, helped guide us during our too-short two-day stay. She was wonderful. The owners, a charming couple, led us through a tea ceremony on our first day, an apt introduction to the zen of Beniya Mukayu. As I sat in my onsen bath, freezing rain falling around me, all cares drifted away. I was one with myself, too content with life. Beniya Mukayu does that. I must return.

Beniya Mukaya offers a mixed experience that combines elegant aesthetics and high-quality dining with several service shortcomings that may leave seasoned ryokan enthusiasts wanting more. Pros: The ryokan excels in its traditional Japanese style and attention to detail in its physical offerings. The tatami rooms are beautifully designed, creating a serene and authentic ambiance. The dining experience showcases high-quality ingredients, delivering an exceptional taste of Japanese cuisine. Guests will also appreciate the comfortable beds, premium linens, and thoughtful touches like pajamas and yukata provided in the rooms. Cons: Unfortunately, Beniya Mukaya falls short of the service standard expected from a luxury ryokan, particularly one associated with accolades like Michelin and Relais & Chateaux. The absence of turndown service, room service, and a lack of complimentary snacks or beverages detracts from the overall experience. Personalized service is limited—an example being the awkward situation where a taxi driver had to request umbrellas from the front desk on behalf of the guests. The staff, while polite, appear inexperienced and have limited local knowledge, which makes exploring the area more challenging. The washroom and open-air bath area feel disproportionately small for the room size, and the lack of conveniences like an in-room coffee machine adds to the sense of missed potential. Even the “executive suite garden view” feels underwhelming in this context. Overall: Beniya Mukaya seems to trade on its Western accolades rather than delivering the warm, personalized experience that defines the best ryokan stays. The sterile vibe and lack of attention to service details are disappointing, especially given its price point. While the aesthetic appeal is undeniable, it ultimately fails to compensate for the absence of those personal touches that make a ryokan stay memorable. There are undoubtedly better options that provide more value and an authentic, welcoming atmosphere. For now, Beniya Mukaya feels like a missed opportunity, a shadow of what it may once have been.

My wife and I had three nights in this fabulous residence 17-19 November 2024. As you enter you leave behind the hustle and bustle of Japan and embrace a Zen like luxury retreat. There are only 17 rooms which makes it even more exclusive. Amazing authentic Japanese food at dinner and a choice of Western or Japanese for breakfast. Great French wine with dinner. Check out the amazing Onsen ( Hot Springs ) in the Spa. Incredibly attentive staff. Splash out on an Executive Suite with great views of the town below. First class.

To start off, this is a very fine establishment I must admit. The design is very nice, the food is great and the staffs are very well trained. However, the reason I didn’t give them good marks is because we felt that for that caliber we would expect more. We have been to many ryukan and we thought Beniya, although a great place, could have been better. For example, bigger in room bath, private slot for the large public onsen, option to dine in, coffee machine in the room to name a few. Most of all, the staffs are very well trained and they all speak fluent English, however, it’s not personalised so the little Japanese touch in the details that you get while going to these Japanese places got lost and we ended up feeling like going to an upscale chain. The food was great though. Usually in a ryukan, we get abundant of food because it’s a half/full board reservation, but they are not necessarily that great. Typically it’s good enough, and they provide good ingredients for high end ones, at beniya, the food was to another level. It’s like eating in a restaurant not just in a hotel which is probably why they won’t offer any in room dining. However, we are not a morning person so having to wake up to go to breakfast at 9am (which is the latest you can go) is less preferred than to have our breakfast in room where we can enjoy the facility (we have the biggest room with relaxing area, seating area and a long table which we thought would have been great for breakfast).