Good onsen with indoor and outdoor bath. The self-reservation system was working for us, while we not always were getting in in time we wanted to, eventually we always able to (you check card at onsen entry says "available", you flip a card to "occupied" and write time on the board until you planning to use it, 50 minute max) and it is all yours. The dinners and breakfasts were fantastic. It is traditional dinner, you got about 8 different courses, some cold some hot. While we did not like 100% of courses we had all of them were excellently prepared and served, just not everything was up to our taste (turns out I do not really like horse meat sashimi :) ) The meal room is private, and view is gorgeous. Service was to top notch. Wear yukata to dinner for extra point! We got large basket of really good local apples at check in as a gift and there was green tea and sweets in the room as well.

Keep in mind, breakfast hour is a bit late so we had to skip 2 out of 3 times, but since its not a self served buffet no surprises here. Same for dinner, 6 and 6:30 PM is your only choices.

All the staff were so welcoming and friendly, like they really want you to enjoy your stay. Funny story: I accidentally left my dinner early, thinking I had finished all the dishes. So I left to go to my room. Soon the front desk called my room saying I missed the last dish and dessert and would deliver it to my room :D This shows how hospitable and accommodating they were. I was also super appreciative for the scheduled ride back to Yudanaka station (you can request in advance). I had an enjoyable conversation all the way to the station since the gentleman offering the ride spoke really good english. It felt like a family member was dropping me off at the airport. Excellent experience, onsen, lodging, food, hospitality.

The ryokan and its service absolutely exceeded our expectation. The staff was very nice and welcoming, and the accommodation was equipped with everything we needed for our relaxing stay. The dinner and breakfast included in the price were the highlights of our experience, the service and the food were both amazing! We could also reserve one of the onsens for private use which we did and really enjoyed it. The accommodation is located in a beautiful environment as well. I would recommend booking this place if you're in the area!

One thing to note for other travellers - our room didn't have a bathroom with a shower, only a toilet and a sink, so you'd have to use the public bath or the onsen showers to take a shower. There was a faint drainage smell coming from the bathroom area of our room - given the age of the building, I guess it's just something that will need to get updated. We could separate our sleeping area from it with a sliding door, so it wasn't a big issue. Finally, there was a loud generator / AC unit just outside of our room's window; being a bad sleeper it bothered me a bit when trying to fall asleep - but this might be more of a personal issue. Overall, we really liked our stay, just wanted to highlight these for other to take note of!

We loved being in nature - Nagano is so beautiful and this location was a very special place to rest relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The staff are so warm and friendly and the food was incredible - you will not go hungry at this hotel! We loved the care that the staff put into each meal and every detail of the space. We also loved the Onsen experience and found the facility to be very clean and easy to use. Our rooms were very clean and spacious, comfortable and enjoyable. We loved our visit and hope to return!

It was a little bit tricky to get to the hotel (we traveled by train and took a cab from the station when we arrived) but the hotel provides a shuttle service if you schedule in advance with them regarding a pick up time. At times we wish we had a car as Nagano is a big prefecture with lot of natural gems. I could imagine the hotel offering occasional shuttle service (at an additional cost) to offer transport to local landmarks.

It was a lovely authentic experience. The facilities are clean and well taken care off. You will be warmly welcomed. There are 3 private spas which you can enjoy (x2 open air). We had both the breakfast and the dinner and it was very fresh/ delicious(mind, all very traditional). The dining with the mounting view was amazing. Highly recommend!

The only thing which I would suggest improving are the flat and hard pillows which can cause discomfort. A softer, more elevated pillow, especially when sleeping on a futon, would have made the sleep much better.

Ryokan Warabino is on an idyllic Japanese valley, overlooking Nagano city. A bit far from everywhere, you definitely need a car to get there! Place is super clean, and rooms are so so nice, comfortable individual mattresses on a tatami floor. Three different onsens to choose from, two of them are outdoors, so relaxing, and you can have them booked privately, never had a problem to get to use them all. On top of that food....oh my...please add it to your booking because you will try to get what traditional japanese food is, so delicious. Dinner was abundant, with 9 courses, make sure your belly is empty before going! Breakfast was as well super traditional, with plenty of different small dishes to try. Staff was all the time smiling, and super accommodating. I would come back thousand times if I could! Thank you so much Ryokan Warabino for such an amazing experience!

Everything was amazing, nothing to complain about

We stayed one night in ryokan warabino, and wished we could stay for longer. When we first made the booking, we were planning to take the bus from suzaka station, but they kindly offered for us to be picked up at the station. Taka san came sharp at the agreed time and dropped us at the ryokan to be checked in. We booked a .... room, it had all the amenities it needed including a private toilet. Everything was sparky clean and the room itself was very spacious. Onsens were private, they had 3 of them which we could go and enjoy for maximum one hour at a time. Dinner was served sharp at 6. Food was delicious, they offered a traditional, menu with seasonal produce. We were fully stuffed at the end of the dinner. Traditional beds were so comfy. We had a good night's sleep, had a morning bath in the onsen overlooking the mountains. Breakfast was also served sharp at 8 in the morning. They were so kind to then drop us off at the suzaka station after we checked out. Staff were very welcoming. Our stay at ryokan warabino helped us to relax and rewind. Highly recommend this to anyone looking for an authentic Japanese experience, and a comfortable lovely stay. We would definitely come back to stay longer when we next visit Japan.

This was an incredible and unforgettable experience. We stayed in the Japanese style room with a beautiful view of the garden and mountains. We went several times to the private onsens without ever having to wait. We really felt that we were living an experience. The people working in the facilities are also incredible. We didn’t have time enough to book the dinner so they took us for free to the only restaurant available around, which was amazing.

The place is located in the middle of the nature, so it takes a bit of time to reach from nagano. No taxis accepted to take us from nagano directly. We took a second train and then we got a taxi from the station that was around 4000 jpy. But it’s worth the drive.

Ryokan is truly special. It’s located in a remote area of Nagano that allows for peace and breathtaking views. The rooms were spacious and provided an authentic Japanese experience. The breakfast and dinner were outstanding. A feast for the eyes and soul. You won’t be hungry but if you’re a picky eater this may be a tough place for you. The onsens are small but private and you can use them at your leisure from 6:00-23:00 provided they are not in use. We never had a problem finding an available one during our three day stay. If you want an authentic experience, don’t hesitate-book!

My wish is everyone could stay here / experience this stay. Upon arrival we were greeted with a friendly face & exceptional service. They brought our luggage up to the room for us and showed us how to use a ryokan. Honestly wish I could give the man at the front desk / little old lady helping us in a hug. The private onsens were so gorgeous. We were able to access all 3 without a wait , but if they were in use there’s a time limit of 50 minutes and you can mark yourself down next if that’s the case. We chose to have dinner & breakfast included in our stay, and it was also amazing. High quality local traditional food. We were taught how to eat some dishes. We were both brought to tears with the amount of joy this stay brought us. One of our top experiences within Japan. Our room was huge with lots of space & beautiful light. Futons were comfortable. If you’re undecided where to stay for a great ryokan experience, please choose this place ! * If you’re looking for coffee there is a vending machine in lobby area & just outside near the parking lot.

If you’re a size 18/20 US the yukatas might be a little snug but I made due!