The owner is the sweetest man I have ever met! So kind and wanting to help in whatever way he can! There is a free washing/drying facility. Dinner and breakfast can be included and they are both delicious and highly recommendable! I notified the owner I am a vegetarian and he assembled a 4 course meal especially for me! It was delicious! The lady servicing during the meals was also very lovely and kind! Japanese service at its best! The rooms/facilities are over expectations for the price I paid, especially considering the location is close to the mountain. Speaking about mountains: from the hostel you can start your hike to the nearby Kiso mountains! A four hour walk to get to 2956 meters! 3 hours back, or 5 if you want a detour. From the mountain top other huts or a ropeway are also accessible if you want to continue your hike. Summary: if you want a affordable place with good services, tasty food and a nice location near the forest and mountainside: this is the place for you!

The great location at the mountainside comes with a downside if you don't have a car: the closest bus station is at a 40 minutes walking speed. Though at my walk there, I actually saw a group of monkeys cross the road! So can't say I can complain.

We stayed in this lovely hotel as part of our journey along the Nakasendo Way. This is a smallish boutique hotel in the hills above the town of Kiso-Fukushima. We chose it for the spectacular mountain views and because it is a little off the beaten track so we could escape the craziness of the big cities. The hotel is surrounded by soaring mountains and the views were incredible. Because it was really quiet at the end of the winter period our rooms were upgraded which we really appreciated. The twin bed rooms with private bathrooms were spacious, clean and comfortable. Our host spoke enough English to answer all our questions and was delightful. I think our host was also our chef and the dinner and breakfast were delicious and worth way more than we paid! We let the hotel know in advance that we needed a gluten free dinner and breakfast and they went to an amazing effort to accommodate this request. A really peaceful location at an amazing price and we felt rejuvenated after our stay. There is a bus from the railway station and if you let the hotel know in advance they will try to pick you up from the bus stop and drop you back there. Alternatively you could catch a taxi for approximately AUD40 one way from the station or plenty of parking if you have your own car.

The host/owner really made our experience at the Hill Top a lovely one! As the name suggests, you have a drive up a winding road (which is well signposted) to the crest of the hill before you reach the property. There’s ample parking out front, and a Japanese-style entry where you take your shoes off—in exchange for slippers if you need them—and from there you meet your wonderful host. He spoke some English—a blessing for us without Japanese language ability—and was very helpful in showing us the facilities (including free tea and coffee), and recommending areas for running and dining in Kiso. We hadn’t pre-booked dinner, so couldn’t eat there in the evening (best to do this at the time of booking), but we did have a lovely breakfast the next day. The rooms had been renovated and were clean and comfortable. The views were lovely, and there are some nice pieces of art and curios dotted around the common areas. Oh, and don’t forget to say hi to the Shiba Inu if you get a chance!

Some of the shared facilities (dining room) were a little dated—which might be off-putting for some—but these just added to the authentic experience for me! Only other issue was there is no elevator, which might make it tough for those with disabilities, access issues, or very heavy luggage. This wasn’t an issue for my party, but worth bearing in mind before booking.

Hill Top offered us a warm sense of hospitality. It is run by a sole owner and his cute shiba! We liked how personal it felt being there. The location was complete with free washer and dryer as well. We were too cold to star gaze, but the location is great for star gazing! Truly beautiful location. We experienced a heavy snow on our second day there (felt like it was the first snow of the season) and it was so magical!

The location is quite tricky to navigate, even with Google Maps/Waze. When passing the major campsite, drive past the Guest House on your left with a "hairpin" turn to continue up towards Hill Top (we had a few wrong turns here). But because of its location, we were able to enjoy untouched snow when it snowed!

Location: Hill Top is an apt name for this delightful, off-the-beaten track guest house in the stunningly beautiful Kiso mountains. Service: above and beyond. Owner/host/chef Masahiro-San was so gracious and welcoming. Food: we opted for breakfast and dinner, which was excellent; served in the dining room with a beautiful view of the mountains. Masahiro-San is an excellent and creative chef.

Not a dislike, just a comment: helpful to have a car, as it is about a 20 minute drive to nearest public transportation (we rented a car from the rental agency immediately next to the train station.)

This was the best place we stayed at during our 3 weeks long travel to Japan. The hosts are hospitable and create a relaxed atmosphere. Food is very good and in decent quantities. The owner picked us up from the bus stop and 3 days later driven us back to it. Do not get me wrong this is not a luxury place with all those facilities you do not use anyway. This is a little hotel with a personal touch - something I value the most. We did not use it but it looked like there is lot of equipment to observe the stars

I do like them too much to openly criticise - I did write directly to them about very minor little things they could change ;-)

Woderful stay! The Hill Top was our base for three nights. This allowed us to do the Tsumago/Magome hike (one hour drive) as well as hiking Mt. Kisokoma-gatake (one hour drive). Getting there by car was made easier by the indications on the roadside for the last few kilometers. The hosts were exquisitely kind. Dinner was excellent and we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the local wines. Breakfast was also excellent. Surroundings of the hotel are beautiful. One of our most pleasant stay in Japan.

Location is everything surrounded by imposing mountains and near the ancient Nakasendo. Magome is an hour drive away and we walked the amazing serene and green trail between Magome and Tsumago. Breakfast was very healthy and delicious. Rooms were clean, good shower. Staff is very friendly.

Only positive experiences!

The hosts are wonderful people. They prepared amazing dinner and breakfast for us and helped us with all our questions. Generally the host himself was very talkative and interested in our trip and gave us some insights into the surroundings.

The hosts and the location! You can watch stars at night and the autumn foliage created an amazing atmosphere!

I really enjoyed the location up in the mountains (I really appreciated the signs put up by the owner along the road. Arriving at night we would have doubted that we were still on the right path - it is that remote.). Also the rooms with five beds was very large and comfortable. The bathroom was, well Japanese - small and functionable. Being able to use a washer and dryer was great.

Nothing.