We had a private hot pot on the terrace, which made our room even more perfect. The room was lovely, very stylish and comfortable. You can grab drinks from the lounge or the reception area, as water, tea and juices. Overall the staff is lovely and supportive. We have very much loved our time at BYAKU Narai and would everyone recommend to spend at least 1 night at this beautiful place.

Generally speaking we had the best time at BYAKU Narai. We have stayed for 2 nights, including the dinner package. Overall the dinner was great, however the dishes of the 2nd evening didn‘t meet our exceptations, while comparing with the dinner of the first evening. It seems that all is concentrated on one general menu and the 2nd evening seemed to be a back-up menu. We would have loved to choose from dishes from the first evening, however this didn‘t lower the overall experience of the place.

It is a unique experience. The atmosphere, the room, the food, it is incredible and no description will do it justice. It is a steep price to pay (we paid 1100CHF, that is about 1000 USD/EUR for 1 night, including great dinner and breakfast, and that is because of the cheap yen (it would be 1400-1500 otherwise). BUT it is a memory and an experience to never forget, so worth it.

I did not want to write this review because of availability - it is hard to get the room we wanted. We adjusted our travel plans to be able to get the room we wanted because it was booked out long in advance. Also, Narai itself is of course beautiful and worth a visit, but there are not a lot of good food options and not much to do - for us it was at the end of a hike, so perfectly fine to stroll through.

Byaku Narai perfectly blends traditional charm with modern comfort. The beautifully restored heritage house offers a serene and intimate atmosphere, with thoughtful details that enhance the stay. The room design was charming and quaint, featuring a two-level layout with the bed upstairs, adding to the unique experience. The outdoor onsen was a highlight, offering a relaxing and immersive way to unwind. The warm hospitality, cozy ambiance, and seamless mix of old and new make it a truly special experience.

Nothing—it was a flawless stay.

Where to start?! This amazing traditional japanese "ryokan" transported me to the past with its original wood facade and support beams, and the 1700s sake brewery. The 8 course dinner was delectable with local fresh ingredients! Stunning views of the mountains, and the kiso valley is spectacular. The japansese shared baths were impecable and beautiful, the gardens delightfully charming and well maintained. The rooms clean and spotless, we had the garden room with the hot tub which had a view of the mountains, perfect for relaxing, reading and sipping on tea or cofee! Highly recommended.

The hotel is really exceptional when it comes to the contemporary design, mixed with the original features of the old buildings. The restaurant is excellent, serving a mix of contemporary and traditional dishes, based on local ingredients, together with a good drinks menu, featuring their own in house sake. The onsen is spacious and very clean.

As usual in Japan, check in time is written in stone and entering the room at 2:40 is not an option, if the official check in time is 3:00 - so we were not surprised. We just went for a short walk, which was beautiful despite the rain. When we came back at 3:20, we had to wait for 20 minutes, no reason given. During that time we were not offered a drink, even we were later told that drinks are free and can be taken from the fridge in the reception. During that time, the person showing us our rooms later was just waiting with us at the reception as well. Considering that this is a high end hotel, offering luggage transport to (and from) the station (which is about 800 m away) would be something that one could expect.

this was a highlight of our entire japan trip. i would not hesitate to stay here again, and will insistently recommend to anyone they do too. the whole experience is just… magical. and the dinner is excellent, please opt in.

we stayed in the smallest room in the annex, which, while spacious, has a small bed. we were warned of this several times, so it’s 100% on us, but do take this into account. FWIW, while it’s MUCH more to stay in the “bigger” rooms, given our experience, it is 100% worth it and we’d do it next time. i love this hotel.

I had the luxurious garden suite with private bath to myself. The welcome ginger tea and wagashi on my arrival were just what I needed to warm me up from wandering the cool and windy main street. I also had specially chosen coffee and local tea in my room. I opted in to the kaiseki dinner for the night I arrived - local dishes and sake that have my mouth watering just remembering them writing this review- a couple of days before my stay. Breakfast was included in my stay and was as awesome as dinner. The tamagoyaki is the best I've ever had. The staff - everyone from the check in desk to chefs at dinner - are absolutely lovely and helpful. There are no worries if you speak limited or no Japanese, they are well versed in using translators and limited English. I deeply appreciate that every effort has been made to show and use Narai's local crafts, products, and heritage throughout the property. I highly recommend this accommodation.

There’s just nothing not to love about Byaku. The facilities are so pretty and well taken care of, the accommodation ist so beautiful and the staff is just amazing. Booked spontaneously a night before and told them I don’t eat seafood. They changed the set menu the same day for me and it was simply amazing. One of the best dinners I’ve ever had. I will forever remember this experience at Byaku, thank you to the entire team!

The duplex suite was very spacious and stylish. The evening meals were fantastic. We stayed three nights and although in theory it was a set eight course meal, they specifically changed the dishes each night for us. Faultless service and food. The restaurant staff were so friendly and the whole dining experience was really fantastic. The location of the hotel in Narai was wonderful and strolling to the restaurant in the evening along the old streets was lovely

Unfortunately I did find the beds rather firm and our duplex apartment was very close to the railway. Although few trains operated in the evening and at night because it was only a small local railway, when they did, it did sometimes disturb us during the night. We would also suggest perhaps a few details need attending to in the rooms - such as minor decor scratches. The apartment came with a selection of records and one CD - however, the records were rather scratched and the CD player did not work. These we appreciate are not major issues but given the substantial price of the hotel, attention to detail should be everything. Unfortunately we did find the breakfast rather challenging as the only choice was a full on Japanese one.

The whole establishment is tastefully and authentically presented. My room was beautifully fitted out. Dark stained timber and white linen; all kinds of amenities including coffee grinder and green tea equipment. Personal bath is temperature controlled; shower facilities and toilet are excellent. There is also a onsen style bath at the main accommodation block. (There are 3 buildings). Location is around the middle of long heritage restored shopfront street. I elected to include dinner in the tariff. Dinner was 'omakase'/degustation and was delicious. As a solo traveller I sat at the counter (always my favourite place) and loved the interaction with the dedicated staff preparing and serving the courses. I also elected for drinks pairing which was very tasty and also a learning experience. It is listed as four star but it exudes luxury of great simplicity. I travel budget level in most places but am happy to pay more for traditional or special experiences, This is why I rated it a value for money. I also got an excellent 'genius' discount. Very convenient for hiking the Torii pass on the Nakasendo Way,

All good. But be alert to there being 3 separate buildings on a long dark streetscape; so, before it gets dark, work out your orientation for the main dining area and your accommodation, if they are in different buildings.