Everything, from the food to the room. I booked the smallest room which I did not know that there is a private onsen. My meals were in a separated room which I feel is better than having inside my own room. This hotel is worth staying for the experience. There are guests around but I was surprised to not hear any noises. I felt like I was being served as a royalty. The sake that I had, does not have any alcohol smell, it tasted so good and it had a cherry taste to it. I enjoyed the private outdoor onsen and I regretted not trying the public onsen. Also, breakfast usually starts at 730am but I had a train to catch, the hotel offered to serve breakfast at 7am. I was already awake at 5am to enjoy the onsen for the last time. My dinner was at 6pm which was the earliest timing.

Nothing.

What a great find in Tendo, Yamagata Prefecture. Not many tourists know of Tendo but it’s served by Shinkansen bullet train so I picked it. Hotel itself is wonderful, offering station pickup/dropoff; the highlight were the meals. I took the half-board plan. Both dinner and breakfast were outstanding; dining in private rooms with excellent service and local ingredients. After dinner I relaxed in the onsen spa and then relaxed in a semi-private sitting area, drinking free matcha tea and enjoying the garden scenery. Must visit!

Wow. What can I say. This location was incredible and one of the greatest regrets is that I could not stay longer. From the way the reception was waiting for me outside upon my arrival, to they way they introduced me to the hotel, to the 5 star treatment I received for all of meals (which were very interesting multi course meals all expertly arranged and served). The room itself was excellent as well. *very* spacious, traditional tatami mats, nice big tub that has an open window to the center garden and skies. Nice cold AC. I could go on and on about this location. If you view this message, and are deciding on this location, just do it. Trust me. Book it, with the meal plan, and go visit Yamadera during the day. Special shout out to Hiroe-san. Thank you for making my meal experience so enjoyable and doing your best to put up with my terrible Japanese!

Gorgeous hotel! The inside had couch chairs to sit in and face the courtyard that I could have stayed all day. The private bath was also fantastic! The hotel recommended Tendo Days tour group to go to Ginzan Onsen, which was super easy to book. We had a great time.

I wished I had spent more time here since it was my favorite hotel in Japan. It is about 3-4 hours away from Tokyo and the Shinkansen did not allow for very large luggage - if you plan to bring it, ship it to the hotel instead.

We were upgraded to a room with a private onsen. The place was clean, staff members were kind, helpful, and very hospitable. Although communication was challenging they tried very hard to answer every question we had, which were many (highly appreciate the guy attending to dinner!) We loved the complimentary roasted green tea and wanted to buy some for souvenir but they didnt sell it. Instead they gave us 5 sachets as souvenir, much appreciated! Would come back if we have a chance.8

Almost nothing!

Beautiful property. The room was spacious! Even for Western standards. The private onsen was very nice. We did not try the public onsen. The staff were courteous and helpful. Although the staff had limited English proficiency, they all used a translation app to help with communication which was incredibly helpful.

Since it is in Tendo, there is not as much to do within walking distance.

Everything about the hotel is beyond my expectation. Hospitality service are first class and all staffs treat their guests with care. The onsens are nice and comfort. The room is great and large. The hotel is well-decorated. The facility and amenities are superb. The view is also relaxing. I arrived at the hotel late and staffs picked me up at the station. Everything was just perfect!

There is no vending machine or convenient store around the corner so you need to walk around 10 mins to reach one. So I recommend buying everything you need beforehand because at night, the neighborhood is not really walkable.

Beautiful ryokan with a sleek Japanese design. We had a wonderful stay and enjoyed the comfortable room, beautiful onsen and delicious food

Staff is making a lot of efforts, some of the younger reception staff could be better trained (e.g. when you see us returning home fully sweaty and carrying lots of baby stuff, maybe it is not the right time to ask not urgent questions about when we want breakfast the next day when it’s only 2pm)

- Exceptional service. Warm and friendly staff, goes out of their way to help and make the stay as comfortable as possible - Rooms was spacious and comfortable - Outdoor bath provides a private and comfortable relaxing space - Public bath was great, especially for first time user - Shuttle service, to and from the station

Nothing. Everything was wonderful

Loved this place. It was a delayed honeymoon for me and my husband. Gorgeous property with so many little places tucked away for privacy. We drew, we wrote, we had an excellent time here. The food was something to remember. We arrived late the first night and the hotel still prepared a meal for us which was incredible. We ended up spending a whole day here. Onsen was a bit toasty for July (!) but we still made use of it and it was clean and quiet And nice.

You might read some reviews about the fact that this building is more dated. Sure, there is some age that shows but it adds to the character. Overall, a great place to stay with incredibly welcoming staff, amazing food, and comfortable.