Close to Yudanaka Hot Spring and Shibu, ZEN Hostel provides a garden, laundry facilities and more. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi.
You'll also enjoy the following perks during your stay:
Free self-parking
Multilingual staff
Room features
All guest rooms at ZEN Hostel feature comforts, such as air conditioning, as well as
Other amenities include:
Shared bathrooms with showers
Languages
English, Japanese
Property amenities
Internet
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Parking and transport
Free self parking on site
Limited on-site parking
Family friendly
Laundry facilities
Separate bedroom
Conveniences
Laundry facilities
Limited-hour front desk
Shared microwave
Shared refrigerator
Guest services
Multilingual staff
No housekeeping service
Outdoors
Garden
More
Designated smoking areas
Room amenities
Bedroom
Bedsheets provided
Bathroom
Shared bathroom
Shower
Towels provided
More
Air conditioning
Heating
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 3 PM; check-in end time: 10 PM
Minimum check-in age - 18
Check-out
Check-out before 10 AM
Contactless check-out
Special check-in instructions
The front desk is open daily from 3 PM - 10 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in
Access methods
Front desk (limited hours)
Pets
Pets not allowed
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
Cots (infant beds) are not available
Payment types
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards
We should mention
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare requires all international visitors to submit their passport number and nationality when registering at any lodging facility (inns, hotels, motels, etc. ); additionally, lodging proprietors are required to photocopy passports for all registering guests and keep the photocopy on file
Property is also known as
ZEN Hostel Yamanouchi
ZEN Yamanouchi
ZEN Hostel Yamanouchi
ZEN Hostel Hostel/Backpacker accommodation
ZEN Hostel Hostel/Backpacker accommodation Yamanouchi
Frequently asked questions
Is ZEN Hostel pet-friendly?
No, pets are not allowed at this property.
How much is parking at ZEN Hostel?
Self-parking is free at this property.
What time is check-in at ZEN Hostel?
Check-in start time: 3 PM; check-in end time: 10 PM. After-hours check-in is not available.
What time is check-out at ZEN Hostel?
Checkout is at 10 AM.
Where is ZEN Hostel located?
Situated in Yamanouchi, this hostel is within a 5-minute walk of Nishimiya Shrine and Yudanaka Hot Spring. Shiga Kogen Ski Area and Shibu are also within 10 minutes. Yudanaka Station is only a 4-minute walk.
ZEN Hostel Reviews
Reviews
8.6
Excellent
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.More informationOpens in a new window
Great value and attention to details from the hist
It was a great stay! Everything that you could need was provided! Very friendly environment both the staff and the guest! Special Kudos to Maya who manages the hostel very professionally and welcoming. She provided very useful information as well as the gentleman that was also there!
Zen Hostel is in a neat, old, traditional Japanese building. The lounge overlooks a pretty Japanese garden which can be viewed through the giant windows making it seem like you are outside.
The walls throughout the hostel are adorned with nice photos from around the world.
The floor in my private room was covered by beautiful tatami mats on which a futon is placed for sleeping. The futon was a little thin for sleeping on my side (boney hips) but was otherwise comfortable.
Everything is clean.
The heaters provided kept the room as toasty as I needed but the common spaces are pretty cold so bring warm jammies in the winter for the trip to the restroom. I don't consider this a negative for this hostel as I found it is normal for there to be cold common spaces in places in the low budget range (I wouldn't know about the fancy hotels in Japan).
The staff were super nice and speak English.
The breakfast options were yummy and reasonable at 600 yen. The dinner menu is limited but my curry was good.
The location is perfect, just 5 minutes walk to the bus and train station and close to all restaurants.
I definitely recommend this place!
Clean hotel, but wifi is slow and too far from metro or JR station
Nelson
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018
10/10 Excellent
Kevin
21 Nov 2018
Amazing, non expensive and clean place.
Kevin
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018
6/10 Okay
Verified traveller
19 Oct 2018
Liked: Staff & service
Not bad but expensive for what you get
We stayed at a "private" twin room and once our door was opened by someone while we were away, and another time while we were still inside someone came into our room even though it was locked!
It was a mistake but I couldn't recommend the private room if you are concerned about someone entering the room.
Furthermore my girlfriend didn't think the room was that clean, personally I thought it was average.
Service was nice and it's not far from station. However this area doesn't have many stores or restaurants that are open. I chose to come here because my girlfriend lives close by, but hotels in Nagano city are much cheaper and cleaner if you book in advance. Unfortunately my girlfriend was a bit picky and didn't want to travel to Nagano so I ended up paying more money for less.
If you have the choice, stay at a hotel in Nagano city or choose this if you want to be close by some specific tourist attraction.
We chose this hostel by mistake. We thought it was in Shibu Onsen since this what we searched for when booking. Our fault!! We were disappointed to learn this place is in neighboring village and can not provide key to the 9 public onsens in Shibu Onsen. The owner didn’t bother explaining where we got it wrong. He pretended he doesn’t know what we are talking about and offered to sell us entry to an Onsen nearby his place where he has a deal. What is the problem helping us understand the situation? This is not the friendliness and hospitality we got accustomed to traveling around Japan.
The hostel itself is ok, very basic and abit unhygienic in Japanese standards. It is quite cheap so you get descent value for money.
Our party of 5 stayed in a private room with shared bathroom. The traditional tatami room is nice and the staff are great. They serve good choices of breakfast at their lounge area for a fraction on price. Had their fresh fruit smoothies, matcha latte and roll cakes in the afternoon and they are delicious. Totally recommend this place to all travelers.
Great value for a private room which was warm and spacious. It was surprisingly quiet considering the paper walls and doors. The common areas seemed new, modern, and clean. The shared bathroom was clean and the shower booths were great, very private. One of very few places without its own onsen or yukatas but you still get some traditional features like the garden off the lounge area and Japanese style rooms with tatami and futons (Japanese floor mattress). The cafe had good prices for drinks but a limited menu. Breakfast was good but expensive. No amenities in the room, not even tissue. You need to rent towels and bring your bedding down to the laundry bins but it was well worth it to save on the cost.
Verified traveller
6/10 Okay
Verified traveller
26 Feb 2017
Liked: Cleanliness
Weekend Adventure
It was a wonderful stay. Coming from a warm environment, the cold rooms were a challenge. The heat in the rooms is kerosene. The heater runs for 3 hours and then beeps, and shuts off. So, if you are a light sleeper, this could be a problem. The showers are located on a separate floor-not with the toilets and it is co-ed, with private shower stalls. The shower area was not heated. With an outside temp of 24 F it was quite cool in the showers. Overall we had a delightful adventurous time, but it does take some grit to keep the smile on. The staff were amazing, helpful, funny and kind. Also most importantly...they speak English :).
Verified traveller
10/10 Excellent
Yin Ping
21 Jan 2017
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Helpful and budget
We almost couldn't go there when the local train has stopped because of heavy snow. I called them and got a pick up from them as a service, I saw people taking taxi into the town and it must cost a fortune. So they are willing to help on contingency.
The paid access to a nearby hotel's onsen is quite good, in a good timing we were in public bath with nobody else.
If you go to nearby ski resort(Ryoo for my case), ask for coupon as the discount is really good compare to the original walk in price.
•Freezing almost everywhere
•Hot water stopped in the middle of shower
•Coffee was terrible... we ordered 2 and the 2nd one was like brown hot water. We didn't mind if they were free but actually paid ¥350 each
•The staffs are nice and friendly
The Zen hostel is very close to the Yudanka train station and takes no more than 5 minutes to get to. The hostel is very well laid out and decorated. Our room was clean and provided just what we needed- - place to sleep. The facilities ( bathroom and showers)are very clean. The buikding itself is very historical- but has been updated to be quite modern. Each room has its own heaters. Food served here is quite delicious. The owner was kind enough to give us a lift up to the snow monkeys- which is a huge plus. Just make sure you know your way back down or can catch a taxi cab. Enjoyed our stay very much and would most certainly return!!!
It is a very new hostel. Bright, comfortable, modern. Owner has tastefully decorated the hostel. He speaks good English, friendly and helpful. Price is very reasonable. Best hostel that I have stayed so far.