Yamagata Holidays from AU$2,396

We loved our stay at Ryokan Sansui. The view of the mountains around the hotel were amazing with tri-colored foliage. The staff were also very lovely and kind. The food was also delicious and more than I had expected. Communication wasn't too easy, but the message would get across. The best part was, of course, the onsen (hot spring) experience. They offer both public (gender-separated) hot springs and baths, as well as 4 private ones that don't need prior booking or extra fees. Getting there and back took a lot of time though, so our 1-day trip seemed a bit too short.

Brought my little brother here for his first trip to Japan, and what a way to introduce him to Japanese hospitality. Every staff there was awesome! Great food, and great onsen!

Booked to stay here for an authentic Ryokan Onsen experience on our Japan holiday. This was our first time at both a ryokan and an Onsen so we don’t have an awful lot to compare it to on those aspects. However, the positives of the hotel were that the staff were very friendly and happy to help. They spoke a small amount of English and were happy to try to assist when needed. We were greeted in the car park on arrival and a member of staff helped carry our bags to the check in desk. All of the onsens were very very good, we tried both the private outdoor one, and the mixed bathing one, both had good views and were clean. The negatives were that the hotel is dated and doesn’t seem to have been renovated since the 70s/80s (ripped fabric on furniture, wallpaper peeling off, stale smell in rooms and corridors). There are areas that are closed down which would have been nice to use, and there was no bar to purchase drinks after dinner, only a vending machine. The interior had cobwebs throughout the property, and the outside patio areas had not been cleaned, and tables and chairs had not been wiped down. The outdoor pool also had leaves in it and didn’t look very clean. Overall we feel feel we had a very mixed experience and probably wouldn’t return.

It's a wonderful town

The dinner and breakast were excellent traditional meals. The private outdoor onsen a great experience. The futon was hard and the rooms slightly shabby.