Hotel Lucent Takamiya

“Great place to stay for skiing and Onsen ”

Location can’t be better than this, with the hotel right across the street from one of the main gondolas for the ski resort. The rooms are nice, with older style ryokans and modern rooms to choose from. Onsen is superb, with both outdoor and indoor tubs available. Good Japanese style breakfast buf… more

Location can’t be better than this, with the hotel right across the street from one of the main gondolas for the ski resort. The rooms are nice, with older style ryokans and modern rooms to choose from. Onsen is superb, with both outdoor and indoor tubs available. Good Japanese style breakfast buffet. You are required to buy at least one dinner with your stay, but given the lack of dining options in this small town after 6 PM, this isn’t too bad. Lawson convenience store is right next door. Onsite ski rentals at the hotel, half-off for guests but the quality of equipment varies. Overall, a great visit, and I would definitely stay here again.

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“Excellent hotel for Japanese experience”

This hotel is ideal if you want a Japanese experience. Most staff don’t speak English but at reception a small amount of English is spoken and they certainly make an effort to ensure accurate communication. The highlight of the hotel is its onsen. The highly acidic sulphur water from Zao’s springs … more

This hotel is ideal if you want a Japanese experience. Most staff don’t speak English but at reception a small amount of English is spoken and they certainly make an effort to ensure accurate communication. The highlight of the hotel is its onsen. The highly acidic sulphur water from Zao’s springs are renowned in Japan for their curative powers. Both male and female onsens have three separate pools with the third being outside, partly covered. You sit in the hot steamy pool with the snow falling just near you. There are a variety of room types and the best prices are standard Japanese in tatami matting. These are big rooms. Our Oriental Club room was designed more for Westerners who prefer the bed slightly raised from the floor with more western style mattresses. The rooms were warm and clean and all had ensuites. The ensuite is small but many Japanese style hotels do not even have them and assume you will just use the onsen. Like all traditional Japanese rooms,there is very little storage space, but it is sufficient. We chose to have two meals in the hotel when we booked. The meal was Kaiser style with its many small courses. It was enjoyable but maybe one night would have been enough. Breakfast is a buffet of Japanese food. Little would be considered western other than the fruit and yoghurt. A good selection of all sorts of Japanese food. I particularly enjoyed the noodles and the pork dumplings. The hotel is just six minutes walk from the bus stop and the hotel will pick you up or drop you there if you ask. The hotel is just across from the Zao Chuo Ropeway which we found to be the best access to the mountain. Food mart Lawson’s is close by. The non smoking restaurants we tried were good; Oto chaya, interesting mix of Japanese and Western food, Pizza and Craft Beer Quantum, Tuoen- very good home cooking, Robata-genghis khan style. If you are looking for a Japanese cultural experience in a ryokan style hotel with a good onsen, ensuites, enough English to get by, then this is a very good choice. It is not five star but it makes up for it with the authentic Japanese experience.

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“Great Onsen hotel with good location”

Location wise right across one of the Zao Central Ropeway, also very near to Zao Sanroku Station (藏王山麓站). Very confortable Tatami room with good size. And the Onsen is definitely not to be missed. Dinner not serve in room like traditional Onsen ryokan but food is Japanese style. Breakfast has wid… more

Location wise right across one of the Zao Central Ropeway, also very near to Zao Sanroku Station (藏王山麓站). Very confortable Tatami room with good size. And the Onsen is definitely not to be missed. Dinner not serve in room like traditional Onsen ryokan but food is Japanese style. Breakfast has wide range of choice.

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“Good size room but need to improve on food”

Visited Zao Onsen with a group of 9 pax for our skiing trip. We book total of 4 rooms. Mix of twin and Japanese Western rooms. Check in is quick, staff is good in English. Room has good size and clean. Hotel is very close to one of the gondola which is great. Like this hotel location, room and i… more

Visited Zao Onsen with a group of 9 pax for our skiing trip. We book total of 4 rooms. Mix of twin and Japanese Western rooms. Check in is quick, staff is good in English. Room has good size and clean. Hotel is very close to one of the gondola which is great. Like this hotel location, room and its onsen but definitely will not book this hotel with dinner included again as the quality of the food at dinner for the whole three nights of our stay is terrible. Feel like it is a wipe off. Totally not worth the money that we paid. But surprisingly the buffet breakfast is very acceptable. If hotel can improve the quality of the food at dinner. This will be a great hotel as Its onsen is super.

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