Scout loves
- Service is excellent – friendly and efficient.
- Incorporated into the hotel is one of the best onsens in town – exclusive for guests. There is a private onsen that can be booked for couples.
- The lobby area looks onto a beautiful, peaceful, snowy Japanese garden.
- The hotel features exceptionally good Japanese-style rooms, providing guests with a choice of futon or western beds.
- The food is great. Even if you’re not staying here, come and try the food. The restaurant serves up some of the best Japanese dishes in town.
Scout tips
- This hotel is popular so book early.
- A family of up to six can sleep in the Deluxe room.
- The compact rooms have an ensuite toilet and shower and limited storage.
- Japanese Breakfast is served on the first day. After that guests can choose between Western or Japanese style breakfast.
- It’s a short (but steep) walk up to the Nagasaka ski area base, or to the moving walkway for the Hikage Station. The hotel can arrange for your equipment to be stored at the base area (for a fee).
- Sakaya is an authentic Japanese luxury experience. If you require western style luxury it might not be the best choice. Please read our story about Staying in a Japanese hotel to understand some of the differences.
SCOUT REVIEW
Luxurious and authentic, Ryokan Sakaya is Scout’s number one pick for authentic Japanese style accommodation not only in Nozawa Onsen, but in all the ski resorts in Japan!
From the moment you walk into Ryokan Sakaya hotel, you will start to feel relaxed. This is in part thanks to the friendly welcome of the charming receptionists (who speak excellent English), but also because of the Japanese garden that is visible through the windows in the reception area. There’s nothing like mossy rocks covered in pillows of soft snow surrounded by a pond teaming with colourful fish to make you feel Zen – it’s easily one of the most mesmerizing and beautiful hotel entrances we’ve seen.
Ryokan Sakaya is one of the oldest hotels in Nozawa Onsen – built 110 years ago. The family who runs it have been in the hospitality business for 18 generations, which means they have a pretty good idea of what they’re doing! You will be superbly looked after here.
The hotel is made up of 29 rooms, offering a mix of Japanese and Western bedding. Regardless of your preference, all rooms maintain a distinctly Japanese feel – thanks to the Tatami mats that line the floor. And if you choose Japanese beds, the staff will fold up your futon every morning, place it in the cupboard, and replace it with a low table and seat backs. (Rooms with western beds will always have the beds out).
The Deluxe rooms are large enough for a family of five (although it will be tight), with rice paper partitions separating the sleeping area from the small living area. If you choose Western-style bedding in the Deluxe category, you will get a larger sleeping area (with a smaller living area).
The Standard rooms come with a full ensuite bathroom (as do the Deluxe rooms) and will fit up to three people. Whereas the Compact rooms are smaller, featuring an ensuite with toilet, sink and shower– as well as a smaller storage area and no separate living area. However they are still a fantastic choice!
As with all traditional Japanese style hotels, you can’t expect luxuries such as the latest technology or big comfy couches in your rooms. And if the idea of lazing around on tatami mats sounds uncomfortable, you should opt for a Western-style room.
Rates differ depending on weather you want just breakfast, or breakfast and dinner. (For breakfast, you can choose between Western or Japanese, and the dinner menu is different every night). The quality of the food is exceptional, which is why Scout recommends that you choose the dinner-inclusive option for at least a couple of nights.
To top it all off, Ryokan Sakaya has what must be one of the most beautiful onsens in Japan. The female facilities feature an indoor and an outdoor onsen (called ‘rotenburo’). It’s such an incredible treat being able to sit in a natural hot spring, au naturel, with snow falling around you. There is also a private family onsen that accommodates up to 4 people, and can be reserved for an hour’s exclusive use for no extra cost. The facilities also include a sauna and a full-service spa that offers massage services and facials.
Who should stay here
Those seeking a luxurious and authentic Japanese experience. It’s a little more expensive than the other accommodation options in Nozawa, but it’s well worth it.
Scout Customer Reviews
Excellent! Complete Japanese immersion in a traditional hotel with exceptional service. The onsen is a must. Ariane, Scout Cutsomer 2020
Ryokan Sakaya was really good. Great service, breakfasts and kaiseki dinner. Tatami mats were a bit hard for my wife’s liking but we ended up just using 2 mattresses! Can’t beat the location of Ryokan Sakaya. Ken, Scout Customer 2020
Location
Ryokan Sakaya is located right in the center of Nozawa Onsen, with all the village’s shops, restaurants and bars right at the doorstep. It is about a five-minute uphill walk to the travelator to get to the Hikage Station base area, or a steep walk up the hill to Nagasaka base area.
You can find a map of Nozawa here. Ryokan Sakaya is located in F4.
- <10 min walk to lifts
About Nozawa Onsen
Nozawa Onsen is perfect for skiers because it features a fantastic ski mountain, a traditional and thriving village and an abundance of hot springs. Cute and authentic, Nozawa Onsen provides the classic Japanese ski experience.
Read more about Nozawa Onsen and other hotels in the area.
Hotel Amenities
- Reception desk
- Small Snacks & Gift store
- Wifi throughout hotel
- Indoor and outdoor onsen
- laundry facilities
- Japanese TV only
- Japanese and Western Breakfast
Hotel Policies
- All guests may be required to give their full name, age, passport number, postal address, nationality and occupation on or prior to check-in, in compliance with Japanese Law. Property is non-smoking.
- Onsen Tax of JYP150 per person/night will be added as a separate item to your invoice.
- Check-in: 3:00PM
- Check-out: 10:00PM
- Check-in Details: All guests will be required to give their full name, age, passport number, postal address, nationality and occupation on or prior to check-in, in compliance with Japanese Law.
- Ryokan Sakaya is a typical Japanese hotel with onsen facilities. Please read our guides on staying in a Japanese Hotel and to Onsen Etiquette.
- Children under 2 are free and rates for children 3-12 are 50% of the adult charge when there are 3 or more people in the room. Scout will give you the exact price for your family.
Deals & Packages
Thank you for your inquiry. A copy has been emailed to you. We will scout out availability and rates for your selected properties and get back to you as soon as possible with an answer.
There are currently no pre-set packages at Ryokan Sakaya. To create your own package use the Room Selection booking process and one of our agents will get back to you to confirm availability and add your extras
Select RoomCheck Package Availability & Rates
You will need to contact us to check availability and rates for this package (this does not confirm the reservation). Please take a moment to complete and submit the request form below. We will then contact you directly to confirm the details and if you wish to proceed we will arrange your reservation.
Please tell us if you'd like to tweak the package to change the dates, number of nights or number of people. And if you'd like us to add in any extras just let us know, anything to make your snow holiday simpler and more enjoyable. < Back to Packages
Scout Booking Terms & Conditions
- Availability: Booking of all packages & accommodation is subject to availability at time of confirmation of package option by customer.
- Rate includes: All associated taxes. Some hotels charge extra fees for parking, cots, rollaways etc. Such fees can be confirmed on request based on your requirements.
- Payment Schedule:
- Deposit: 25% of the full amount is due WITHIN 7 DAYS OF CONFIRMATION to secure the booking.
- Final Balance: Invoice will be issued for the remaining balance 80 days prior to departure. PAYMENT IS DUE 70 DAYS PRIOR to departure. Failure to pay by 70 days may result in the auto-cancellation of accommodation by the accommodation provider or late payment fees.
- Bookings within 70 days: Full payment is required within 7 days to secure the booking.
- Variations: In some circumstances suppliers may have different payment policies to the above. Additionally some Early Bird deals require full payment by or soon after the book-by date. In these instances Scout will clearly communicate any variances prior to confirmation.
- Cancellation Policy:
- All deposits are non-refundable once received.
- For balance payments made within 70-45 days prior to the trip the deposit amount is non-refundable.
- No refund for total amount for cancellations 45 days or less prior to arrival and no-shows. In unexpected, unfortunate circumstances (family death etc) Scout will work to negotiate with the supplier for a full or partial refund, however this is not guaranteed. We recommend taking travel insurance to make sure you are covered. Cancelling due to weather, missed travel connections or lack of snow is not considered an unexpected circumstance and is one of the risks you must wear as part of taking a ski trip. Unless the supplier has a snow guarantee or weather cancellation policy, Scout will not refund any part of the package due to these factors.
- Variations: Please note that some hotels may have stricter policies (such as no refund within 60 days) and we are required to pass on these policies. We will communicate any varations to the above cancellation policy prior to confirmation of booking.
- Changes Policy:
- Once bookings are confirmed and deposit is paid service fees will apply for every amendment to existing elements, late final payment and travel document re-issue in addition to fees charged by suppliers
- In a few instances we purchase products through third party providers. If you change part of your package whilst at a destination, the 3rd party provider may have a different refund policy to that of the supplier in the destination. Wherever possible we will work to recover any refunds that come from a change at the destination, however it is not guaranteed.
- Surcharges: Scout does not charge any additional fees for the booking. Prices quoted are for cash (bank transfer) payments only. Credit card payments (Amex, Visa or Mastercard only) will be subject to 1.8% surcharge.
- Booking Currency: Scout will quote and charge in one currency of your choice from AUD, USD, CAD, JPY, EUR or GBP only.
- Currency Exchange Policy: If you book an international destination all remaining balances are subject to change (based on currency fluctuations) until the final payment has been processed. This can go either way (if your currency gets stronger you will be invoiced less!). We will confirm at the time of invoice what the final amount is, based on the exchange rate at that time. Should you wish to pay the balance earlier (prior to when it’s actually due) to secure that current exchange rate you are welcome to request the final invoice at any time. Once payments have been made (deposit or final balance), no refunds will be given for changes in the amount of what that payment would be, based on currency changes at any time prior to your trip.
- Travel Insurance: Once your booking is confirmed, we strongly recommend taking out travel insurance as it will often cover the cost of cancelled reservations.
For any questions regarding booking terms & conditions please email: inquries@scoutski.com
Available: This selection is currently available for this price. Once you submit an inquiry our agents will confirm your booking via email and send you an invoice for a deposit. You will need to pay a 25% deposit within 7 days (unless otherwise specified) to secure the booking.
On Request: Our agents need to confirm availability of this room. Once you submit a request we will endeavour to get back to you by the next business day to confirm availability (some properties may take longer). If prices are listed they are the exact prices for your dates, room selection and room occupancy. Where prices are not listed we will confirm the price when we confirm availability. In either instance, you are not committed to your selection until after we confirm availability and price. Once you agree to that confirmation, you will be sent an invoice and will need to pay a 25% deposit within 7 days (unless otherwise specified) to secure the booking. If your requested room is not available, we will present alternative options.
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