Zao Onsen Omiya Ryokan

Location is great, short journey to ski lifts. Large room. Great traditional vibe.

Strong sulfur smell due to poor insulation. No clear direction for onsen use if you have tattoos. Entrance to building is dangerous in peak winter weather.

The property itself was clean and traditional with tatami throughout. The meals were fantastic along with our server - who had a very pleasant attitude!

This hotel is part of the Wind of Zao group, with a few sister hotels nearby. Reviews on the other hotels generally say that their customer service is poor and I have to agree that it is consistent with this hotel as well. They lack the Japanese hospitality and the attitude towards customer is not welcoming. When I checked into the hotel, the staff didn’t even say “Welcome” and she served you reluctantly as if she didn’t want you to be there (the girl in the morning). Later when we returned to the hotel the guy had a much better attitude. The hot springs in this hotel were sub-par. The outdoor bath was closed and the indoor ones were super hot. It was small and stuffy.

Comfortable and relaxing. They have onsen, massage chair, lounge with games and books. great to just chill in the ryokan.

Same breakfast every morning and the steep road at the entrance make it difficult and tiring to pull luggages in.

Rooms were spacious and warm

Onsen and showers were small. No shower in the room.

Spacious rooms , nice environment

Onsen too small Food alittle repetitive. Especially our daily breakfast.

A nice, cozy ryokan with a free shuttle to and from Yamagata Station. We appreciated being able to choose the 1pm shuttle on check-out day, which gave us enough time to explore Zao Mountain and even enjoy lunch before leaving. The ryokan is clean, with tatami mats covering the entire floor, and the food is delicious as well!