Tatsunoyasanso Satonoyu

My wife and I had an absolutely amazing experience at this onsen. We stayed in one of the traditional tatami rooms, experienced several of the outdoor and indoor bathing pools, had exquisitely prepared and presented meals, and slept very comfortably under duvets that felt like down marshmallows. To get there, we took the local bus from Fukushima train station. The Satonoyu staff had arranged our bus tickets in advance and the bus driver was very helpful in identifying the stop that we had to get off at. We were met at the bus stop and then driven down to the Satonoyu property where we were given a warm welcome. The staff are all outstanding. They are ready to assist with any requests that you might have, and are lovely hosts. We were able to communicate using Google translate whenever we had a question or request. There were other guests there during our stay, but we didn't ever see or hear anyone else. Our rooms were very spacious with the bedroom and living/dining room separated by sliding doors. The bathroom has a very nice shower and a wooden soaking tub. We didn't use the room tub but rather used the outdoor and indoor bathing pools during our stay. Each of the bathing pools is unique and offer various combinations of indoor, covered outdoor or uncovered outdoor pools. Guests reserve either a 30 or 40 minute private session, twice or three times per day, depending on your arrival and departure times. It is an exquisite experience. The meals are outstanding, multi-course journeys for your taste buds, all freshly prepared and artfully presented. We opted to have our meals in our room on the low table, dressed in provided comfy clothing and watching the snow fall outside. Our room had a very sophisticated air cleaner and humidifier which worked quietly and effectively. If I could, I would award this an "excellent plus" rating. Staying here is a unique and wonderful experience.

Getting here was straight forward enough, it was snowing and I took the hotel’s advise to park the car at the top of the hill, as it was a very narrow, steep, winding path down to this enchanting hotel tucked away in the forest, with just 9 rooms. My room was not luxurious but had a beautiful view of the trees covered by fresh layers of snow, the bathroom had great toiletries, beauty products from Thann, face masks etc. Downtime was easily filled with bathing. They have the loveliest indoor/ outdoor private onsen options, of which you get to pick your three slots of 40/30/30 minutes sessions. I especially loved Shinpeki — the outdoor onsen next to the river, just a gorgeous and serene “forest bathing” experience. And since 3 sessions are not enough, back in your own room, there is also a small wooden tub where you can continue your hot spring baths, a cocoon amid the falling snow. The dinner omakase and breakfast were nourishing & exemplary, easily Michelin standards, and better quality vs some of the more famous ryokans in Japan. Service was also amazing and intuitive, by the time I got driven back to my car in the morning, the car was already cleaned up and heated up for the drive to my next destination.