Minakami Hotel Juraku
8/10 Excellent - Based on 8 reviews
Minakami Hotel Juraku sits on the riverside in the Minakami Onsen area, combining traditional ryokan character with modern hotel facilities. The property offers a range of room types — Japanese-style tatami rooms, hybrid rooms with Western beds and tatami areas, and Western twin rooms — designed to suit solo travellers, couples and families. Practical amenities include multilingual staff, free parking and a short shuttle link to the nearby station, making it a convenient base for outdoor pursuits around Mount Tanigawa and local ski and river-rafting areas.
Bath facilities are a central feature: multiple communal bathhouses offer indoor pools, open-air onsen, a Japanese cypress immersion bath, jacuzzis and sauna spaces, with larger houses alternating by gender so guests can experience different layouts. Changing rooms are stocked with a variety of toiletries, massage chairs and a relaxation area that supplies chilled refreshments after a soak. These facilities position the property as a straightforward ryokan with onsen in Minakami, Gumma, for travellers seeking accessible hot‑spring bathing without booking a private bath.
Dining focuses on generous, relaxed service across buffet and à la carte options, plus a lounge area that extends light meals and drink service through the afternoon and evening; an on-site shop and bakery produce items popular with guests. The hotel also provides meeting spaces, family-friendly room arrangements and accessible facilities, broadening its appeal for different traveller types. With easy transport links, communal onsen amenities and flexible dining, the hotel makes a practical ryokan with onsen Gumma base for exploring the Tone River valley and the surrounding prefecture.
Highlights of this ryokan
Detailed Ratings
Points of interest nearby
Review summary for: Minakami Hotel Juraku
Positive Reviews
Dinner buffet: good variety and quality
The dinner buffet offered a wide range of dishes and good food quality; guests found it satisfying and appropriate for the price.
Good value for money for dinner
Guests noted the buffet matched the charged rate — solid value without being unexpectedly extraordinary.
Negative Reviews
Confusing signage for the north elevator
Among the three elevators, signage directing guests to the north elevator was difficult to find in the lobby and concourse. The reviewer suggested adding a sign above the corridor entrance to the north elevator and noted a 2nd-floor map in the lobby (if present) was not noticed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Room types include Japanese, Japanese-Western and twin layouts with varying capacities; most rooms are designed for 2 guests while larger Japanese-style rooms can accommodate families—please check the specific room description or contact the hotel to confirm maximum occupancy.
Yes — the hotel offers multiple hot-spring baths including indoor and open-air baths and saunas; public baths alternate by gender and use the local calcium-sodium sulfate-chloride spring water.
Private or reserved baths may be available on request or through specific plans; contact the hotel in advance to confirm availability and make a reservation.
Yes — a free shuttle service runs between JR Minakami Station and the hotel (hotel requests guests call on arrival); the property is also about a 10-minute walk from the station if you prefer to walk.
From Tokyo it is typically a 2–3 hour journey by public transport or about the same by car; travel from Narita or Haneda involves airport transfers into Tokyo-area rail connections before continuing to Minakami.
Staff are primarily Japanese; limited English and Chinese support is available, but please notify the hotel in advance if you require specific language assistance.
The hotel operates a buffet restaurant for breakfast and dinner that features seasonal local ingredients, and the property also sells freshly baked in‑house bread and light refreshments in on-site outlets.
Nearby highlights include Mount Tanigawa and the Tanigawadake ropeway, Takaragawa Onsen, river activities and hiking in the Minakami area; the hotel is a convenient base for outdoor and sightseeing excursions.
Pets are not permitted on the premises; private events or large-group reservations require prior arrangement with the hotel, as different policies apply and some types of parties are restricted.
Standard check-in begins at 15:00 and check-out is by 10:00; earlier check-in or extended stays may be possible with advance arrangements or specific plans, and the hotel can usually hold luggage before check-in or after check-out.