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Yasmin Raja

5/5Google· 5 months ago

The most amazing boutique hotel in Narai Juku. The staff are so welcoming and kind and they go above and beyond. No request is too much. Extremely warm and polite. Helped me to place an order for a Hanten jacket and spent so much time and effort. The food is incredible. And they cater for dietary restrictions without making you feel like you’re a problem. Very smooth and professional. Complimentary juices from the region for you to enjoy from the reception and everything you need in your room/suite. Looking forward to visiting the hotel again and highly recommend Byaku Narai.

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emmacD1309JE

5/5Tripadvisor· 2 months ago

Hotel is located in middle of Narai-juku historic Post town. |Renovated from an old Japanese Sake Brewery, which you can enjoy the Japanese style room, garden and dining like back to the Edo era. |As a famous tourist point, lots of people visit here. One of the greatest privileges of staying here is slowly taking in the town as it sinks into the quiet of sunrise and sunset.|The room was spacious, clean, and beautiful.I really enjoyed the bath and sauna, which were incredibly relaxing.The dinner was a Japanese meal made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients—it looked beautiful, tasted amazing, and smelled wonderful.|Free drink (water, tea, juice…) was provided in reception. You can take what you want.

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Spider.A Spider.B

4/5Google· 4 months ago

The room furnishings were great and the house looks really well-preserved. The sofa was really good to lie on. I love uji green tea so that was a plus too. Being able to drink freshly ground coffee in the morning was really good too. Some minus points for the room, the wiring was quite bizarre and it took a while to figure out which switches controlled which lights. There is no way to block the skylight so you will definitely get woken up as soon as the sun is up. With regard to food, the vegetable items were really good. The asparagus soup was top notch and the tempura + rice was a good finish. The fried tofu at breakfast the next day was also really good. The fish, deer and beef items were passeable but not really what I was expecting from such a hyped restaurant. The gin from the alcohol pairing was a real standout, it was a real pleasure to savour the essence of the various trees in Kiso valley. Service was excellent. The staff did their best to accomodate various dietary requests, and all issues were responded to prompty

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Barbora M

5/5Google· Edited 6 months ago

Staying in Byaku Narai was a wonderful expedice. From the moment you arrive you know this is a special place. A modern version of transitional ryokan, the buildings are beautifully restored and set in lush garden that provides very intimate and secluded feeling. The room was beautifully designed and equipped to a very high standard - from the coffee grinder to the outdoor bath - it was exceptional. The dinner was amazing, from locally and seasonally sourced ingredients, and I highly recommend trying the sake bar. The communal baths were also beautiful, clean and very quiet and relaxing. All the little details, from the free juice cans from the reception, to the traditional sweets and teas in our room, was fantastic. The staff were very helpful, and friendly. I only wish we stayed longer.

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Euna Patil

5/5Google· 4 months ago

BYAKU Narai was pure magic. It wasn’t just the beautiful rooms or the historic setting—it was the countless thoughtful details, from the medicinal bath herbs and handcrafted tea ware to the house coffee blend that I ground by hand each morning. The food was some of the best I’ve ever had, showcasing the flavors of the Kiso Valley in such an elegant and meaningful way, and the local sake was unforgettable. Every meal, every cup of tea, every walk through Narai felt intentional and deeply connected to the place. More than any hotel, BYAKU made me slow down, appreciate the beauty in small things, and fully immerse myself in the culture and traditions of rural Japan. I was genuinely sad to leave. 🌲🍶☕🏔️✨

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Trip.com Member

5/5Trip.com· 2 years ago

This is the best hotel we ever stayed at. If you are reading this review, it means you already decided on going to the middle of no where Japan. Byaku more or less owns the town. There are other ryokans but nowhere close the the quality of this. They also have the only restaurant open late and it is amazing!!! Furthermore book it on a Friday/Sat/Sunday so you can enjoy the sake brewery next to the hot springs. Also get rooms with your own Onsen, it’s worth it the public ones aren’t co gender

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Martine Aabye

5/5Google· 5 months ago

This was our favorite stay in all of our Japan trip! Everything was so extremely well made and full of atmosphere! The experience in total was just perfect. Staff was super helpful and kind. And Narai is just the cutest little village - the cutest one we saw in Kiso Valley (except maybe for Magome, but that was way more touristy). It isn’t a cheap place, but it is definitely worth it! Honestly we just wanted to stay there.

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S Chass

5/5Google· Edited 2 months ago

This historic post town is breathtaking in its authenticity and unique beauty - both architecturally and its lush natural setting. The ryokan is quite unusual in its roots as a sake brewery, and the kaiseki is lovely in sourcing its ingredients from the immediate environment. But the highlight for us was the incredibly personal service and care that Byaku Narai’s Toshi-san provided. He went over and above the call of duty in personally scouting the Nakasendo trail for a segment that best suited our hiking needs, ensuring all of us could participate in the hike according to our abilities. Toshi-san personifies the very highest quality of care, making our experience truly special.