Chikusenso Onsen

Very quiet and peaceful. Beautiful decor, great service, great food . Highly recommend.

I checked in a bit late in the evening, and as I turned off the main road, my car crossed over a stone bridge suspended over a small ravine carved by the river below. That bridge really separates the Chikusenso from reality. As I parked, I was promptly greeted by a staff member with a flashlight and politely ushered into the reception area. Aesthetically, the whole hotel is a work of art. Rich with wood, stone, and tasteful art pieces to complement the different areas of the hotel, the whole place has a traditional feel, yet mixes in modernity. The best example of this is the shower area in the rooms. It's almost all stone, dark forest green with enough space to comfortably fit two. The staff is excellent and the facilities are spotless. They have outdoor, private baths with great views of the surrounding forest. A great bar, forest trails, spa, and free espresso machines in your room. You'll want for nothing in terms of modern convenience, yet leave with a feeling of traditional Japanese culture as well.

This is a pretty special place - incredibly relaxing. There's enough english speaking staff for westerners to get by, and a very capable chef on site serving multicourse breakfast/dinner. There isn't much to do in the surrounding area, but if all you want is a quiet place to retreat and recharge this onsen is perfect. -Once you tire of the hot baths: coffee makers, water dispensers any cozy places to read a book abound. -If you email ahead (3days) there's a shuttle from/to the Sendai high speed rail station (leaving -Less busy during the week -Small gym with two treadmills and a cable machine -Two gender segregated baths (male and female) and two preservable private baths. Our room also had a spectacular shower + tub that I felt guilty never having needed to use -Dinner usually 5-6 courses with plenty of sashimi and delicious beef. I'm an athletic 28 year old male and I definitely didn't go hungry here.

Very relaxing with our own private onsen on our deck. The food was amazing and the staff very attentive. Highly recommended

This is the highest quality Ryokan I have ever stayed in and the individual service is outstanding. However note that this is in Zao Onsen Miyagi prefecture, not the more famous Zao Onsen Yamagata prefecture. Nowhere on the hotels.com website indicate this. This is reached from Sendai, not Yamagata.