On a recent ski trip to Nozawa Onsen in Nagano Prefecture, we stayed at Lodge Matsuya. The criteria we used to choose a place to stay was availability, price, location, favorable reviews, and value. During our time of stay, Lodge Matsuya fit all five of our criteria.

During the planning stages of our trip to Nozawa Onsen, there were quite a few places available. Regarding price, Lodge Matsuya was in the lower range of the lodgings we were looking at. Lodge Matsuya’s location was excellent. It was centrally located in the center of town and all major destinations were a short walk away. The main bus stop was four minutes away, the main road leading through town was two minutes away, one of the 13 free onsens was across the street, and Yu Road the covered automatic walkway to the ski resort was only six minutes away. We couldn’t have asked for a better location. Reviews are an important factor when we consider which lodging to stay at. We generally use TripAdvisor and Google Maps as our two go to sources for reviews. The reviews for Lodge Matsuya were overwhelmingly positive so we had confidence in our decision.

We decided to book Lodge Matsuya for two nights. The reviews we read all mentioned a phenomenal breakfast, so we decided to splurge and add it to our booking.

We got to Nozawa Onsen in the early evening and made our way over from the main bus terminal. The lodge was located off a side road that intersected the main road leading through town. The entrance had a nice separate patio room for us to dust off any excess snow and put our umbrellas away. We then entered the genkan (entrance area where we took off our shoes) and switched out our shoes with some indoor slippers. Our check in went smoothly and we were given the key to our room. We climbed up three flights of stairs to get to our room.

Lodge Matsuya Room Review

When we entered our room there was a little genkan area for our slippers and a wooden slide door to the main room. The room was really big we estimated that it was 8 tatami mats which was a little over 140 sq.ft.. In addition there was a sitting area with two chairs and a couple of tables. A space heater was located in the closet and would be essential for keeping us warm and drying our clothes. The futons were comfortable and kept us warm throughout the night.

We tried the communal bath downstairs and it was nice. There was a changing area with the usual baskets for our clothes. Inside the bath there were a half dozen or so bathing stations and a small tub that could fit four to five people comfortably. We went later in the night after going out for dinner, so we had the baths to ourselves.

Lodge Matsuya Breakfast Review

The breakfast at Lodge Matsuya did not disappoint. There was an option for either a Western style or Japanese style breakfast. We decided to try one of each to see which one we liked better. Both were really good, but at the end of the day I think we both preferred the Japanese style breakfast. The amount of food, variety, and quality was impressive. Would highly recommend.

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and these breakfasts made us believe it. They were so filling and nutritiously balanced that there was a noticeable difference in our energy levels throughout the day.

The only noticeable downside with Lodge Matsuya was that there was no private bathroom or sinks in the rooms. They are shared and down the hall. In addition there was no shower or bath in the rooms. There were only gender specific communal baths on the first floor. It was not an issue for us, but if your not used to it, it may be a little uncomfortable.

Note: Other amenities include a storage area for skis, snowboards, and other gear with a separate entrance.

Final Thoughts

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Lodge Matsuya in Nozawa Onsen. The value for the money was phenomenal and the location was great. The amenities were on the basic side, but the service and breakfasts were great. We would highly recommend Lodge Matsuya in Nozawa Onsen to anyone who wants to save a little money without compromising on comfort and value.

More to Come…

Check here for the latest rates and availability at Lodge Matsuya.