Guest House Kuranomachi - Hostel

Easily accessible. Friendly staff. Clean. Relatively well equipped. No curtains in room. It got really bright in the morning, woke up at around 5am because of that. Nearest convenience store is about 5min walk.

Location on the river. Beautiful tatami mat with view of river in large room. Toilet seat with carpet made us laugh. The town is amazing !! The smell of fatty food until you got into your room. Was very greasy underfoot.

It was a minimum but enough. The location was nice along the river. It was ok for arriving late and leaving early. it was like a hostel level, which could not tell from the pictures at the time of reservation. The building was very cold, the ac was working well so we stayed in futon. Voices through thin a wall shared with the next room kept us up. Communial bathrooms and shower facilities was an effort. I didn't check other places to compare though.

Service, and place

I booked Guest House Kuranomachi last minute as an unplanned stopover when my plans changed but it turned out to be a wonderfully memorable part of my adventure in Japan. The host is a super friendly and welcoming young woman. I’m a Japanese speaker so it was nice to be able to chat with her, but she does speak a small amount of English and has put up useful signs and rules for travellers who do not speak Japanese so it’s an accessible experience. I stayed in a cosy traditional Japanese room with futon. I think there was only one other guest staying at the property at the time so it was very quiet and relaxing, I pretty much had the place to myself. There are plenty of amenities you can use as you please such as free tea and instant coffee, a fridge and microwave etc. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to eat at the property but whatever they are cooking downstairs (it’s a bento shop) smelled absolutely delicious - it added to the wholesome atmosphere. I’m really happy I stayed there, if only for one night. I slept so well, I wished I’d been able to stay longer. Tochigi city is a very interesting place that rewards those who take their time to explore it thoroughly. I was overwhelmed by how helpful people were on my way to the property and the next day while exploring. Thankfully the host was happy to keep hold of my luggage for the day after check-out so I was able to make the most of my time there, which meant that I stumbled upon a spectacular Hokusai exhibition taking place at the local art gallery. People have commented that security at the property is a bit lacking, but in such a quiet and friendly Japanese countryside town, it’s not too much of an issue. There are lockers for valuables and you can lock your room from the outside if you are concerned about other guests but all in all, I was not worried about leaving my things with the host the next day as there are people constantly working in the bento shop. The only downside to how good the smell of the food being prepared downstairs is that I could smell it on my clothes all day afterwards!

Exceptional

Superb

Pleasant

This guest house is a hidden gem! The room was in a beautiful traditional Japanese style with Tatami floor and futon beds and our host was just the kindest and nicest person! :) it’s located right next to the canal there is a bento shop on the first floor. A supermarket, the Tochigi station and a boat ride on the canal are all in walking distance.

Good

Exceptional

Tatami style The room is not soundproof, which made it hard for me to sleep. Additionally, there is a shared toilet that doesn't differentiate between females and males. I had an uncomfortable encounter when I accidentally bumped into a half-naked male who didn't lock the door. Furthermore, this person stayed in the toilet for very long, leading me to request help from the owner

The staff is very responsive, very accommodating, super friendly, and very flexible. The neighborhood is very walkable. There appears to be bike for rent at very good price. Nice countryside feeling.

Very good

Extremely sweet and friendly staff!! So cute < 3 Very pretty location in centre of town Security a bit lacking, definitely recommend renting the lockers in the property if u have valuables. Very safe area regardless

We stayed in a traditional Japanese room and we were so impressed by how thorough it was! It was also very clean everywhere, friendly staff and comfortable futons!

The location by the river was lovely and convenient. And despite the tight space, everything was available. The hosts were very relaxed and accommodating.

We left too early for breakfast. But the day before, when we arrived, smell of cooking was good? Staff were very helpful Hard to carry bags up the stairs

Location was great. The introduction and getting to our room including explanations, instructions and rules was quick and easy. Finding somewhere to eat. Because of corona, a lot of local places to eat had to close down. Alternative places were not so close and spread out. Maybe if the guest house had a map with restaurant locations including leaflets, that would be a big help.

Beautiful guest house, modern and traditional all together. The person who checked us in was so kind and enthusiastic. Unfortunately we couldn't stay and chat long! The area was very convenient, nice walk along the river with historical sights all around. The futons and pillows were really comfortable, the ac worked well. There were cute little multicolor orb lights you could take to your room. Shower pressure was great, clean. Will definitely stay again! The walls are very thin, but you can always expect to hear neighbors in a guest house! Maybe bring earplugs if you're a light sleeper.