Chino Uehara Castle Hotels

"Richmond Hotel Matsumoto was a wonderful surprise. As a budget-friendly business hotel, we weren’t expecting much—but it turned out to be far nicer than anticipated. The room was spotlessly clean, with a comfortable queen bed and a divan-style sofa that made for a perfect little reading nook. The breakfast buffet was simple but satisfying, with enough variety to suit even a finicky Western palate. Its location is excellent—convenient to the train station, restaurants, and shopping—making it an easy base for exploring. Matsumoto itself is a lovely city that feels a bit under the radar for international travellers, yet it offers so much charm. It’s also an ideal staging point for trips into the Japanese Alps or the Kiso Valley. All in all, a great option if you’re looking for something budget-friendly without feeling bare bones."

"If it’s on an overnighter then it’s not bad but if you’re traveling with family and friends and looking for peace of mind and service then this is not the hotel for you. We were quite disappointed with the service and amenities of the hotel especially in such a beautiful country city. We were 2 families travelling in town for 2 days for site seeing and catch up with family. We checked in and the hotel rooms was very tired and quite small with bits of the decoration and parts of the wall was falling apart. I would say the breakfast was the highlight with different dishes offered each day and the self serve coffee station was a nice touch but that’s where it all ends. The staff didn’t speak English at all so trying to get information is hard. The securities of the hotel is not the greatest either where there is no safe in the room and they advise you to put your valuables at the front desk. When you leave each day you have to leave your room keys at the front desk which is a inconvenience and doesn’t give you a sense of security because everything is essentially in your room and to have to pick up the keys again afterwards is such a inconvenience. The mini fridge inside the room is also switched off when you arrive so be sure to switch it on and have it running before you put any drinks inside. Additionally with the rooms so small if you’re looking for a place to have a drink in the lobby there is no common area for you to hangout. They have a sign posted to not stay in lobby."

"From start to finish, excellent customer service. Checked in at sunset, incredible sunset view from our room overlooking Lake Suwa. The check in process was thorough and explained to great detail. The food was regional, healthy and tasty. All around great traditional ryokan experience, highly recommended."

"The room smelt very badly of stale smoke. We booked a standard room, but didn’t realise that this would be “smoking” (maybe this is normal in Japan and it was our mistake?). But it was a terrible experience. Would not recommend this place at all. "

"The family friendly atmosphere is wonderful. My kids didn't want to leave. The rooms were clean and comfortable. The breakfast was delicious and huge. Dinner was yummy too. Portion sizes are big. We can't wait to come stay again. Nao San is a great hostess. "

"If you are a tourist, this place is only accessible by taxi. If you want to take the bus, make sure you do not have luggage as the city busses are very small. The onsen is really the highlight of the place. "

"The room was freezing. "

"My all time favorite stay in Japan is Hirotani Pension! "

"Spotless room and the staff was amazing. Nazar and Mariya were awesome!!"