Nestled close to Yudanaka Hot Spring, ZEN Hostel offers a serene escape with laundry facilities and free in-room WiFi. Unwind in the garden and take advantage of multilingual staff who are always happy to help.
As it. - Craft Beer and Vintage Clothing - 2 min walk
中華料理 栄楽 - 5 min walk
About this property
ZEN Hostel
When you stay at ZEN Hostel, you'll be within a 15-minute drive of Shibu and Shiga Kogen Ski Area. Free perks include WiFi and self parking.
At a glance
DONE
Hotel size
5 rooms
DONE
Arriving/Leaving
Check-in start time: 3 PM; Check-in end time: 10 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out time is 10 AM
Contactless check-out available
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Special check-in instructions
The front desk is open daily from 3 PM - 10 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
DONE
Required at check-in
Credit card, debit card, or cash deposit required for incidental charges
Government-issued photo ID may be required
Minimum check-in age is 18
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Children
No cribs (infant beds)
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Pets
Pets not allowed
WIFI
Internet
Free WiFi in public areas
Free WiFi in rooms
LOCAL_PARKING
Parking
Free onsite self parking
Onsite parking limited
DONE
Other information
Designated smoking areas
Property amenities
Food and drink
Shared microwave
Shared refrigerator
What to do
Skiing nearby
Services
Front desk (limited hours)
Laundry facilities
Multilingual staff
Facilities
Garden
Room amenities
Home comfort
Air conditioning and heating
Sleep well
Bed sheets provided
Freshen up
Shared bathroom
Shower only
Towels
Stay connected
Free WiFi
Fees & policies
Mandatory fees
You'll be asked to pay the following charges by the property at check-in or check-out. Fees may include applicable taxes:
A city tax may be collected at the property. The city tax ranges from JPY 100–10,000 per person, per night based on the nightly room rate. Please note that further exemptions may apply. For more details, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Policies
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare requires all international visitors to submit their passport number and nationality when registering at any lodging facility (inns, hotels, motels, etc. ). Additionally, lodging proprietors are required to photocopy passports for all registering guests and keep the photocopy on file.
Guests can rest easy knowing there's a fire extinguisher on site.
This property accepts credit cards.
Credit cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard, American Express
Also known as
ZEN Hostel Yamanouchi
ZEN Yamanouchi
ZEN Hostel Yamanouchi
ZEN Hostel Hostel/Backpacker accommodation
ZEN Hostel Hostel/Backpacker accommodation Yamanouchi
Frequently asked questions
Does ZEN Hostel offer free cancellation for a full refund?
Yes, ZEN Hostel does have fully refundable room rates available to book on our site. If you’ve booked a fully refundable room rate, this can be cancelled up to a few days before check-in depending on the property's cancellation policy. Just make sure to check this property's cancellation policy for the exact terms and conditions.
Are pets allowed at ZEN Hostel?
Sorry, pets aren't allowed.
Is parking offered on site at ZEN Hostel?
Yes, there's free self parking. Parking spots may be limited.
What are the check-in and check-out times at ZEN Hostel?
Check-in start time: 3 PM; Check-in end time: 10 PM. Check-out time is 10 AM. Contactless check-out is available.
What is there to do at ZEN Hostel and nearby?
Have fun with nearby winter activities like skiing. ZEN Hostel also has a garden.
What's the area around ZEN Hostel like?
ZEN Hostel is a short 4-minute walk from Yudanaka Station and 6 minutes' walk from Shibu.
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Reviews
ZEN Hostel Reviews
8.6
Excellent
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
8.6
Cleanliness
9.0
Location
8.8
Staff & service
8.2
Property conditions & facilities
Reviews
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Nov 17, 2016
Super friendly host.
It is a very new hostel. Bright, comfortable, modern. Owner has tastefully decorated the hostel. He speaks good English, friendly and helpful. Price is very reasonable. Best hostel that I have stayed so far.
Hon Nam
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Jan 12, 2020
Very chill, run by nice people
Verified traveler
1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Nov 13, 2019
Enjoyed our stay at Zen hostel. The staff was attentive and helpful in planning activities.
Lorena
Lorena, 2-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
Aug 13, 2019
Le personnel est très accueillant, l’hotel Est très calme et d’une parfaite propreté. Notre chambre était très spacieuse, avec un petit balcon charmant.
Verified traveler
1-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
May 13, 2019
Nice on a budget
Cheap, clean, friendly staff, lots of trust, good breakfast
Jon
Jon, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Apr 8, 2019
Great value and attention to details from the hist
It was a great stay! Everything that you could need was provided! Very friendly environment both the staff and the guest! Special Kudos to Maya who manages the hostel very professionally and welcoming. She provided very useful information as well as the gentleman that was also there!
Zen Hostel is in a neat, old, traditional Japanese building. The lounge overlooks a pretty Japanese garden which can be viewed through the giant windows making it seem like you are outside.
The walls throughout the hostel are adorned with nice photos from around the world.
The floor in my private room was covered by beautiful tatami mats on which a futon is placed for sleeping. The futon was a little thin for sleeping on my side (boney hips) but was otherwise comfortable.
Everything is clean.
The heaters provided kept the room as toasty as I needed but the common spaces are pretty cold so bring warm jammies in the winter for the trip to the restroom. I don't consider this a negative for this hostel as I found it is normal for there to be cold common spaces in places in the low budget range (I wouldn't know about the fancy hotels in Japan).
The staff were super nice and speak English.
The breakfast options were yummy and reasonable at 600 yen. The dinner menu is limited but my curry was good.
The location is perfect, just 5 minutes walk to the bus and train station and close to all restaurants.
I definitely recommend this place!
holly
holly, 2-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
Dec 9, 2018
Clean hotel, but wifi is slow and too far from metro or JR station
We stayed at a "private" twin room and once our door was opened by someone while we were away, and another time while we were still inside someone came into our room even though it was locked!
It was a mistake but I couldn't recommend the private room if you are concerned about someone entering the room.
Furthermore my girlfriend didn't think the room was that clean, personally I thought it was average.
Service was nice and it's not far from station. However this area doesn't have many stores or restaurants that are open. I chose to come here because my girlfriend lives close by, but hotels in Nagano city are much cheaper and cleaner if you book in advance. Unfortunately my girlfriend was a bit picky and didn't want to travel to Nagano so I ended up paying more money for less.
If you have the choice, stay at a hotel in Nagano city or choose this if you want to be close by some specific tourist attraction.
Très bon séjour: le bâtiment est ancien, avec un cachet certain. Espaces bar et lounge au rez-de-chaussée. Staff sympa et serviable. Dans les chambres, les banquettes sont en configuration auberge à l'européenne - c-à-d dos-à-dos plutôt que côte-à-côte, avec des rideaux sur le côté. Je suppose qu'installer des capsules aurait dénaturé le bâtiment. Elles sont confortables, pas de souci. Il n'y a que 4 douches dans la salle de bain (il y a peut-être d'autres sdb?), donc il y aurait un risque d'embouteillage - SAUF QUE: l’hôtel a un super deal avec le Yorozuya à proximité: il est possible d'accéder à leurs bains intérieur (on se croirait dans un temple en bois) et extérieur pour 800 yens, de 22 à 00h. De quoi profiter d'une super expérience d'onsen, et d’être sûr de ne pas faire la queue à la douche le lendemain, si l’hôtel est plein. L’hôtel n'est pas loin de la gare Yudanaka - super pratique! Le quartier est moins pittoresque que Shibu Onsen, mais en fonction des lieux que vous comptez voir il est potentiellement mieux situé (plus central) et en tout cas mieux desservi (gare Yudanaka). Pour le Monkey Park, il est assez loin dans les deux cas et il vaut mieux s'y rendre en bus (je m'y suis rendu en vélo: ~10min de Yudanaka Onsen à Shibu Onsen; puis 30min ou plus vers le Monkey Park par le chemin forestier [mais il est vallonné et fatiguant]).
Daniel
Daniel, 1-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
May 8, 2018
Town stay for snow monkey trip
Convenient for snow monkeys and nice nearby onsen. Employees very kind made nice breakfast and drove us to the station
adam
Verified
6/10 Good
Apr 17, 2018
Beware, this is NOT in Shibu Onsen town!
We chose this hostel by mistake. We thought it was in Shibu Onsen since this what we searched for when booking. Our fault!! We were disappointed to learn this place is in neighboring village and can not provide key to the 9 public onsens in Shibu Onsen. The owner didn’t bother explaining where we got it wrong. He pretended he doesn’t know what we are talking about and offered to sell us entry to an Onsen nearby his place where he has a deal. What is the problem helping us understand the situation? This is not the friendliness and hospitality we got accustomed to traveling around Japan.
The hostel itself is ok, very basic and abit unhygienic in Japanese standards. It is quite cheap so you get descent value for money.
Nice Hostel close to the mountains, friendly staff
Out family of 6 stayed in the self contained suite that had our own toilet and bathroom very comfortably.
CC
CC, 2-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 25, 2017
Bra plats, en plats att återvända till.
Älskade mottagandet och servicen. Man fick god hjälp med allt man behövde få veta. Värden hade en bra engelska vilket hjälpte. Onsenbesök i närheten går att ordna för 800 japanska yen, ta med egen handduk, allt annat finns på plats på onsen badet. God mat på Zen hostel, speciellt frukosten och den japanska omeletten. Bor gärna där igen i framtiden.