Overview

ONSEN & STAY OAKHILL gives you an easy, mountain-air stay in Zao Onsen, where forest views, soft lounge light, and milky hot spring water create a cozy escape in every season. You stay just a short walk from the hot spring town, close enough to wander out for public bathhouses, local restaurants, ropeway views, and snowy winter magic.

This is a relaxed Bed & Breakfast-style hotel, so your stay feels simple, flexible, and light. Wake up to breakfast, spend the day exploring Zao, then return for source-flowing baths, a fireplace lounge, complimentary drinks, and quiet time in the hills.

Accommodation

Your room gives you a restful base after ski slopes, ropeway rides, mountain walks, or long hot spring soaks. You can choose from 30 rooms, including Japanese-style rooms, Japanese-Western rooms, Western-style rooms, deluxe layouts, twin rooms, and club rooms with low beds.

If you love tatami, choose a Japanese room and enjoy the classic ryokan feeling of soft mats, yukata, and calm evening light. If you prefer beds, the Japanese-style bed rooms and twin rooms let you keep the mountain-lodge mood while sleeping in a more familiar style. The deluxe Japanese-Western rooms offer more space, making them a good choice when you want to stretch out with family or friends.

In your room, you have helpful essentials such as Wi-Fi, TV, refrigerator, electric kettle, toilet with bidet, hair dryer, towels, yukata, geta sandals, shampoo, conditioner, body soap, toothbrush set, cotton swabs, and shower cap

Dining

Mornings begin with complimentary breakfast, so you can fuel up before heading into the mountains or strolling through Zao Onsen town. The style is simple and easy, matching the hotel’s Bed & Breakfast concept.

For dinner, you can make the evening your own. Walk into the hot spring town and choose what calls to you that night, from Zao’s famous jingisukan to local Yamagata dishes and casual restaurants. This gives your stay a lighter, freer rhythm: soak, wander, eat, and return when you are ready.

Onsen and Wellness

The hot springs are the heart of your stay. OAKHILL uses source-flowing Zao Onsen water, known for its milky look and strong acidity. After a soak, your skin feels smooth, your body feels warm, and the whole day seems to soften around the edges.

You can enjoy two bathing areas, Shinra-no-Yu and Bansho-no-Yu. One features Zao stone and cypress open-air baths surrounded by oak trees, while the other lets you alternate between cypress and stone open-air bathing. Indoor baths are also available, giving you a warm retreat in every season.

Baths are available 24 hours, with cleaning from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The bathing areas rotate by gender, so each soak can feel a little different depending on the time of day.

Guests with Tattoos

Please check before using the onsen if you have tattoos, and bring waterproof tattoo covers with you for peace of mind.

Facilities

• Lobby Lounge: Settle into the airy lounge and watch the seasons of Zao through the windows.
• Fireplace: Warm up beside the fire after a snowy walk, a ski day, or a crisp evening outside.
• Complimentary Beverage Corner: Enjoy free drinks during your stay.
• Bar Time: Add a relaxed drink to your evening before or after your hot spring soak.
• Evening Free Beer Time: Enjoy a cheerful little treat at the end of the day.
• Manga Corner: Browse around 1,000 manga books and curl up with something fun between outings.
• Yukata and Amenity Corner: Pick up useful items and settle into the onsen mood.
• Coin Laundry: Keep your clothes fresh during longer stays or snow-season travel.
• Free Shuttle: Call from Zao Onsen Bus Terminal and the hotel can pick you up by car.

Activities

Zao gives you plenty to do in every season. In winter, head for Zao Onsen Ski Resort, ride the ropeway, and look for the famous snow monsters when conditions are right. After a day in the snow, the milky hot spring baths feel especially wonderful.

In warmer months, you can ride the Zao Central Ropeway, visit the Zao Large Open-Air Bath, try fruit picking, play at Zao Country Club, or explore mountain spots such as Okama, Dokko Pond, and Iroha Pond.

You can also enjoy the hot spring town itself. Walk about five minutes to reach the onsen streets, visit public bathhouses, try local food, and turn the whole area into your own little bath-hopping adventure.

Additional features

• 30 rooms
• Bed & Breakfast-style stay
• Complimentary breakfast
• Source-flowing Zao Onsen baths
• Rock and cypress open-air baths
• Large indoor baths
• Baths available 24 hours, except cleaning time
• Lobby lounge
• Fireplace
• Complimentary beverage corner
• Bar time
• Evening free beer time
• Around 1,000 manga books
• Yukata and amenity corner
• Rental items
• Coin laundry
• Wi-Fi in all rooms
• Self check-in system
• Number-lock room keys
• Credit card pre-payment only
• Check-in from 3:00 PM
• Latest check-in by 8:00 PM
• Check-out by 10:00 AM
• Around 10 minutes on foot from Zao Onsen Bus Terminal
• Free shuttle from Zao Onsen Bus Terminal after arrival contact