ZEN Hostel
Find yourself in a truly relaxing place and fulfill yourself with all that Nagano has, with a refreshing stay at ZEN Hostel.
Enjoy all that ZEN Hostel has to offer! Free internet access provided within the hostel keeps you connected throughout your stay. For guests arriving by car, parking is provided free of charge. Always get the assistance you need with front desk services including luggage storage and safety deposit boxes.
Cold evenings are even better than warm ones, when you can cozy up at the hostel's fireplace. For longer stays or whenever you need it, the laundry service keeps your favorite travel outfits clean and available. For health reasons, smoking is not permitted anywhere inside the hostel. For guests who would like to smoke, the designated smoking areas are available.
All guestrooms at ZEN Hostel provide guests with a range of amenities to ensure a restful night. Enjoy your stay even more at the hostel, knowing that some selected rooms include linen service and air conditioning.
Dining and things to do
Fill your days with the array of activities and facilities offered at ZEN Hostel. Have fun with your fellow guests and indulge in winter's best snow activities, knowing that ski slopes can easily be accessed. Challenge your travel group members or other guests to competitive fun, with the hostel's hiking trails. Family time on relaxed evenings is easy with the hostel's shared lounge and TV area.
Reasons to stay here
Find rooms here that are cheaper than 95% of all other options in the city.
Find incredible value for money here, which is ranked better than 95% of the city's accommodation.
Guests who stayed here found it to be neat and tidy, scoring it above 93% of other accommodations in the city.
Great place, lovely and spacious”
Lovely, spacious, very clean, great host. Would love to stay here again! Both private room as dorm is luxurious, common room nice and cool, the bR with fireplace great for all seasons. Clean showers, hot and cold water.
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Great stay”
Beautiful spot, friendly staff. Nearby baths and only a short stroll to anything you need to just kick back and relax. Was not there for the winter, but I will happily go back next time I head over for some winter season play.
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Excellent place for budget travellers”
Zen is a extremely well-built hostel. It is located at just a few minutes walk from Yudakana station. What impressed me the most is each shower room has separate wet and dry zone. There’s a curtain, a bedside lamp and power plug for each bed in the dormitory. It also has a big and cosy common area for guest to hang out. Definitely a excellent option for budget travellers.
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Friendly place of great value!”
Maya who runs the hostel is very professional and informative ! The hostel is spotless and central to everything!
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good location, nice people”
The people at the hostel are very helpful when it comes to finding out, where to go for skiing etc. The hostel is really clean and the location (5-10min to the station) is also convenient. In addition, they have a café/bar in the hostel, which makes for lively evenings.
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Traditional satisfy”
we are there like 4pm, and i think the guest is only us.. because so quite even when we come back at night. i like the room very clean even though a lil bit spooky because it's so quite and the carpet in the stairs to third floor to old. Its so clean and near from Yudanaka station.
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Exceptional”
Charming hostel with great staff. Made us feel very at home and included us in their traditional New Years celebration!
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Good value for money”
All was great, cheap price with decent location and helpful staff (Masa-san the only staff we met). The room was decent, but it still feels cold inside (only AC as the heater). The way to the shower room was cold. Some slipper would be nice if provided.
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Poor hot water facilities”
Location: perfect just less than 5 mins walk from yudanaka station Facilities: sad... hot water not consistent, will change to cold water suddenly.... freezes! If you need hot water for shower, please go to the nearby onsen (800yen per pax - personally I recommend biyo onsen - is more atas) instead! Secondly, no lift in the hostel. The room is okay for the cost.
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Nice Japanese style, however very cold”
We were a group of six people staying for one week in a room. The staff and room itself was lovely, but there’s a few downsides to consider. The room was heated with kerosene that you have to put on yourself, which makes the room freezing cold overnight (since they turn themselves off after 3 hours). Same thing when you get back home after a day of skiing. The kerosene also leaves quite an odor. However, this way of heating is quite common in Japan, but just something to keep in mind if you’re staying in winter. Also, it’s a hostel - which means that nobody looks after/cleanes the room even if you’re staying for a full week. For the amount we payed I did expect a bit more cleaning and better heating system. The restaurant, lounge and staff was lovely though! Make sure to try the onsen next door, you can buy tickets from the hostel counter for €6.5, which also is a bit overcharged, other places we’ve stayed at in the same prize category includes it or charges about half of that.
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Cheap and low key”
The location is a little far from the main strip of shibu onsen but if you dont mind a little walk its okay. When booking i recommend emailing them or calling because the pictures arent completely accurate and they have some japanese style rooms and western style rooms. Its a huge place and they only have one area for showers and specific areas for the bathroom as well. The staff is really friendly and when i wasnt into the japanese room (because my bf tweaked his neck so the futon wasnt gonna do it for him) because the picture when we booked was of the western style room he accommodated us and moved us into that room happily, no different charge or anything. If you dont have any particular expectations and just need a place to stay, its chill
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Very good”
Cold during winter. It be 4 degrees in the common area and 10 in your room on cold winter nights!
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Good Location”
Recommended for those who are visiting snow monkey in the morning and looking to spend relax time in one of the onsens within the area. The only thing I consider that might require improvement is keeping the dorm clean. since hostel allows guest from bringing their shoes inside the dorm and not having strict restrictions of guest eating food in their own bed, the room has unpleasant smell during my stay (at least to me). Overall, I still recommend staying im this place with the 2 reasons above.
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Good”
will not choose the hostel again as the pillow is miserably small and thin, and difficulty with sleeping due to bed frame making loud squeaky noise while turning around.
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Hostel with a Zen feel”
Doesn't seems to look like a hostel stay but more like Ryokan. Zen Hostel located near Yudanaka Station and there are many eateries around. Room was spacious, clean and comfortable. Love the interior of the hostel. Modern with good zen feel. Staff are friendly.
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Accessible and friendly ryokan”
English speaking staff who is very helpful, and wish to let everybody enjoy ryokan style hotel without knowing the etiquette. This means you do not have to remove your shoes. But I actually missed removing them and running around in slippers as in most ryokans. But I also appreciate the welcoming athmosphere. Zen Hostel is very convenient for talking walks, going to the Snow Monkey Park, and going to onsen. Zen Hostel had a agreement with a very beautiful onsen very closeby. We paid only 800 yen and could enjoy the most beautiful bath we have ever seen. We would love to return.
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Amazing Stay”
I loved ZEN Hostel. Really a beautiful property in a great location. Lots of privacy in the bunks with heavy curtains, but also plenty of really cozy common space for meeting new people. The only issue was it being absolutely freezing, but then again it was winter so of course it would be cold. The bedding was plenty warm though :) Just be sure to remember to rent a towel if you need to, as the bathrooms were very chilly in winter weather.
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Friendly, convenient with good facilities.”
I really liked this hostel. It has traditional tatami rooms for sleeping and ours was spacious and comfortable. There is a lovely fire to sit around in the bar area, as well as a pretty Japanese garden to look over from the living/TV room. This place is very well priced and close to the station, I'd definitely recommend it if you want good value for money. We would have liked power points in our room, but there are plenty of power points in the bar area to use. As with a lot of hostels in Japan, there are stairs you'll need to use, so if you have sore knees or heavy luggage or whatever, then you may be concerned, but if you're like most people and don't care about that, this place is great.
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Great location to catch train early in the morning”
The hostel is located at heart of Yudanaka onsen. 3 mins walk to station and public bath. Surrounded by local eateries and shops. Basic room amenities with nice lounge
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Nice stay”
The hostel is clean, near the train station. The staff is helpfull, nice. But one of heater in our room was lowbatt very early in the morning (at 5am) and so difficult to find the staff at that time. But overall we enjoy to stay in this hostel
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