Onikobe Onsen Hotels from S$40

"This ryokan was exceptional in terms of service and cleaniness. The dinners served in the room were SO GOOD! I stayed 3 nights and each night was an entirely new spread of delicious samplings of the best of Yamagata's food: tender morsels of Yamagata beef, fresh sashimi, pearly shiney Yamagata rice etc., kept being served and there wasnt a night I felt hungry in the middle of the night. The room was elegantly furnished. The massage chair was a definite plus! In-room onsen was terrific. I do not think the public onsen outside of the hotel were great. It was small, way too hot and very crowded, and you'll have to pay onsen tax to use it. Stick to the hotel onsen in their basement which is way bigger and will not boil your skin off. They rotate the timings for use of the onsen for men n women, so do take note of that. Breakfast buffet options were pretty basic, so i did not quite enjoy the food. Bedding: futons were somewhat old and very thin, and even stained (blood?) I had to stack 2 futons for extra comfort. All the minus points aside, this hotel has the best staff. In particular, employee Rina was a real darling! She went above and beyond the call of duty when she served me my dinners, making every effort to recommend foods or sights around Yamagata. Upon checkout, the concierge even handed me a handwritten note from her. That totally warmed my heart! I highly recommend this ryokan to all who visit Mogami. Thank u for being one of the best hotels I'd ever stayed in.!"

"I really adored this place, and it was very conveniently located for day trips into Ginzan Onsen. The room was clean and affordable and in exchange for environmentally clean services we were given free beer or chuhai and breakfast vouchers. The hotel also has a nice public bath which worked wonders after a day walking in the cold. And honestly the chains sheep mascot was really cute; this place was just very charming for a place so far out in Japan. I will stay here the next chance I get."