Hanamurasaki
A · 8.1 / 10anchor a leg
A large, modern luxury ryokan above the Kakusenkei gorge, and the food (spectacular winter snow crab above all) is the main reason anyone comes; source-fed bathing reaches only its top suites. KI-NRT's reservations (restaurant-only dining, a view-less private bath, baffling ordering) kept it at 'merely one of the top choices in Hokuriku' for him in 2018; the 2024 renovation and simplified set menu have since answered some of that, and a 2025 guest called it the perfect choice for a food-first stay.
Scores
Food 4.5 / 5
Food is the main reason anyone comes, and in winter that means Zuwai-gani snow crab, which KI-NRT says blows away any other crab, best of all as sashimi. In 2018 dinner was ordered from a huge points-based menu (crab sashimi had to be asked for), but a 2025 guest got a set kaiseki with no choices and found dinner and breakfast exquisite. Meals are never served in the room, and on his crab yardstick Nishimuraya and Matsusaki rank higher.
Bath 3.5 / 5
Only the top Comfort Suites get onsen direct from the source; most of Kaga Onsen does not have pure onsen at all. KI-NRT's Comfort Suite Haru had its own onsen bath and sauna, but no view and no open air, his main wish. The public baths are a main indoor bath and a smaller open-air one on the top floor; he found the open-air one very nice though much like other properties', and a 2025 guest thought it lovely to sit under cover watching the rain.
Service 4.5 / 5
Service is polished and attentive, and KI-NRT found the whole stay hosted to a very high standard, with staff gracious and unwavering about ensuring a great stay. LisainCA, in 2025, was met inside Kaga Onsen station by the hotel driver, welcomed with sweets and tea, and had food sensitivities accommodated without complaint. Despite the property's surprising size she found it attentive and personal, and calls the service impeccable.
Room 3.5 / 5
The top room, Comfort Suite Haru, is 170 square metres, with a huge living room and a small bedroom, but it has no view and no private garden, so KI-NRT called it a very nice room to laze away in, though not idyllic. Several rooms became Art Suites in 2024, and from photos he thought the humongous Natsu suite had much empty space. A 2025 guest's standard room was large and traditional, with a sitting area on the gorge, which every room faces.
Place 4 / 5
Hanamurasaki stands above the Kakusenkei gorge in Yamanaka, which KI-NRT calls the best of the Kaga onsen towns, and its famous footpath is close by; a 2025 guest found the morning walk along it incredibly beautiful. Arrival tea comes in a tea room looking over the green above the gorge. The property is far bigger than most luxury ryokans and the public areas are modern, so anyone after an intimate, very traditional inn should look elsewhere.
Getting there
- Kanazawa — 0h55, 0 transfers. Kanazawa→Kaga-Onsen (~25 min), then ~25-min taxi up to Yamanaka (inn can arrange).
- Tokyo — 3h15, 0 transfers. Hokuriku Shinkansen direct Tokyo→Kaga-Onsen (~2h50, 'Kagayaki'/'Hakutaka' since 2024), then taxi up to Yamanaka Onsen (~25 min). No self-change.
- Kyoto — 1h35, 1 transfer. Reverse of: Kaga-Onsen→Tsuruga (~30 min), 'Thunderbird' Ltd Exp→Kyoto (~1h25).
- Fukuoka — 3h45, 2 transfers. Reverse of: ~25-min taxi from Yamanaka Onsen to Komatsu Airport, the KMQ→Fukuoka hop (~1h40, ~4 daily ANA/ORC), then the subway 2 stops into Hakata (~5 min). ~3.75h door-to-door.
- Nagasaki — 5h45, 4 transfers. Reverse of: ~25-min taxi to Komatsu + KMQ→Fukuoka (~1h40) into Hakata, then Nishi-Kyushu relay→Nagasaki via Takeo-Onsen (~2h). ~5.75h door-to-door.
- Kagoshima — 5h15, 3 transfers. Reverse of: ~25-min taxi to Komatsu + KMQ→Fukuoka (~1h40) into Hakata, then Kyushu Shinkansen 'Mizuho'→Kagoshima-Chūō (~1h17). ~5.25h door-to-door.
Sources
FlyerTalk review by LisainCA #670 · TripAdvisor 4★ (December 2018) · Ikyu 4.57 / 5 · #52 · #54 · #416 · #417 · #819 (thread mentions)