Blue Sky Guesthouse
Accommodation
4.52
Blue Sky Guesthouse
Exterior
Owner
Sample guestroom
Dining room
Sample breakfast
Entrance
Bath
Balcony
Computer
Sample supper
Description
Five-star Guesthouse
Blue Sky Guesthouse is a guesthouse tucked into a small valley in the town of Hongu, close to the World Heritage Grand Shrine, Kumano Hongu Taisha.
The young owner, Naoya Yamamoto, always dreamed of owning his own guesthouse.
When he travelled to other countries he received gracious hospitality from many people. He now wants to give back into the karmic travellers’ cycle and create a place that welcomes visitors to fully experience the area.
Each room has its own bath and toilet. Visitors also have free access to the kitchen and internet.
For those walking the Kumano Kodo or looking for somewhere to stay for multiple nights, this accommodation is a popular choice. Families also find the Blue Sky Guesthouse convenient.
Please NOTE: Doors may be locked until 15:00 as sometimes the owner is away during the day shopping and doing errands. This applies even for guests staying multiple nights.
| Full Name |
Blue Sky Guesthouse
旅人の宿 蒼空げすとはうす |
|---|---|
| Area | Hongu |
| Type | Guesthouse/B&B |
| Address | 1526 Hongu, Hongu-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, 647-1731
〒647-1731 和歌山県田辺市本宮町本宮1526 |
| Map Code | 478 287 683*14 |
| Maps | |
| Check-in | 15:00 - 18:00 |
| Check-out | 9:00 |
| Curfew | 21:00 |
Rating & Reviews
4.52
Guestroom
Baths
Meals
Location
Reception & Service
Date: Apr/2026
Australia (Female, age 50-59)
3.60
Japanese hotel style accommodation
Hotel style accommodation. Nothing fancy but close to town, clean, comfortable tatami-style Japanese room with an ensuite bathroom.
Date: Apr/2026
Hong Kong (Female, age **)
4.20
- No subject -
Staff look seriously, no smiles at all. When you ask question, he say there is a folder in room which you can find your information. Give me toaster oven and i toast the bread IN MY ROOM by myself. This is my 1st time have this experience. After breakfast. i need to bring so many thing out of my room. Main plate, coffee/ tea cup, tea pot, toaster oven etc.. the best thing is... i don't need to share bathroom
Date: Mar/2026
Canada (Female, age 70-79)
5.00
- No subject -
Very good room, Very good meals. Value for money
Date: Mar/2026
United States (Male, age 60-69)
4.20
Nice stay
Little further up the road from main town area but beautiful place with private rooms with personal bath. Meals were good, staff friendly
Date: Mar/2026
United States (Female, age 20-29)
5.00
Amazing Experience at Blue Sky Guesthouse
We had an amazing experience at Blue Sky Guesthouse. The room we stayed in was extremely comfortable and spacious. The breakfast we received was delicious. The host was very accommodating and kind for our entire stay. I highly recommend staying here if you're in the area!
Date: Feb/2026
Australia (Male, age 60-69)
5.00
Cozy guest house at the end of a hard day
Very clean and comfortabel accomodation with private bathroom and shower
Date: Feb/2026
United Kingdom (Female, age **)
3.60
Good location for ending the 2nd day of the Kumano Kodo
Room was great and location perfect. However food wasn’t the best for dinner or breakfast.
Date: Dec/2025
China (Male, age 60-69)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Dec/2025
Spain (Male, age 60-69)
5.00
- No subject -
Excellent guesthouse. Very well run and very friendly. Highly recommended.
Date: Dec/2025
Netherlands (Male, age 20-29)
4.40
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Dec/2025
Netherlands (Male, age **)
4.40
Very comfortable room with private bathroom
We were welcomed by a friendly host. Very comfortable room with private bathroom. Good food that was served in your own room. Nice living room with kitchen and free coffee. A bit of a walk from the center but a busstop for further travel is nearby. There is no possibility in this guesthouse to leave your luggage before check-in or after check-out, or to stay a bit longer to wait for the bus.
Date: Dec/2025
Sweden (Female, age 40-49)
5.00
Nice location and easy check in.
Nice room with private bathroom. There were everything we needed with good information and clear instructions. The location was nice, almost in the forrest.
Date: Dec/2025
United States (Male, age **)
5.00
Convenient stay at Hongu area
This guesthouse is within an easy walking distance from Hongu Taisha. Room was clean. Meals were relatively simpler than other stays we had but we were happy with it considering this stay was also much cheaper than other nights. All the restaurants closed pretty early at Hongu area and we only found one open convenience store at 4 pm which you could get instant noodles and canned food, so it's better to have the supper and breakfast with the stay.
Date: Nov/2025
Canada (Male, age 60-69)
4.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2025
Singapore (Female, age 40-49)
3.60
- No subject -
Stayed here for 2 nights and can’t complain about the room, bath and meals. Staff running the place is also polite although they sometimes feel a bit cold.
Date: Nov/2025
Brazil (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
Perfect
Really nice place and really nice staff!
Date: Nov/2025
Singapore (Female, age 40-49)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2025
Australia (Female, age 50-59)
4.20
- No subject -
Fabulous place to stay and great service. The only thing that detracted from It was not being able to book in until 3.00 as we were soaking wet and cold after a day of hiking in the rain and had to wait 3/4 of an hour to get in. Once we did get in everything was great though.
Date: Nov/2025
Netherlands (Female, age 30-39)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2025
Canada (Male, age 30-39)
4.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2025
Italy (Male, age 70-79)
4.20
Nice experience
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2025
Australia (Male, age **)
5.00
- No subject -
This is one of my favourite guesthouses that I have ever stayed in! It is located a short walk (~10-15 minutes) from the Kumano Hongu Taisha. The staff are incredibly hospitable, friendly, and helpful. The rooms were spacious, comfortable, clean, and equipped with everything you need. The meals are provided through room service direct to your room, are delicious, and use locally sourced products and produce. Everything about my stay here was wonderful and I highly recommend it to anyone who is walking the Kumano Kodo.
Date: Oct/2025
Germany (Female, age 40-49)
4.20
Comfortable Stay, Average Hospitality
The room and facilities were great — clean and comfortable. The host provided accurate information and managed everything efficiently, though the interaction felt more professional than warm. The food could be better, but overall a pleasant stay.
Date: Oct/2025
Australia (Female, age **)
4.80
Lovely guesthouse
We spent two nights here which was ample time to explore the Hongu area. Only a short bus trip to the river and onsens with a track to be able to walk there/back. Some cute cafe's and shops around to look at and purchase yummy treats from.
Date: Oct/2025
Canada (Male, age **)
4.50
- No subject -
He owner helped me to find a tent in koguchi as it was all booked and I wanted to walk to kii-katsuura from tongu.
Date: Sep/2025
France (Male, age 50-59)
4.80
The place to live in Hongu
Location is perfect,the room is awesome (typical japanese bedroom) with a very good futon,the meal is exquisite, and the support from the staff is very high level. Thanks for accepting to host me.
Date: Sep/2025
Japan (Male, age 20-29)
4.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Sep/2025
Taiwan (Male, age 40-49)
4.40
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Sep/2025
China (Female, age **)
4.80
- No subject -
宾馆的环境和私密性很好，房间设施很棒且干净整洁，晚餐和早餐都不错，如果能有蔬菜和水果就更好了。宾馆的服务也很友好、周到。
Date: Aug/2025
Spain (Male, age 50-59)
3.80
Perfect location
Location it's perfect. The meals, can be better. The room it's complete, with all what we need.
Date: Jul/2025
China (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2025
Japan (Male, age 60-69)
4.80
部屋も食事も想像以上でした。
お部屋もきれいで 水回りもきれいで快適でした。また食事も部屋まで配膳していただきおいしくいただきました。朝食もパンをはじめそれぞれが美味しく質の高いものでした。
Date: Jul/2025
New Zealand (Female, age **)
5.00
- No subject -
Lovely guest house and catered extremely well for gluten free. Free laundry. Very attentive hosts. Highly recommend.
Date: Jul/2025
United Kingdom (Female, age 40-49)
5.00
- No subject -
Perfect place. welcoming and friendly. food is delicious and highly recommended. clean and friendly. highly recommended. would gladly return.
Date: Jul/2025
United States (Male, age 60-69)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2025
United States (Male, age 20-29)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2025
Australia (Male, age **)
4.00
A Great Place to Stay
Great location, very comfortable and a pleasant experience.
Date: Jun/2025
Israel (Male, age 40-49)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: May/2025
United States (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
Really nice modern guesthouse!
Loved our stay here! Great facilities and we even had our own bath/shower of of our main room which we haven't found common for Japanese style accommodations.
Date: Jun/2025
Taiwan (Male, age 50-59)
4.60
- No subject -
台所、洗濯機を使えるのは便利
Date: May/2025
Taiwan (Male, age 50-59)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: May/2025
Netherlands (Female, age 30-39)
4.80
Amazing stay
Amazing place with everything for your self. Good service and a really nice owner. The food was good as well en you can do your laundry there. Loved the stay!
Date: May/2025
New Zealand (Female, age 50-59)
4.00
Nice place
We liked the facilities but we didn't have a key to the front door. It was a bit weird arranging a tme to leave the property that worked with the manager.
Date: May/2025
Singapore (Male, age 20-29)
5.00
Quiet and charming guesthouse
Blue Sky Guesthouse, and the surrounding Hongu region, was my favourite stop along the Nakahechi. I stayed two nights which was perfect, since the hike from Chikatsuyu to Hongu was quite grueling and I treated myself to an extra day of rest. The guesthouse's location is fantastic - close to trailheads yet off the main road. The room was incredibly spacious, clean, and cosy. I felt at home there. Unlike most other guesthouses along the Nakahechi, each room here has its own private toilet and shower, which I very much appreciated. Meals are served in the rooms, and I thought them simple yet delicious and filling. The owner was kind, spoke good English, and also was willing to listen to my broken Japanese haha. The main doors are locked from 9am-3pm, but this was not an issue for me, as there is enough to do in the region to pass the time. One could hike the Dainichi-goe to Yunomine-onsen, explore the town of Hongu itself, and simply grab some snack and drink to chill along the river. There is a decently stocked supermarket in the town.
Date: May/2025
United States (Male, age **)
4.80
Wonderful spot to stay in Hongu
It was such a nice looking establishment that I almost didn't believe we would get to stay there. Rooms are beautiful and clean, with your own private patio almost. Meals are very generous and delicious. Only weird thing - you have to notify them if you plan on leaving your room between 1100-1500 as they lock the front door when they go into town. Almost makes it feel like some sort of prison.
Date: May/2025
France (Male, age 60-69)
4.25
Attentive
I had forgotten my medicine in the bathroom when leaving. What a surprise to find it in the evening when I arrive at @koguchi! Thanks a lot
Date: May/2025
Taiwan (Female, age 20-29)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Apr/2025
United Kingdom (Male, age **)
4.00
Nice end to the trek
Blue Sky is a neat and tidy guesthouse with lovely en suite rooms and little veranda areas. A bit out of the main village but near a bus stop for access to Tanabe and the train. Dinner is a bento box from a nearby deli which was nice but after a long trek could have eaten two! Though there are some food options in Hongu.
Date: Apr/2025
Israel (Male, age 60-69)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Apr/2025
United States (Female, age 50-59)
5.00
What a great location
He provided the services as advertised and we had a private room. It was very clean and everything was one time and he communicated in an efficient manner..He did not interact with us and we were told to eat in our room and not use the dining area.
Date: Apr/2025
Taiwan (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Apr/2025
Germany (Male, age 70-79)
4.50
- No subject -
Great host
Date: Apr/2025
Australia (Male, age 40-49)
4.75
Sky is the limit!
I can recommend this place to anyone. Friendly staff, impeccable service, excellent amenities. Other added features include minimal language barrier, good food, and convenient location, as it is only a short walk away from Kumano Hongi Taisha.
Date: Mar/2025
Australia (Male, age 60-69)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Mar/2025
Taiwan (Female, age 30-39)
4.80
服務很好、很貼心
這邊住起來很舒服，check in時因為外面剛好下雨，房主很貼心的拿給我們毛巾，晚上睡眠很安靜，唯一希望能再好一點的是餐盒，晚上只有餐盒定食，如果能有一碗味噌湯或水果會更加分。
Date: Mar/2025
Netherlands (Female, age 70-79)
2.50
- No subject -
Evening meal poorish, the breakfast was better.
Date: Mar/2025
Spain (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Mar/2025
Netherlands (Female, age 20-29)
5.00
Perfect place after the hike
We decided to walk two days on the kumano kodo from Taki-jiri to Hongu, so once we arrived we were happy that we made it. We had a very good stay. The room feels spacious and there is everything you need. The room was already heated to a very nice temperature. The bento-style dinner was a good size. In the morning the breakfast was prepared with lots of care. The downside of this is that you have to choose the time slot for your breakfast and if you arrive latest at the guesthouse, there will be one timeslot left. Which might not fit into your desired schedule. In our case we had still 3 options to choose from, so that was perfect.
Date: Mar/2025
Australia (Female, age 20-29)
5.00
Amazing
The hospitality was great and we felt very welcomed and taken care of. The guesthouse was beautiful, they were able to cater to my veganism which was amazing! And the vegan food was tasty and filling. It was nice having our own little space to relax in
Date: Mar/2025
Australia (Male, age 40-49)
4.20
Blue Sky Hongu
Very nice accomodation, vey good facilities and meals. A less than 10 minute walk from visitor centre and main bus station. Very nice host, provided all required information. Very private rooms with good showers and enough space.
Date: Mar/2025
Taiwan (Male, age 40-49)
5.00
- No subject -
素晴らしいと思います，Thanks!
Date: Feb/2025
Australia (Male, age 60-69)
3.20
- No subject -
A reasonable place to stay. Everything was OK. No extra effort like other places we stayed in.
Date: Feb/2025
Australia (Female, age 50-59)
4.75
A convenient place
We had completed 26km from Chikatsuyu to find a good bento style dinner and a comfortable Japanese style room to rest in. The bath in our bathroom was a very welcome place to soak tired muscles and the futons were comfortable. Breakfast was from locally produced food and was delicious. A lovely location surrounded by trees and close to Oyunohara and Kumano Hongu Taisha as well as the trail to Yunomine
Date: Jan/2025
United States (Male, age 30-39)
4.40
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Dec/2024
Hong Kong (Male, age **)
4.60
Super nice room
Great location with great service. Room and facilities are super nice as well.
Date: Dec/2024
United States (Male, age 60-69)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2024
China (Female, age 40-49)
4.20
2nd time to this guesthouse but…
the perfect point about this guesthouse is you have private bathroom inside your room, last year lived in when completed Nakahechi Trail, this year chose it again for Kohechi Trail. But one thing needs to be mentioned is, this guesthouse refused all other people to come in unless you live in this guesthouse, and will be closed fr 9-3pm, which means you have to wander on street to wait its open. A friend of mine who needed to wait for 1 hour for the bus, I invited him to the canteen area because it is so cold outside, but we got refused at the front door even it was 1 hour only, the rule is so strict while I thought it would be warm when have certain flexibility.
Date: Nov/2024
Netherlands (Male, age 50-59)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2024
Malaysia (Female, age 60-69)
4.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2024
Malaysia (Male, age 60-69)
4.20
Nice property in green surrounding
Love this property surrounded by green and the surrounding mountain. Food get served in the room, a really nice if one need privacy. Little note to provide guests on where these food were sourced from the local cafe/bakery is great! Great value as well compared to the first two earlier inns.
Date: Nov/2024
Austria (Female, age 40-49)
5.00
Very well organized guesthouse
Very beautiful room with a nice view and a private bathroom. The guesthouse has many facilities like a kitchen, a washing machine and dryer, a big refrigerator,… It also has a large and very nice common area with free coffee. Very nice and helpful staff!
Date: Nov/2024
United States (Male, age 50-59)
2.80
No Bad
Blue Sky is at the other end of Hongu from the Shrine, so it is a little out of the way, but Hongu is a small town, so it isn't really far. The accommodations were clean and not bad, but the previous 2 places we stayed (Aiwaso and Minshuku 3rd Place) set a very high bar. Blue Sky was only a room, unlike the others. It was also a bit odd, that you could not come and go between the hours of 9am and 3pm without prior notification. We went to Yunomine Onsen and back to the Hongu Shrine and walked around Hongu during the day, so it wasn't a big deal, but if we had to go back to the room, we would not have been able too. Accommodations are clean, just were not as large as the previous places that we stayed.
Date: Nov/2024
Malaysia (Female, age **)
5.00
Convenient and comfortable
We chose to stay at Blue Sky as we were not confident of arriving in time to catch the bus. It was the best decision as the Yata fire festival (Yata-no-Himatsuri) was going on and we were treated to amazing fireworks display. The guesthouse is small with about 4-5 rooms, we love the intimate environment and having our meals in the room was comfortable. The service is excellent, we accidently left a few things in the room and they kindly sent it on to our next accommodation. This was so greatly appreciated.
Date: Oct/2024
Italy (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
No words to describe!
Not enough words to describe how well we stayed here. A little heaven on Earth!
Date: Oct/2024
Australia (Female, age 50-59)
2.80
- No subject -
Warmer and friendlier interactions with the host would have been nicer
Date: Oct/2024
Taiwan (Male, age 30-39)
4.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2024
United States (Male, age 40-49)
5.00
Wonderful
Our stay here was definitely a highlight of our time on the Kumano Kodo. Everything was great.
Date: Oct/2024
United States (Female, age **)
5.00
Excellent place to stay
We ended our pilgrimage by staying in this lodging. It was clean, comfortable, had everything we needed, and the boat was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. We appreciated access to laundry, complimentary coffee, and help with the bus.
Date: Oct/2024
Ireland (Male, age 30-39)
4.75
Lovely food and room.
The room was lovely. I had the deluxe bento box, which was delicious. It was nice to eat in the room and have a peaceful evening after a long day hiking.
Date: Oct/2024
Australia (Female, age 60-69)
4.20
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2024
Australia (Female, age 50-59)
5.00
- No subject -
Great spot to stay. Nice clean rooms and nice bento box for dinner.
Date: Oct/2024
China (Female, age 30-39)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2024
Taiwan (Male, age 40-49)
5.00
- No subject -
服務跟環境都很好，是下次過去住宿首選
Date: Sep/2024
Japan (Female, age 50-59)
3.60
- No subject -
Extremely well thought-out guesthouse. Off the main street, not far from Oyunohara and Daiichi-goe; 10 min walk to Hongu Taisha. En suite, which is a welcome surprise. The 'deluxe bento box' dinner good, but breakfast very lean and Western style in an odd way. Literal soupçon of onion soup, one egg, bit of salad. (I don't eat bread and there was no concession to rice or substitute, so no idea if large slices of toast offered, but doubt it.) Lot of rules, but a lot on offer. Very comfortable.
Date: Sep/2024
Australia (Female, age 70-79)
5.00
A Great Location
A stone’s throw to the town centre, restaurants, shops, places of interest and bus stop/ depot. Love this place tucked in a quiet area, off the main road. The property is clean and well serviced with modern mod cons that meet the needs of guests. A helpful hosts that is always available to answer or addressed any questions or needs raised.
Date: Sep/2024
Canada (Female, age 60-69)
3.40
- No subject -
Average accommodation and a bento box meal. We did appreciate a private bathroom.
Date: Sep/2024
United States (Male, age 40-49)
4.60
Stay at Blue Sky Guesthouse - August 2024
Clean and convenient guesthouse with basically everything you need while hiking the Kumano Kodo, including laundry facilities. The service was professional albeit somewhat impersonal compared to the smaller guesthouses we stayed at on other nights of the trek. Overall no complaints.
Date: Sep/2024
United States (Female, age 60-69)
5.00
Large beautiful rooms and private baths
The accommodations here were exceptionally comfortable and spacious, and very clean. The meals were brought in from a local restaurant and were very fresh and tasty, just as if they had been prepared onsite. Would definitely stay here again and would highly recommend.
Date: Sep/2024
United States (Female, age 40-49)
5.00
- No subject -
After a long hike, a nice host, a nice shower, a nice room and a nice dinner make everything seem worth it! Blue Sky provides all of that. The host was so patient and kind as I kept asking questions about the buses. The bento box had so much more food in it than I was expecting. And breakfast was delightful as well. This is a great place to relax after your hike.
Date: Sep/2024
United Kingdom (Male, age 30-39)
4.60
Amazing stay
We had an amazing traditional stay. Food was very good, and the room really gave us an experience of sleeping on a futon over tatami. Very well located, with a view to the forest.
Date: Sep/2024
Switzerland (Male, age 40-49)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2024
Spain (Male, age 50-59)
3.40
- No subject -
La habitación era demasiado pequeña para 4 personas. El personal muy amable. Una pena el tamaño de la habitación
Date: Aug/2024
Spain (Female, age 50-59)
4.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2024
United States (Male, age 70-79)
4.75
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2024
Taiwan (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
本宮大社附近首選！
如果是熊野古道中繼或中邊路的終點，或是安排本宮附近住宿的話，真的要首選蒼空！微微遠離車街道，晚餐早餐都是送到房門，在充滿日式風味的榻榻米上用餐及休憩，大推👍👍
Date: Jul/2024
Australia (Male, age 50-59)
4.40
Friendly, good service, out of town a little way
clean, friendly and good food. Not flexible one eating time for dinner or breakfast. But food was good. Clean and was good to be dry after an absolute drenching in the rain.
Date: Jul/2024
Austria (Female, age 40-49)
4.80
Nice, simple and sympathetic place.
Nice, simple and sympathetic place
Date: Jul/2024
United States (Male, age **)
5.00
Professional Operation with Personal Hospitality
The proprietor greeted us kindly and made us comfortable immediately. He was kind enough also to call around town when my wife had a headache to see if we could obtain tylenol, and to assist me with changes to our plans when we were unable to continue our hike. Highly recommended place to stay in Hongu.
Date: Jun/2024
Canada (Female, age 70-79)
4.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2024
United States (Female, age 30-39)
4.40
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2024
Australia (Female, age **)
4.40
Lovely place to stay
The Bluesky Guesthouse is a lovely, quiet place to rest and relax after a long day walking the Kumano Kodo. The rooms are spacious and comfortable with a private ensuite bathroom for each of the rooms. The food was tasty and the welcome a friendly one.
Date: Jun/2024
Netherlands (Male, age **)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2024
United States (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2024
Italy (Male, age **)
4.80
Great
Extremely welcoming and kind host, great location in the nature. There's a loud dam siren going off that can be quite unnerving but we were warned.
Date: Jun/2024
United States (Female, age 60-69)
4.40
- No subject -
Great location near the Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine and Heritage Center. It was the only room that felt like a hotel stay with our own bathroom and toilet. We enjoyed the cleanliness of the room, but unfortunately, our room was very visible from the main walkway and had very little privacy when the window coverings were open. Had our room been located in a different area, I would probably give it a higher rating. The meals were served in our rooms, and we had to set up our own beds. It was one of our more inexpensive stays, so the self serve feel suited us. We did not have much interaction with our host, but it appears that it was a one man show. He was very pleasant and helpful with our inquiries of the neighborhood. Nice place to stay if you do not want to leave the Hongu area after a long hike.
Date: May/2024
Australia (Female, age 40-49)
5.00
A great stay
We loved everything about this walk. This beautiful guest house was located close to town, with lovely trees about. It was clean, tidy, efficient and the food was great. We highly recommend. It also had a washer and dryer which was very handy.
Date: May/2024
Australia (Male, age 60-69)
4.00
Blue Sky
Nice peaceful area. Basic in-room bath. Bento evening meal wasn't that good, but the guesthouse cooked breakfast was very nice.
Date: May/2024
Canada (Female, age 60-69)
4.80
- No subject -
An oasis to rest after a day of walking in the rain. A private house which offers passers-by traditional rooms but which meet modern quality standards. A screen of greenery provides an interesting view of the room. Little contact with the owner because meal service is offered in the rooms. We ate very well and slept well. Check-out at 9 a.m. is early.
Date: May/2024
Hong Kong (Male, age 40-49)
4.80
Excellent experience
The location of the B&B is very convenient, close to the bus station
Date: May/2024
Taiwan (Male, age 50-59)
4.40
This is a good homestay in the Hongu Taisha Shrine area.
This is a good homestay in the Hongu Taisha Shrine area.
Date: May/2024
United States (Female, age 30-39)
4.50
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: May/2024
United Kingdom (Female, age 50-59)
3.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: May/2024
Japan (Male, age **)
3.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Apr/2024
United States (Male, age 70-79)
5.00
Nice surprise in Hongu
Was not sure how this would be as it was on edge of Hongu and only place on walks we stayed 2 nights. It was a great surprise. Very clean and well run. Owner was very friendly. Dinner was deluxe bento box prepared elsewhere but better than expected and more than adequate. Breakfast with eggs, bacon and toast (with toaster over in room) was made there and excellent.
Date: Apr/2024
Singapore (Female, age 30-39)
4.40
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Apr/2024
Belgium (Female, age 40-49)
3.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Apr/2024
Australia (Female, age 20-29)
4.80
Beautiful, updated guest house
A really nice, updated, clean guest house close to town. It's tucked away in the bushland and very peaceful. Our meals were served in our room which was a welcome service having just finished the Kohechi trail. The room has an ensuite with a bath to sooth aching legs too.
Date: Mar/2024
Taiwan (Female, age **)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Mar/2024
Taiwan (Female, age **)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Mar/2024
Japan (Male, age **)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Mar/2024
Switzerland (Male, age **)
5.00
Spacious and beautiful rooms, delicious meals
No guest review.
Date: Mar/2024
United States (Male, age **)
4.75
Perfect post-hike stay
The Blue Sky is a great end stay for those finishing a Kumano Kodo hike in Hongu. It’s right near the shrine and torii gate, it’s close to the bus stop, and the in-room meals are great after days on trail. The inn was immaculately clean and it was quiet. I’ll stay here again next time I visit.
Date: Mar/2024
Japan (Female, age 50-59)
4.20
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Mar/2024
France (Male, age 30-39)
4.40
Very good stay
Everything was great.
Date: Mar/2024
Japan (Male, age **)
3.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Feb/2024
Taiwan (Male, age 40-49)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Feb/2024
Taiwan (Male, age 60-69)
4.60
Excellent
Very pleasant guest house at a fair price.
Date: Feb/2024
Taiwan (Female, age 40-49)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jan/2024
Australia (Male, age 50-59)
4.50
Blue Sky @ Hongu
A room with ensuite was welcome after the long hike from Chikatsuyu. The common area was not available for use when we were there.
Date: Jan/2024
United States (Male, age 30-39)
4.50
A great guesthouse for the price.
The host speaks near fluent English, and is polite and hospitable almost to a fault. Breakfast is 5 stars, home made and ever changing with local ingredients, a must have if you stay here. The dinners are just okay, 2-3 stars. If you must, get the standard bento, it's almost as good as the deluxe and saves 700 yen. The dinner was just cold store deli food. There is a nice kitchen area and a great grocery store/butcher about 2 min walk from Blue Sky Guesthouse, and I'd have used this option over the dinner bento. Location is a little bit off the Kumano Kodo(maybe all of two minutes) and very easy to get to. There's a few bus stops nearby as well. It can be a little segmented and not a hostel experience-meals are served in rooms, which are nice tatami rooms with futons, and private toilet and bath. There's a public onsen for 210 yen at a health spa about 10 minutes walk from the guesthouse. Bring your room towel and shampoo/soap/conditioner, if you want an onsen experience. I used this both nights I stayed in Hongu, so I cannot rate the baths.
Date: Jan/2024
United States (Male, age 30-39)
4.50
A great place, a little off the beaten path!
The host speaks near fluent English, and is polite and hospitable almost to a fault. Breakfast is 5 stars, home made and ever changing with local ingredients. The dinners are just okay. If you must, get the standard bento, it's almost as good as the deluxe. The dinner was just cold store deli food. There is a nice kitchen area and a great grocery store/butcher about 2 min walk from Blue Sky Guesthouse, and I'd have used this option over the dinner bento. Location is a little bit off the Kumano Kodo(maybe all of two minutes) and very easy to get to. There's a few bus stops nearby as well. It can be a little segmented and not a hostel experience-meals are served in rooms, which are nice tatami rooms with futons, and private toilet and bath. There's a public onsen for 210 yen at a health spa about 10 minutes walk from the guesthouse. Bring your room towel and shampoo/soap/conditioner, if you want an onsen experience. I used this both nights I stayed in Hongu, so I cannot rate the baths.
Date: Nov/2023
United States (Male, age 60-69)
4.60
Review of Blue Sky Guesthouse
Though comfortable, the Japanese room was small; dinner, breakfast & lunch boxes were fine. Despite the notification upon check-in, there was so sound of monkeys or neighbors using air guns to scare away the monkeys, but there were a couple of brief sirens in the early evening and early morning regarding road works repairing the nearby rockfall though no noise from the actual repair.
Date: Oct/2023
United States (Female, age 60-69)
4.20
Nice guesthouse in a beautiful setting
The guesthouse is located right by the forest and is very clean, quiet, and comfortable. Dinner was not so good- a cold bento from a deli. Breakfast is prepared on site and is very good!
Date: Oct/2023
United States (Male, age 40-49)
5.00
Upscale guesthouse in Hungu
Dinner was a tasty treat for a famished hiker and breakfast set my day just right. The room was spacious and clean with comfortable air conditioning and a small private outdoor area. There are laundry facilities which is perfect after a long hike or an extended stay. Service was top notch. This is a good location, hidden just off from a main street to be quiet and cozy. The gentleman at the desk ran it all perfectly and with a great smile. This is the place to stay.
Date: Dec/2023
United States (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
Wonderful Guesthouse
We were so happy with the Blue Sky Guesthouse. The staff was kind and welcoming and gave us a lot of information. The rooms were beautiful. We really appreciated that they offered vegan meals, the food was delicious! Thank you so much. Would highly recommend.
Date: Dec/2023
Australia (Male, age 40-49)
4.75
The perfect guest house.
I stayed at the Blue Sky Guesthouse as part of my Kumano Kodo walk. I can recommend this place to anyone. Friendly staff, impeccable service, excellent amenities. Other added features include minimal language barrier, good food, and convenient location, as it is only a short walk away from Kumano Hongi Taisha.
Date: Nov/2023
United Kingdom (Male, age 50-59)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2023
Switzerland (Female, age **)
5.00
- No subject -
Lovely guesthouse, kind and helpful staff, and great room. all meals are brought to your room
Date: Oct/2023
Switzerland (Male, age 60-69)
4.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2023
Netherlands (Male, age 40-49)
4.80
- No subject -
simply perfect
Date: Nov/2023
Japan (Female, age 30-39)
3.80
Convenient and clean
Nice guesthouse with ensuite bathrooms! Quiet and clean, all good. Convenient if you're walking kumano's pilgrimage.
Date: Nov/2023
Germany (Male, age 50-59)
3.40
Good place
Good place, a bit impersonal maybe because of caution/fear from Covid… we had to stay in room for dinner etc … They offered vegetarian meals what we appreciated very much and the food was very good.. very clean and professional place
Date: Nov/2023
France (Female, age 70-79)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2023
Australia (Female, age 70-79)
4.80
Blue Sky guesthouse
Wonderful stay here.Host very helpful. Only possible problem is restriction of access between 9am- 3 pm .Although host said he could make arrangements to alter this if given notice .We had no problem as we had planned to be out during the closed hours .
Date: Oct/2023
Germany (Female, age 20-29)
4.80
Great welcome in a very clean and beautiful guesthouse
The owner was very welcoming and provided us with a very comfortable stay. The rooms are big including a private toilette. We had to stand up very early and still the owner was awake to say goodbye. We really appreciated this!
Date: Nov/2023
Australia (Female, age 60-69)
4.60
Fantastic
Stayed here twice. Owner has wonderful and considerate customer service. Room beautiful with private courtyard. QUiet location
Date: Oct/2023
Australia (Female, age 30-39)
4.75
Quite retreat
We stayed here two nights to break up our hiking. It was a great place to rest and recover as it was spacious with a clean and lovely private bathroom. You can hear the river from the room which is very peaceful.
Date: Oct/2023
Australia (Female, age 60-69)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2023
Spain (Male, age 60-69)
5.00
Best place on my way through the Kumano Kodo
Everything was so perfect!! And the staff spoke very well English. I’d like to come back with my family
Date: Oct/2023
Taiwan (Female, age **)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2023
New Zealand (Female, age 60-69)
5.00
A great experience
Two friends travelling, we enjoyed having our own shower and toilet and a table in the spacious room. Very clean.Bento box meals were very nice. Free use of washing machine a bonus. Easy walk back to shrine area. Would definitely recommend.
Date: Oct/2023
China (Female, age 50-59)
5.00
Best choice near Kumano Hongu Taisha
Very good accommodation to stay near Kumano Hongu Taisha. Everything is on time. Thank you.
Date: Oct/2023
Japan (Male, age 60-69)
4.20
良いお宿
部屋がきれいでよかったです。 夕食は仕出し弁当でおいしかったです。 立地もバス停からも近くて便利でした。
Date: Sep/2023
China (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
a great place to stay
The guesthouse owner can speak English and very kind. Supper and Breakfast are delicious. The room is a typical Japanese-style room, very comfortable and well-equipped. The surrounding is quiet, very recommended.
Date: Sep/2023
Japan (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
何もかもが良かったです。
Date: Sep/2023
United Kingdom (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
Wonderful guesthouse in Hongu
We really enjoyed our stay at Blue Sky Guesthouse. The room was clean and spacious, there was also a public washing machine and a dryer. The food was also great - delicious toast for breakfast and a bento-style dinner. Highly recommended!
Date: Sep/2023
Hong Kong (Male, age 30-39)
4.20
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Sep/2023
Japan (Male, age 60-69)
3.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Sep/2023
Australia (Male, age 20-29)
4.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Sep/2023
United States (Male, age 60-69)
5.00
Very satisfied
Owner very nice , room is very clean
Date: Sep/2023
Luxembourg (Male, age 60-69)
4.80
A great place to stay in Hongu Taisha-Mae
Beautiful small guesthouse at the end of Hongu village, in a quiet small valley. Bus stop at 100 meters. The owners are very helpful and kind, and the bento box food is excellent. I would recommend to anyone willing to spend a few day in this part of Kumano Kodo.
Date: Aug/2023
Japan (Male, age 20-29)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2023
United States (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
The perfect stay to end my perfect trek
I’m not sure I can say anything else about Blue Sky that other reviewers have not yet sad. However, I do wish I’d had more time to chat with Naoya; I’d love to know the origin story of this awesome place.
Date: Jul/2023
Canada (Female, age 60-69)
5.00
I could not believe my luck! Thank you!
The bento box delivery is fabulous! It gives you a lot of freedom!
Date: Jul/2023
Japan (Male, age 60-69)
3.20
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jul/2023
Italy (Female, age 40-49)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jul/2023
Spain (Female, age **)
5.00
Great place
The acomodation is amazing and the food is great. After my long Kumano Kodo walk I arrived here and it was the best to rest.
Date: Jul/2023
United States (Male, age 40-49)
4.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jul/2023
France (Male, age 40-49)
4.60
A rainy reception
Greeted at the door with a very kind host. Helped us with our wet clothes and shoes. Everything is well organized and friendly in blue sky!
Date: Jul/2023
Russian Federation (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2023
Singapore (Female, age **)
4.50
- No subject -
Peaceful comfortable and convenient guesthouse in Hongu. The dinner bento option was a great convenience. The owner also helped us manage luggage forwarding to our next destination.
Date: Jun/2023
Netherlands (Male, age 30-39)
4.00
Good place to stay in Hongu
Friendly service, good meals, spaceous room. All in all a good experience.
Date: Jun/2023
United Kingdom (Female, age **)
3.80
Convenient location
The room was excellent and well equipped with a great bath! Food was served in the room which we found uncomfortable sitting in the floor. Breakfast was very inflexible on timings. This place could be improved with more flexibility and a more personable welcome.
Date: Jun/2023
Czech Republic (Female, age **)
5.00
Comfortable place to explore Hongu area
We enjoyed our stay. The room was big and comfortable in a nice natural location and helpful owner. We also enjoyed the local style bento dinners.
Date: May/2023
Japan (Male, age 60-69)
4.20
- No subject -
ロケーション、設備は最高です。 自分の様な単独詣での人間には、もう少し周りとの触れ合いの機会があればもっと良かったと思います。
Date: Jun/2023
United Kingdom (Male, age 50-59)
4.20
A nice comfortable clean place to stay in Hongu
A modern guest house, en route on Kumano Kudo. The room and facilities are good.
Date: Jun/2023
United Kingdom (Female, age 50-59)
4.80
A lovely feel - in a tranquil location
The Blue sky has a balance of Japanese style and slightly westernized. Our room was lovely with a balcony to the outside and with an ensuite bathroom. There was a communal space to sit and read with help yourself coffee. The owner was very helpful and made a phonecall for us to organise a night stay. The location was lovely, quiet and peaceful and a good location to explore the Hongu area. I definitely recommend staying here.
Date: May/2023
Australia (Female, age 20-29)
4.40
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: May/2023
United States (Male, age **)
4.20
Good
We did not like the whole fish dinner but breakfast was great.
Date: May/2023
Japan (Male, age 30-39)
4.50
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: May/2023
Netherlands (Female, age 40-49)
4.80
Very comfortable stay
This guesthouse is on a great location, on the edge of Hongu, by the river. Beautiful tatami room. Service and facilities are great. A wonderful place to stay.
Date: Apr/2023
United States (Female, age 50-59)
4.60
Economical
Basic place to stay. Futons were thin and the food was ok. Single room, no sitting area or any chairs of any kind to sit on in room. This may be a typical Japanese style room, the night before we had a place with a separate sitting room. The guest dining/sitting area was closed due to Covid.
Date: Apr/2023
Australia (Male, age **)
4.00
Nice stay at Blue Sky Guesthouse
Blue Sky Guesthouse is located close to town and is a great place to stay. The food was wonderful, which was served in our room (I believe to minimise the potential risk of COVID-19). The beds and room were comfortable and the reception and service was great.
Date: Apr/2023
Germany (Female, age 30-39)
4.40
- No subject -
Great stay: the host was very welcoming and seemed very organized. The rooms are really nice with a terrace and are very clean which we appreciated a lot. I would recommend this place to everyone:)
Date: Apr/2023
Australia (Female, age 20-29)
2.20
Average stay
The hotel is extremely conscious of COVID-19 restrictions, which is understandable in small community. However, it meant that the communal facilities were closed and the staff were stand-offish. We even had to eat our meals in our room. On the positive side, the room was clean and the beds were comfortable.
Date: Apr/2023
Singapore (Female, age 40-49)
4.60
Beautiful room and location
After a couple of days on the Kumano Kodo trail, Blue Sky Guesthouse is a real treat to stay in. The room is spacious (for Japan), has lovely natural views from the room, a cosy bathroom with a soaking tub (much needed!), and delicious self-service coffee. If you are very tired, the guesthouse does provide bento dinners but there are cute restaurants in Hongu. The only caveat is that they close early. Having said that, the bento boxes are made of traditional Kumano Kodo fare like mehari sushi.
Date: Apr/2023
Hungary (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
Can I give six stars? Or maybe seven? :)
The level of hospitality at Blue Sky Guesthouse is literally out of this world. The room, the environment, the food... all are brilliant. Our host was the friendliest, most professional and kindest soul we ever met. We are so very grateful that he made our stay here unforgetabbly memorable. I highly recommend for anybody to stay at this accommodation, and opt for eating dinner and breakfast here.
Date: Mar/2023
Japan (Male, age 60-69)
3.80
- No subject -
部屋もとてもキレイで過ごしやすかったです。朝食も美味しかったし、夕食も弁当でしたが美味しかったです。アルコールも自動販売機でしたが安価で良かったです。
Date: Jan/2023
Japan (Male, age 70-79)
4.20
- No subject -
夕食のお弁当と、朝食の内容は良かったです。
Date: Jan/2023
Germany (Male, age 30-39)
4.80
Peaceful guesthouse close to Hongu Taisha
The Blue Sky Guesthouse is located close to the Hongu Taisha and just a 5 min walk from the hiking trail to Yunomine onsen. We stayed in a beautiful room with a private bathroom and in-room dining. The staff was very flexible and helped us with everything we needed.
Date: Jan/2023
Netherlands (Male, age 40-49)
3.25
- No subject -
Closed between 10 am and 3pm, complicating d'ailleurs planning à bit Dîner very fish based
Date: Jan/2023
New Zealand (Male, age **)
4.00
Overall Recommended and Owner Works Hard to Welcome Guests
Blue Sky Guesthouse is a 5 min walk down the road from Hongu Taisha and tucked away back into the forest on the Kumano Kodo way between Hongu Taisha and Yunomine. Our visit was after Japan had only just re-opened to visitors in October 2022 and meals were room only. It was a pretty decent 2-day apart from the request that we vacate the hostel during the day. We were not enthusiastic about this at all and the owner/manager did his best to accommodate our desire to come and go as we wished.
Date: Dec/2022
United States (Female, age 50-59)
4.00
Pretty good guesthouse.
This guesthouse was very quiet and peaceful. We were able to do laundry which was nice. The host was very helpful and we were glad he spoke English!
Date: Dec/2022
Japan (Male, age 20-29)
4.40
- No subject -
The owner was very welcoming and the place was comfortable. The food was also delicious. We gave it a 4 instead of a 5 for service because we only had a choice of 6AM or 8AM for breakfast. The 8AM was a little too late for buses thus we took the 6AM breakfast which was a little too early…It could perhaps be helpful to indicate the breakfast options in advance so that guests aren’t surprised by it :)
Date: Dec/2022
Japan (Male, age 20-29)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2022
Austria (Male, age **)
4.20
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Sep/2022
Germany (Female, age **)
5.00
大満足です。
とても美しい場所にあり、お部屋の広さ、立派さに感激しました。 快適に過ごさせて頂きました。 ありがとうございます。
Date: Aug/2022
Japan (Male, age 20-29)
3.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jul/2022
Japan (Male, age 50-59)
3.20
- No subject -
料理はお取り寄せですが、美味しかったです。バス停が近くて便利でした。
Date: May/2022
Japan (Female, age **)
5.00
Perfect place for the last night on Kumano Kodo !
Cosy house, peaceful environment, very convenient !
Date: May/2022
Japan (Male, age 60-69)
3.60
- No subject -
対応自体は悪くないが、仏頂面で素っ気ない話し方でした。 接客業だからもう少し感じ良くしたらどうかと思う。 全体としては、コスパ良く、かなり良かったです。
Date: Dec/2021
Japan (Male, age **)
4.20
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2021
Japan (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
Exceptional
This Guesthouse is one of if not the best Guesthouse I've been at. Small so reservations fill up fast but super clean, new and with each room having their own shower which is nice. There is s small restaurant you can order from if you get there in time but the breakfast was exceptional! It was western style food so was a nice change of pace coming from eating traditional Japanese dishes for the last couple days. Another benefit is that it is right there on the outskirts of the Hongu Township so you can checkout and just walk a km or two to the end. Fantastic place and fantastic accommodations. Highly recommended!!!!!!
Date: Oct/2021
Japan (Female, age 40-49)
4.60
すばらしいです
この立地、お値段で個室、部屋にお風呂トイレ付きってすごいです。とても綺麗です。縁側でボーッとできます。感染対策もすごくされていました。
Date: Jun/2021
Japan (Male, age 50-59)
2.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jul/2021
Japan (Female, age 50-59)
3.80
Good stay
Our host is very helpful. His house is confortable, nice and quiet.
Date: Apr/2021
Japan (Male, age 60-69)
4.20
コロナ対応
今回の旅で、一番コロナ対応をキチンとしていました。 その分、素っ気ない印象を、前日の宿と比較して感じました。 特に、部屋での朝食には、おどろきました。
Date: Nov/2020
Japan (Male, age 60-69)
3.80
良かった‼️
熊野本宮大社から近く、綺麗な部屋で内風呂も広く、気持ち良かった。
Date: Nov/2020
Japan (Female, age 60-69)
3.80
- No subject -
清潔で機能的で、居心地がよかったです。また泊まりたいと思っています。
Date: Nov/2020
Japan (Male, age 30-39)
3.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Dec/2020
Norway (Male, age **)
3.60
Great service
Awesome service and hospitality. The following night I spent near by at Yunomine Onsen. On my way there I fell asleep on the bus, missed the stop and ended up right back at Blue Sky. My plan then was to spend the night there and skip Yunomine. Blue Sky owner closed the reception and drove me back to Yunomine - free of charge! Super breakfast in the room. Dining room closed due to Covid. Be aware shops near by close early.
Date: Nov/2020
Japan (Male, age 70-79)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2020
Japan (Male, age 70-79)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Apr/2020
Japan (Male, age 70-79)
3.40
- No subject -
本宮の定宿となっています。今回は新コロナの影響化下で、外の夕食でくまのみ食堂が休みで残念。デイリーヤマザキでの仕込みは貧弱でした。
Date: Mar/2020
Hong Kong (Male, age **)
3.75
quiet room
A spacious and quiet room after a long day of walk.
Date: Feb/2020
China (Female, age **)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jan/2020
Australia (Male, age **)
5.00
A fine place to stay in Hongu
This was an ideal place for our family of 4 to stay in Hongu after a long day’s walking. Thank you.
Date: Dec/2019
Germany (Male, age 40-49)
5.00
top
very nice room and attentive host
Date: Dec/2019
Australia (Female, age 60-69)
4.50
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2019
Thailand (Male, age 40-49)
5.00
Owners Kindness
We travelled with a small child, the owner went out of his way to let us leave our luggages before the check in time and also provided us with diapers when we ran out. Very Much appreciated.
Date: Nov/2019
Belgium (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2019
Japan (Female, age 30-39)
3.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2019
Australia (Male, age 60-69)
3.60
A Great place to stay in Hongu city
This is a very well appointed guesthouse and was a very welcome break in our hike on the Kodo trail.
Date: Nov/2019
Spain (Male, age 40-49)
3.50
- No subject -
Comfortable and unpretentious, the place simply fulfils its essential mission: to provide a home for pilgrims.
Date: Nov/2019
Malaysia (Female, age 40-49)
3.20
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2019
France (Male, age **)
4.66
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2019
China (Female, age 30-39)
4.60
Good choice to live in the area of hongu
The location is a bit far from hongu. The room was clean and tidy with separate bathroom and toilet. The type of breakfast is not very rich but nutritious.
Date: Oct/2019
New Zealand (Female, age **)
5.00
Refuge from the storm
Our very comfortable room had an ensuite shower and toilet and breakfast was served in the dining room. We made our own evening meals in the guests kitchen and used the washing machine and drier. We stayed two nights and would highly recommend this guesthouse.
Date: Oct/2019
New Zealand (Male, age 40-49)
3.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2019
Greece (Female, age **)
4.60
- No subject -
Very nicely located in Hongu, the host was very helpful and kind and gave us all the necessary information we needed for the rest of our journey onwards. Our room was very clean and warm, with all the necessary amenities.
Date: Oct/2019
United Kingdom (Male, age **)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2019
Belgium (Female, age **)
3.50
- No subject -
Very basic accommodation and service. Great location.
Date: Oct/2019
Australia (Female, age 50-59)
4.40
- No subject -
This was a great spot to explore Hongu. Rooms were emaculate.
Date: Sep/2019
Taiwan (Female, age 30-39)
4.40
- No subject -
The guestroom and baths are really comfortable, and the service is also very nice. But the breakfast portion is a little insuffient.
Date: Sep/2019
Spain (Male, age **)
5.00
Amazing house, japanese room with bathroom
Perfect house to finish kumano kodo. Complete western breakfast
Date: Sep/2019
Switzerland (Male, age 40-49)
4.25
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Sep/2019
Singapore (Female, age 50-59)
2.00
- No subject -
The place is clean and the owner is friendly.
Date: Sep/2019
Spain (Female, age 40-49)
4.60
Excellent
Everything was as expected. Very clean and comfortable guesthouse (excellent to have Wash machine, drier and good kitchen/fridge). Very good Service as well. Lots of very well organised information about the area.
Date: Aug/2019
France (Male, age **)
4.50
Very convenient hostel
A very nice place for an overnight stay in Hongu, with a good Western breakfast and access to self-cooking and laundry the previous evening. . Plus a few steps from the bus stop.
Date: Aug/2019
Germany (Male, age 20-29)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2019
Spain (Male, age 30-39)
2.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2019
France (Female, age **)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jul/2019
Japan (Male, age 20-29)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2019
Italy (Male, age 30-39)
3.60
Very comfortable after 1st part of Kumano
Hongu is little and beautiful country, one only restaurant. The blue sky guest house is comfortable after first part of Kumano and the host was very clear on rules and facilities.
Date: Jul/2019
Sweden (Female, age 20-29)
4.50
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jul/2019
Spain (Female, age 50-59)
4.00
Very nice room, kitchen and laundry facilities and excellent location
No guest review.
Date: Jul/2019
Australia (Male, age 50-59)
5.00
Great modern gayest house on the edge of town
Great spot, helpful host, modern facilities. Breakfast only (no other meals)
Date: Jul/2019
Hong Kong (Male, age 30-39)
4.40
very nice private room
The room is great, nice view, quiet, private bathroom. There is a 3mins walk restaurant close to the house, last order is 8pm, difficult to find restaurant which serve dinner in the town of the path of kumano kodo. The house is close to bus station, just 2mins walk, but convenient store is quite far away, need to consider the lunch for the next day if you plan to walk. The house set some time slots of breakfast, you need to make reservation, something like 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, etc... The host will ask you to choose breakfast time slot when you check in. The host will only serve one guest in each time slot. If you plan the breakfast time to match the bus time, you have to check-in earlier or wish there is no other guest.
Date: Jul/2019
Germany (Female, age **)
4.40
Very Neat Hotel
The room is very clean and tidy. Read the hotel's website before booking or logding - it does not support services such as early check-in or luggage service after check-out etc, which can be quite important for people walking the Kudo. Therefore it is very important to manage your expectations for the services. But for the services it does provide, it is quite pleasant.
Date: Jul/2019
Spain (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2019
Japan (Male, age 50-59)
5.00
Wonderful stay in Hongu at Blue Sky Guesthouse
Not only was the service exceptional, friendly and hospitable, the guesthouse was in a convenient and austere location close to the Grand Shrine and trail heads! The fireflies, frog-song and lush forested area were divine! I would definitely go again.
Date: Jun/2019
Taiwan (Male, age **)
4.80
A comfortable and friendly accommodation
The guesthouse is recommended for people choosing to sty in Hongu area, the location is convenient to access with a bus stop just in the near corner. The accommodation is well equipped and the staff is very friendly and helpful.
Date: Jun/2019
United States (Male, age **)
4.25
Best in Hongu
Blue Sky Guesthouse is an attractive and pleasant B & B. The service is very friendly and helpful, and the overall environment is very positive. The rooms are Japanese style, which we find difficult, no chairs. The futons seemed unusually thin. Overall, the room was adequate, and the bathroom was good. The American style breakfasts are also quite good. The hotel closes from !0:00 to 15:00 and there is a 21:00 curfew, which can be a problem. Excellent location for seeing the sights and walking the trails.
Date: Jun/2019
Australia (Male, age 50-59)
4.25
Great service
Modern place, clean, large rooms, very courteous reception staff. Bed and breakfast only.
Date: May/2019
Australia (Female, age **)
5.00
- No subject -
We had a very enjoyable stay here thank you very much. The receptionist did a great job.
Date: May/2019
Australia (Female, age 60-69)
4.20
Very pleasant place to stay.
Beautiful garden setting and handsome modern traditional guesthouse. All facilities well-designed and maintained. The host Nagoya-san was very helpful and attentive. I would have liked to stay for longer. I would definitely stay here again.
Date: May/2019
United States Minor Outlying Islands (Male, age 60-69)
4.75
Excellent Accommodation
Lovely setting, great service and food, nice rooms.
Date: May/2019
Argentina (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: May/2019
Japan (Female, age 50-59)
5.00
- No subject -
Very helpful and knowledgable owner. Thank you!!
Date: May/2019
Canada (Female, age 20-29)
4.80
Great stay near Kumano Hongu Taisha
Nice rooms for those on the Kumano Kodo or simply looking for accommodation near the Kumano Hongu Taisha. Good breakfast.
Date: May/2019
United States (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
Wonderful!
We had a fantastic 1-night stay at the Blue Sky Guesthouse. The host was very kind and made us a 100% vegan and gluten-free breakfast. It's a beautiful property too. Highly recommended!
Date: Apr/2019
Indonesia (Male, age 60-69)
4.25
Professionally run B&B setup
It is a professionally run Bed and Breakfast establishment. Bedroom and bathroom are very clean. A lot of information material about the town and surrounding. Less Japanese experience (no Japanese style dinner and breakfast...only simple European breakfast). But the owner, Naoya-san is an excellent all-rounder ( a front officer, concierge as well as breakfast chef and waitstaff).
Date: Apr/2019
France (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
Our host was very kind and helpful The guesthouse is beautiful, very peaceful Would recommend 100%
Date: Mar/2019
China (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
a high-standard guesthouse along Kumano Kodo
This guesthouse might be of the highest standard during my 4-day Kumano Kodo hiking. Located near the center of Hongu area, it's very convenient for me to spend a couple of hours the next day to visit Kumano Hongu Taisha, Oyunohara and Kumano Hongu Heritage Center. The room had its own toilet and shower and the host cooked real-time breakfast which was delicious. I spent 10 hours walking from Chikatsuyu to Hongu that day, and most of time in heavy rain. Being wet and cold as I was, "Blue Sky" really was a cozy place.
Date: Mar/2019
United States (Male, age 50-59)
4.20
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Mar/2019
Australia (Female, age 60-69)
3.25
Blue Sky Guesthouse lodging Hongu with kitchen & laundry
This is a guest house with several rooms , kitchen & laundry facilities. Feels more like a travellers hostel with very nice bedrooms. Our room was very nice with river view. Very good bathroom (no onsen) and separate toilet and additional shared toilets. Very clean. Quite location & nice easy walk from centre of Hongu . Easy to walk to have evening meal. Breakfast was Western style and a little unsual. This would be good place to spend 2 days and see more of Hongu, the shrine, do day walks and visit surrounds. Limited grocery shopping and shops closed at 5-6pm. Evening dining in town was limited and we were grateful to go to Kumanoko Shokudo. Located in a renovated old house, which is very cool, staff were very friendly and the food delicious. The host was helpful and very knowledgeable and has advice on cafes , food and shops.
Date: Mar/2019
Australia (Female, age **)
4.80
- No subject -
Very welcoming host. Clean quiet comfortable room. Good kitchen and laundry facilities. Delicious breakfast. Recommend.
Date: Jan/2019
Australia (Male, age 60-69)
4.50
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jan/2019
Ecuador (Male, age 70-79)
4.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Dec/2018
United States (Female, age **)
4.75
Nice place.
The rooms and service were great. No meals were provided, but the vegetarian restaurant a short walk away was incredible.
Date: Dec/2018
Australia (Female, age 20-29)
5.00
Sparkling clean and quiet
My partner and I stayed here for two nights after trekking the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi trail. The room was extremely clean and has an ensuite with a bath - nice to soak in after a day of walking! It was bigger than most rooms I've stayed in. The futon is very comfortable and it is quiet at night with good soundproofed walls. The washing machine free to use with a small fee for the dryer. It is located about a 10 min walk from the main Hongu shrine on one of the side streets near the river and very close to the only two restaurants open at night in Hongu (it's a small town). It is also located near the start of the trail to Yunomine onsen - which we hiked to as a day trip. The owner is lovely and polite and helped us make a reservation at Bonheur restaurant for dinner. Breakfast was western style, cooked by the owner - we had toast with eggs and salad, and with a small dessert - simple but delicious.
Date: Dec/2018
France (Female, age 60-69)
0.00
Blue Sky Guesthouse
A courteous and thoughtful host, who opened up early for us on the day of the typhoon. The rooms was spacious and well equipped and cooking facilities were available as well as drinks, hot and cold. A western breakfast set us up very well for the day.
Date: Dec/2018
New Zealand (Male, age 70-79)
4.00
- No subject -
Very satisfactory accommodation. Lovely room and setting.
Date: Dec/2018
United States (Male, age **)
5.00
Amazing Guesthouse
We loved staying here! Stayed two nights. Ideal spot to explore town and trails. Rooms were clean. Owner was super nice and helpful. Breakfast was perfect. Would definitely return. Highly recommend!
Date: Nov/2018
Taiwan (Female, age 20-29)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2018
United Kingdom (Female, age 60-69)
4.40
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2018
Samoa (Female, age 30-39)
4.25
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2018
Germany (Male, age 70-79)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2018
Spain (Male, age 50-59)
4.40
High quality
Everything was fine. Quality, guestroom, Reception & Services, ... were really good. It is only because of its comparison with 3rd place Kumano Kodo I can't rate it with 5 stars in all the fields, but it deserves it.
Date: Aug/2018
Belgium (Male, age 40-49)
4.50
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jul/2018
Japan (Female, age 40-49)
3.80
「蒼空げすとはうす」さん宿泊感想
・部屋の配置+扉が二重で、隣室の音がほぼ聞こえず、快適です ・周辺の飲食店の閉店時間がとても早いのですが、そのあたりの情報もわかりやすくまとめられたファイルが各部屋に備え付けてあり、ありがたい心遣いでした ・清潔に整えられていて、リラックスして自宅感覚で、過ごしやすいお宿だと思います。ありがとうございます
Date: Jul/2018
Australia (Female, age 50-59)
4.80
Very comfortable
I stayed here with my two teenagers. The room and bathroom were really great. There is a very well equipped kitchen if you need it though we ate at a little bar. The breakfast was really good. Fantastic service
Date: Jul/2018
Canada (Female, age 30-39)
4.00
beautiful place to stay, quiet, clean wonderful.
after walking more than 33km that day, I was relieved to see that the Blue Sky was easy to find. :-) I had a traditional japanese room, beautiful, spacious, clean, quiet, view of the woods. I really appreciated the laundry facilities. I was disappointed that there was no supper offered, but there were grocery stores and shops nearby. They close early though, so you should plan your supper early. It is next to the Dainichi-goe trail. I was not hiking that way the next day, but I walked the trail a bit just to see its beauty, it really is a beautiful trail (I walked 2 km of it and turned around) I took the bus (super easy--the bus stop is right next to Blue Sky) and went to Yunomime Onsen, and had a meal there. (I highly recommend going to Yunomime onsen, it's great.) The breakfast was good the next morning, prepared with care. I would recommend.
Date: Jul/2018
Italy (Male, age 30-39)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2018
Germany (Female, age 30-39)
4.80
Very nice accomodation in Hongu
Very nice accommodation with very clean and neat rooms and own bathrooms with toilette facilities and bath. Situated almost in the middle of Hongu and next to a bus stop! Highly recommendable!
Date: Jun/2018
United Kingdom (Male, age 60-69)
4.75
Wonderful Stay at Blue Sky Guesthouse
This was a budget choice but we were made very welcome at the Blue Sky by Mauro and everything we needed was available to us; the breakfasts were good value. The location was quiet and convenient for bus travel. We would definitely choose Blue Sky again.
Date: Jun/2018
Spain (Male, age 60-69)
4.40
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2018
United States (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
Blue Sky was wonderful
I was greeted warmly and punctually by Blue Sky staff. Their service was exceptional. Highly recommended.
Date: Jun/2018
Australia (Male, age 50-59)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2018
Netherlands (Male, age 50-59)
3.20
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: May/2018
Malaysia (Female, age **)
4.25
Pleasant stay away from the busy area of Hongu town
Very restful accommodation. It would be better if there is no curfew at 9pm. We wanted to go out stargazing but decided not to trouble the owner by breaking the curfew. The owner was very kind to send me and my luggage to the hospital by car (it was raining) to meet my travel buddy who sprained her ankle. Thank you.
Date: May/2018
Japan (Male, age 40-49)
4.40
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Apr/2018
Netherlands (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
The Blue Sky Guesthouse is located in Hongu, around 10min walk from Hongu Taisha.The building is quite new and the rooms are big with bathroom. There is a kitchen that can be used by guests. The staff is very attentive and speak good english. If you are walking the kumano kodo, the next day you can take the bus to go to Ukeagawa. The bus stop is 2min walking from the B&B. I fully recommend this place!
Date: Apr/2018
Switzerland (Female, age **)
4.20
Excellent location with free washing-clothes service
The installations are very new. The room was big and with a private bath. We took advantage of the free washing-clothes services. The breakfast was ok but we would have preferred the japanese-style breakfast and not the western one. The bus stop is just 3 min walking, very convenient for us since we needed to come back to Kii-Tanabe.
Date: Mar/2018
Australia (Male, age 50-59)
4.40
- No subject -
Extremely friendly and helpful service. One of the best places we've stayed in Japan.
Date: Mar/2018
Australia (Female, age 40-49)
3.80
Great accomodation in lovely location
Very helpful host with enough English to assist. Room was basic but had everything we needed.
Date: Feb/2018
Australia (Female, age 60-69)
4.50
Very nice hotel, kind staff
Nice stay and nice staff.
Date: Jan/2018
Japan (Male, age 50-59)
3.80
Excellent!
Very good guest-house. I would stay there again and again.
Date: Jan/2018
Japan (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
Great Experience
After a really long day of hiking I found this guesthouse to be really relaxing. Any question I had was answered. The atmosphere was nice and the room itself was beautiful. I would definitely recommend this place for all travelers.
Date: Dec/2017
Japan (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Dec/2017
China (Male, age 40-49)
5.00
convenient guesthouse
the host speaks English well. there is public space where we can have food. there's a washing machine which is useful especially when we just finished our hiking.
Date: Dec/2017
Japan (Male, age 40-49)
4.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2017
United States (Male, age **)
4.25
Wonderful ryokan, no onsen
We ended our Kumano Kodo hike in Hongu and really enjoyed our stay at Blue Sky Guesthouse. Breakfast was the only meal provided, and was served western style (with toast and sausages). The food was ok, but the room was really lovely and clean. The hospitality was fabulous. Would definitely recommend.
Date: Oct/2017
Australia (Female, age 20-29)
4.80
Excellent traditional room
Lovely spacious room with ensuite and nice view. Welcoming host. Nice location a short walk to centre of town.
Date: Oct/2017
Spain (Female, age 20-29)
5.00
Really omotenashi
I totally recomend it! Naoya-san treated me so well, with a warm friendly welcome. It is obvious that he is used to receive the tired (and usually soaking wet) kumanokodo walkers. The house is very new, with nice decoration, and the room are big with pure simple japanese style but at the same time modern. There is a common dinning/living room with guides and books and a kitchen. There are also washing machines free to use. He prepared me a delicious and complete breakfast. He gave me really useful directions to go back home, and also advised me about the typhoon that was in Wakayama that day. Just perfect!
Date: Oct/2017
Italy (Male, age 30-39)
4.50
Perfect stay in Hongu
We arrived in Hongu as final stop of the Nakaechi Route and Blue Sky Guesthouse was a perfect place to rest. The owner was very kind and mindful of the details. The room was very clean, comfortable and quiet; the ensuited bathroom was spacious and very comfortable too. We appreciated in particular the possibility to use washing machine after three days of walk and the breakfast prepared by the owner.
Date: Oct/2017
Switzerland (Female, age 20-29)
4.60
Very good!
The staff is really welcoming. There the possibility to cook or restaurant close to the hotel. When it is dark, the staff gives you a lamp which is really useful and kind.
Date: Oct/2017
France (Female, age 20-29)
4.25
A great stay
We really loved our stay at the Blue Sky Guesthouse. The room was much more beautiful than expected, quite large, with a high ceiling, nice and modern private facilities. We also appreciated having international channels on TV. And most of all, this is the authentic kindness of the owner that we will remember.
Date: Oct/2017
Brazil (Male, age 60-69)
5.00
- No subject -
The second and last night at the Trail we were lodge at the Blue Sky Guesthouse in Hongu Taisha. It is well located and a beautiful place. Our intention was to walk two more days to arrive at Nachi Taisha. But a storm produced by a Typhon aborted this plan. The help of the Blue Sky Manager was vital to successful change our travel plan and we thank him again for his efforts.
Date: Aug/2017
Canada (Male, age 40-49)
4.80
Fantastic!
We really enjoyed our staff here. It is the best in Japan! If you can stay more than one night to refresh, relax and visit the quiet mountains in peace.
Date: Aug/2017
United Kingdom (Male, age 20-29)
4.40
Clean, beautiful location, charming host
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2017
Italy (Male, age 30-39)
4.20
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2017
Guadeloupe (Female, age 40-49)
4.40
- No subject -
The hotel is in a great location. Very well located close to the train station and the fish market.
Date: Aug/2017
France (Male, age 40-49)
4.40
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jul/2017
Japan (Female, age 40-49)
3.80
蒼空さんにお世話になった感想
ほどよい距離感(放置感?)が自宅のようで心地よいですね。 部屋や設備もきれいですし、好きな時間に備え付けの本を読みつつコーヒーを飲めるのも、くつろげました。タオルは持ち歩いていなかったので、頂いたのをその後湯の峰温泉や川湯温泉で使わせて頂きました。ありがとうございました。
Date: Jul/2017
United States (Male, age 60-69)
4.80
Highly Recommended
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Blue Sky and it was the best Minshuku of the 3 we used in the area. Our host was very helpful and spoke English. The room was clean and very roomy with a nice view of the area. The washer and dryer was very useful. Breakfast was very good. There were signs in English around the town which made it easy to find, although the town was small. We would stay here again!
Date: Jun/2017
New Zealand (Male, age 50-59)
5.00
Lovely Guesthouse and very friendly
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2017
Canada (Male, age 20-29)
5.00
Very nice guesthouse in Hongu
Very nice guesthouse in Hongu. If you are walking the Kumano Kodo trail and going through Hongu, I would definitely recommend staying at this place. It is very nice, the rooms are spacious (and you have your own bathroom and toilet), and the staff is very friendly.
Date: May/2017
France (Female, age 40-49)
5.00
- No subject -
Very easy to go to Blue Sky Gesthouse. Rooms are very clean and the owner helped us to go to our next etap.
Date: May/2017
Netherlands (Female, age 50-59)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Apr/2017
Colombia (Female, age 60-69)
5.00
A memorable stay at Blue Sky
Tucked away in the picturesque outskirts of Hongu City, this little nature-surrounded place holds great surprises - cozy comfort, modern facilities, delicious (Western) breakfast. And most of all, host/owner Naoya-san is a wizard with travel/booking information, he went out of his way to make sure we got what we needed - one of the many Japanese kindness stories we took home from this trip. Well-located, it's only a 15 minute walk from the Hongu bus terminal. Oh only remember, check in is from 3:00 pm, before that the place is closed (no staff) after morning check out time.
Date: Apr/2017
Belgium (Female, age 70-79)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Apr/2017
United Kingdom (Female, age 60-69)
4.67
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Apr/2017
Spain (Female, age 40-49)
5.00
- No subject -
Very beautiful house. Room was big and very comfortable, with bathroom inside. Breakfast was good. The manager was incredibly helpful. He speaks good english and has all the info that you may need.
Date: Apr/2017
Germany (Male, age 20-29)
4.80
Awesome little hotel!
Awesome small hotel with comfy Japanese style rooms and the nicest host I have ever met - typically Japanese!
Date: Apr/2017
United States (Male, age **)
4.75
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Mar/2017
Australia (Female, age 40-49)
3.75
Convenient
Lovely guest rooms and bathroom. The manager provided us with a good recommendation for dinner - one of the best meals I've had. He was helpful and friendly.
Date: Mar/2017
United Kingdom (Male, age 60-69)
4.60
Perfect small hotel with excellent facilities for travellers.
Very friendly, welcoming and helpful with so many, good facilities. Great room, breakfast. Modern building but great traditional room accommodation. Provided evening meal on special request.
Date: Feb/2017
Germany (Female, age 30-39)
4.60
Best accommodation in Japan
Blue Sky was very clean and new. We were really taken good care by the host who was friendly and payed attention to every detail. He recommended the Bonheur Cafe in Hongu, where we also had our best meals during our journey through Japan. For both guesthouse and Restaurant more than 5 points.
Date: Feb/2017
China (Female, age **)
4.80
- No subject -
A special Japanese style guesthouse. Good location with great scenery. I like the room very much with lovely small decorations. Very clean! The western bathroom is bigger than expectation！
Date: Jan/2017
United States (Male, age 30-39)
4.75
Great guesthouse, stay here!
Great guesthouse in Hongu for a great price. The owners are SUPER nice and place is SUPER clean. All tatami mat room and full bath. The place is a bit out of the way relative to the center of town but is still easy to walk to from the shrine, gate, or any of the businesses on the main street. It is also close to a bus stop that takes you to the start of the Kumano Kodo. I definitely recommend staying here.
Date: Jan/2017
Australia (Female, age 20-29)
4.50
- No subject -
Nice big room with comfortable bedding. Enjoyed being able to have a good shower after a long days walk and to have washing facilities to wash our clothes. Very friendly and have us a good dinner recommendation. Breakfast was good and the owner was very accommodating doing it extra early for us as we had to leave early. Enjoyed our stay here was very relaxing
Date: Dec/2016
Germany (Female, age 30-39)
4.00
Cool place
Beautiful house, a little set back from the road, 5-min walk from the giant tori, 2 min from the bus stop. Room with own bath. Extremely friendly and helpful owner fluent in English who has an eye for the detail. The little towel gift reminds me of the Kumano Kodo every morning I brush my teeth, here in Germany. :)
Date: Nov/2016
Sweden (Male, age 40-49)
5.00
everyting was very good!!
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2016
Netherlands (Male, age 60-69)
4.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2016
United Kingdom (Male, age 60-69)
4.50
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2016
Germany (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2016
France (Female, age 40-49)
4.80
Great place, great service
We fully appreciated our 2-night stay at BlueSky GuestHouse, even more than expected. The house is just fantastic, a perfect blend of a well-designed recent construction with all the traditionnal Japanese features, which makes it a convenient and warm place at all levels. The owner is extremely nice and welcoming with all guests. Thank you ! The guest-house gives easy walking access to the village and the main shrine.
Date: Oct/2016
Israel (Male, age 20-29)
4.80
Impeccable.
Spotless, well maintained and cozy! We've been to many guesthouses and accommodations in Japan. Blue-sky was the best. Seriously, this place is amazing. Thanks!
Date: Nov/2016
Finland (Female, age 30-39)
4.50
Great hospitality
Very friendly guesthouse. House is new but designed in a traditional way, so we appreciated beauty of our room. I wish I could had more time to sit outside and sipping my tea. After long day walk at Kumano Kodo. After walk it was also nice to soak in furo. Our host Naoya was very friendly and kind. Place is peaceful and quiet, still close to Hongu's services and Kumano Kodo trail. We would prefer simple japanese style breakfast (just rice, raw eggs, tea and miso would be nice) than western style. I could stay there longer, it was so good and idyllic place.
Date: Nov/2016
Australia (Male, age 50-59)
4.75
Modern take on tradition
We enjoyed our stay clean and modern with a traditional feel no evening meal although we were provided with a much appreciated light dish as we arrived late. Nice spot on the edge of town breakfast more Western style and more than adequate for the day host extremely accommodating.
Date: Oct/2016
Australia (Female, age 60-69)
4.60
Warm and welcoming guest house
We stayed at Blue Sky Guesthouse for 6 nights and enjoyed a variety of walks and side trips from Hongu during that time. Our host Naoya could not have been more helpful, making restaurant bookings, suggesting things to do and booking activities for us such as the Kumano River Boat trip. The guest house provided free coffee any time, washing machines, dryers and a guest kitchen. It was a perfect base for our Kumano activities.
Date: Oct/2016
United States (Male, age 60-69)
4.80
Very friendly guesthouse
Great hospitality. Excellent breakfast. Comfortable and large rooms, with especially well-designed bathrooms. Perfect location, very close to bus stop and Kumano trail, and close to shops and restaurants. Set in a very quiet place.
Date: Oct/2016
Germany (Female, age 40-49)
4.80
Very nice place
It is a very nice place with a very friendly owner. He speaks English very well that makes communication for foreign visitors easy. He provided helpful informations about the Kumano Kodo walk.
Date: Oct/2016
Norway (Male, age 60-69)
4.40
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2016
United Kingdom (Female, age **)
4.60
- No subject -
i'd stay there again. very clean and spacious rooms. good breakfast. i like the fact that the owner is very honest about the dinner situation and didn't make people pay so much for home cooked meal (but that could become a problem if the hikers came later than 6pm tired.), hence a very valuable price for a stay
Date: Oct/2016
Spain (Female, age 40-49)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2016
Spain (Female, age 40-49)
4.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2016
France (Male, age 40-49)
4.50
Very nice bed and breakfest
Nice welcome. The B&B is totally new. Private bath in your room. Good kitchen for preparing your meals for the evening.
Date: Sep/2016
Italy (Female, age 40-49)
4.75
wonderful stay
Room very nice and confortable, we had a very good stay. All clean. The owner is very kind.
Date: Sep/2016
Netherlands (Male, age 20-29)
4.20
- No subject -
The owner was very helpful. We were there when a typhoon was entering Japan. He kept us informed and helped us to take the right decisions for transport. He even made breakfast for us at 5am! The room was very nice and clean and loved the shower.
Date: Sep/2016
Australia (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2016
France (Male, age 20-29)
4.25
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2016
Japan (Female, age 20-29)
4.80
Very new and the facilities are clean and beautiful
The host speaks English and breakfast was delicious. We had our own private bath/restroom and it was spotless and very nice. Be aware that you will have to accept that you will be making your own dinner or you will have to request a small rice dish. We secured our own dinner, so there was no problem for us. Also, be aware that if you have noisy neighbors, the sound can carry a little. We had children in the room next to us, so they were kinda noisy, but it didn't really bother us. Wonderful facilities and great host!
Date: Aug/2016
Netherlands (Female, age 20-29)
4.80
good accommodation in Hongu
The guesthouse is conveniently located in Hongu and easy to find. The owner is very kind and helpful. It is a plus that the bathrooms are in the room. Breakfast is great!
Date: Jul/2016
Switzerland (Female, age **)
4.40
Vey nice
Well situated and confortable guesthouse. No evening meal which can be a bit difficult as no restaurants are open in Hongu in the evening. Reception was very friendly an helpful.
Date: Jul/2016
Australia (Female, age 60-69)
4.50
Wonderful
This new-ish guesthouse is wonderful; the room, bathroom (private), guest washing machine and dryer, the friendly and kind young owner were exceptional. We slept to the sound of running water and had our own small private garden off a little deck. The owner even offered to take our packs to our next ryokan himself.
Date: Jun/2016
Australia (Female, age 60-69)
5.00
Top Guesthouse
A gem of a guesthouse with an attentive host. Could not fault anything really. A lot of thought has gone into making this fairly new guesthouse owned and run by a young man who used to be a tour guide. The bathroom setup is excellent and the futons as comfortable as they can be, though these I will not miss on leaving Japan. Spotlessly clean, washer and dryer also available. Well Done!
Date: Jun/2016
Australia (Male, age 30-39)
4.60
Great Hongu Base
Our room in the Blue Sky Guesthouse was the nicest we stayed in on our Kumano Kodo hike. It was new, spacious with a private bathroom, high ceilings and very clean. It’s also located in a quiet and picturesque little street, off the main road (but 2 mins walk from the closest bus stop). We decided to break up our hike from Takijiri-oji to Nachisan with 2 nights in Hongu, as we knew there was a lot to see in the local area. The guesthouse also had great washing/drying facilities which were very convenient mid-hike. All of Hongu could be explored easily on foot from the Blue Sky Guesthouse. We were also able to take a local bus the short distance to Yunomine Onsen for a little look around, and enjoyed a lovely walk back over the mountain to Hongu (approx. 1 ? 1.5 hours). The amount of accommodation listed in Yunomine Onsen lead us to believe it was larger than Hongu ? however this turned out not to be the case. Hongu is certainly more of a hub, and although still relatively quiet and small it had more to do and see. The Kumano Kodo Heritage Centre in Hongu located in front of the Kumano Hongu Taisha (Grand Shrine) is definitely worth a visit and walking distance from Blue Sky Guesthouse. It has fantastic information resources, exhibition space, internet access and some nice videos about the local area playing on loop. The Blue Sky Guesthouse is incredibly good value and in a great location. Highly recommended. Thank you, Naoya, for making us feel so welcome in your beautiful guesthouse.
Date: May/2016
Malaysia (Female, age 30-39)
4.60
- No subject -
great service. Great staff.
Date: May/2016
Japan (Male, age 50-59)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: May/2016
France (Male, age 40-49)
5.00
Perfect accomodation
The Blue Sky Guesthouse is a wonderful and well-located guesthouse. The owner was very nice and helpful. We strongly recommend this guesthouse. Thank you for everything
Date: Apr/2016
Aland Islands (Male, age 30-39)
3.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Apr/2016
Spain (Female, age 50-59)
5.00
Amazing breakfast!
Big breakfast, guesthouse online information and Naoya´s help to find our way to and from Hongu were terrific. I was a bit scared to reach Hongu from Koyasan and then to go back to Tokyo as it takes quite time and some transportation changes but Naoya managed to reassured me and make everything easy for us. Thank you very much!
Date: Apr/2016
Switzerland (Female, age 40-49)
5.00
A great Guesthouse.
We felt at home in this very nice guesthouse. Our host was extremely friendly and helpful. A place to stay, very central for baths and walks.
Date: Apr/2016
France (Female, age 30-39)
4.20
- No subject -
Great place to stay. +Real nice staff. +Room clean with much space, nice view, comfortable enough. With Air con so you're not cold in winter. +Afraid it would be too far from Hongu Taisha but it's not. And well indicated once in the small streets. -The breakfast was a bit light. And no supper or bento. -The bath area was big but so cold in winter !
Date: Mar/2016
France (Male, age 60-69)
4.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Feb/2016
Australia (Male, age 30-39)
3.80
Breakfast only. Very Helpful Host
Blue Sky was very new and very fancy. The host really helped us with information on how to catch the bus to the nearby village with the outdoor river bed onsen. He made sure we were able to get dinner supplies from the store because the restaurant in town were closed. I was sad that the breakfast was western style because this is not as good as Japanese style.
Date: Dec/2015
Singapore (Female, age **)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2015
Singapore (Female, age 40-49)
4.40
Lovely guesthouse
My room was large, comfortable and clean and very well laid out. Naoka has thought to include washing machines and driers as well as a kitchenette at this B and B. I had an excellent stay.
Date: Nov/2015
Spain (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
Best place we've been in the Kumano and best owner ever
The owner is very kind and helpful, he made a reservation for our dinner and checked the bus timetable for us on the next day, he cares for every detail and the guesthouse is amazing. The rooms are very spacious, they have ensuite bathrooms and the views are really nice too. Everything was clean and neat. We also really aprecciated the fact that there were washing machines and dryers in the guesthouse so we could wash our clothes. Also the breakfast was really great, the owner prepared everything itself and everything was delicious. We really enjoyed our night there and we would recommend this place to anyone wishing to walk the Kumano Kodo.
Date: Nov/2015
United States (Male, age 30-39)
4.40
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2015
United States (Female, age **)
5.00
Wonderful!
The Blue Sky Guesthouse is a great place to stay. The owners were extremely helpful and made us feel very welcome. The facilities are excellent, and the location is quiet. Breakfast is delicious!
Date: Oct/2015
Spain (Female, age **)
5.00
- No subject -
The best place and the most perfect host for enjoying Kumano Kodo.
Date: Sep/2015
France (Male, age 20-29)
4.60
OK
Nice guestroom in a recently renovated building.
Date: Aug/2015
France (Male, age 20-29)
5.00
A very usefull guesthouse
Good communication. Room with all amenities we can need. Good breakfast. Well located in Hongu, near bus stop.
Date: Aug/2015
Belgium (Female, age 20-29)
5.00
- No subject -
Super guesthouse!
Date: Aug/2015
United Kingdom (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jul/2015
Netherlands (Female, age 30-39)
4.40
Helpfull staff, beautifull room, perfect location
Staff is very kind and helpfull, the building is perfectly located in a quite area in Hongu, 2 min. walk from the bus stop. Beautiful room, private toilet and shower, very clean and brand new. Nice western-style breakfast.
Date: Jul/2015
Switzerland (Male, age 20-29)
4.80
- No subject -
The guesthouse is conveniently located at walking distance from the village center and with a bus stop just around the corner. The owner is very friendly and eager to assist. I appreciated the washing machine and dryer which are available for a small fee. Unfortunately there is not many places to eat supper around but instead the guesthouse has a well equipped kitchen which is free to use.
Date: Jul/2015
Japan (Female, age **)
3.20
- No subject -
新しく広々とした個室タイプのお部屋です。本宮から思ったよりも遠く、ちょっと分かりづらいですが、地図を印刷してきていたので何とかなりました。朝ごはんの胡麻ドレッシングが美味しかったです。
Date: Jul/2015
Germany (Male, age 30-39)
4.40
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2015
Portugal (Female, age 20-29)
5.00
- No subject -
Very nice rooms, big and exceptionally clean, and the owner is so amazing, helped with everything I needed, even picked me up at the bus stop and lend me and umbrella for my trip! Thank you for everything Naoya-san!
Date: Jun/2015
Germany (Female, age 20-29)
4.80
- No subject -
The Guesthouse staff is very nice and helpful. Rooms are great and breakfast is good as well. We would recommend it!
Date: May/2015
Netherlands (Male, age 60-69)
5.00
Beautiful traditional comfortable guesthouse
We were very charmed by our beautiful traditional spacious tatami room. The hosts were kind, helpful and friendly. Everywhere it was super clean. Sanitary was luxurious. Location quiet and convenient. Breakfast was excellent.
Date: May/2015
Netherlands (Male, age 40-49)
4.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: May/2015
Australia (Male, age 60-69)
4.00
Great chance to self cater
Its a clean, modern hotel room in a lovely location. There is a good kitchen and as most restaurants close at 4pm plan on self catering, a nice change after so many restaurants when traveling.
Date: Apr/2015
United States Virgin Islands (Female, age 20-29)
4.60
Hongu location, great stay
We stayed two nights and Blue Sky and enjoyed our stay very much. Naoya was a very welcoming host and was helpful in providing us with all the information we needed about the area, bus timetables, and a new detour on the Kumano Kodo route. He also helped us to set up luggage transportation, which we appreciated very much. Laundry facility (free to wash, a few dollars to dry) was a nice bonus. There was also a kitchen available for use - another nice bonus since most of the restaurants in Hongu close very early. The room was clean and very comfortable with an ensuite bath, shower, and small tub. Blue Sky is a very modern facility while at the same time maintaining a traditional feel. Breakfast was a tasty Western style meal and we were very grateful that Naoya and his wife were so flexible about breakfast time.
Date: Apr/2015
Australia (Male, age 60-69)
4.60
- No subject -
The hosts were very welcoming and helpful. Again we arrived wet after a day in the rain - the room was warm and spacious and we were able to dry our clothes. We enjoyed the western style breakfast (dinner wasn't included).
Date: Apr/2015
United States (Female, age 40-49)
5.00
Amazing kindness and hospitality!
The owner of the Blue Sky Guesthouse was simply lovely! We arrived quite late after having walked nine hours in nonstop rain. He immediately came out with an umbrella and showed me my room so I could take a warm shower, even before having checked in. He then proceeded to assist me with all my questions. He didn't serve dinner but breakfast was very good! His English was limited but his kindness and hospitality more than made up for that!
Date: Apr/2015
Netherlands (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
Our best stay in Japan
We enjoyed our stay in the blue sky. A nice quiet place near the village. A harmonious meeting beween Japannees hospitality and Western comfort. Room was nice and clean with a little veranda. The owner very attentive, and prepared breakfast for each guest personally. Hongu is a good central hub to discover the kumano area for pelgrims or a for a longer stay.
Date: Apr/2015
Germany (Male, age 40-49)
5.00
A wonderful new guesthouse
We enjoyed our stay very much because we felt welcome. Yamamoto-san is very helpful, he was so kind to take our luggage early, so we could visit Hongu without any trouble. The room was very nice, clean and big, the private bathroom also. Thank you very much!
Date: Mar/2015
Japan (Male, age 30-39)
4.20
- No subject -
広く綺麗な部屋でゆっくりくつろぐことができました。 また、自分が歩いた小雲取越のルートが翌日土砂崩れで通行止めになり、オーナーさんがわざわざ心配して電話をかけてきてくれました。ありがとうございました。
Date: Dec/2014
Japan (Male, age 40-49)
4.67
Modern Guesthouse
Very modern and clean. The owners are very helpful. Nice garden.
Date: Dec/2014
Switzerland (Female, age 30-39)
4.80
Blue Sky Guesthouse - Lovely treasure
We absolutely loved our 4 night stay at Yukis & Noayas place. Its nice and clean. We enjoyed feeling their passion for their guesthouse - the way we were welcomed at the first place and every evening when we arrived, the wonderful and everyday changing breakfast, the detailed information about the neighborhood in the room and the maps and information what to do in Kumano Kodo and Wakayama - what we loved most about this place is their friendly, happy and helpful being, all the tips and infos they searched for us on the internet - thank you sooooo much, again. We wish them all the best and hope to see them again in Japan, Germany or Switzerland.
Date: Dec/2014
Austria (Male, age **)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Dec/2014
Australia (Male, age 50-59)
5.00
A hidden gem
Wonderful place to stay with exceptional hosts. Breakfast was delicious and they made a reservation for me for dinner at a fantastic local cafe. Highly recommend.
Date: Nov/2014
Singapore (Male, age 20-29)
4.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Nov/2014
United Kingdom (Male, age 50-59)
4.60
“Perfection. No other word for it”
A new, very functional and clean building. Place also has a good kitchen as there are no restaurants open in the evening but there is a brilliant butcher/convenience store just round the corner. Owner is an absolute gem. Unbelievably helpful and is also a world-class tourism bureau. Even produced itineraries for us off-the-cuff. Also tracked down a penknife I had stupidly mislaid earlier in the trip. Nothing is too much trouble.
Date: Nov/2014
Japan (Male, age 50-59)
4.20
- No subject -
バス・トイレ付きなので，ビジネスホテルを思い浮かべておりましたが，非常に深い浴槽で体の洗い場もありゆったりと風呂に入れて疲れがとれました。朝食も地産のベーコンやヨーグルトを使用されており良かったと思います。立地的には熊野本宮ＢＳのすぐそばにあり便利でした。
Date: Nov/2014
Japan (Male, age 50-59)
5.00
- No subject -
お部屋もきれいで、荷物を、後泊のすみやさんまで運んでいただき、数日ぶりに身軽に活動できました。ありがとうございました。
Date: Nov/2014
Netherlands (Female, age 50-59)
5.00
- No subject -
Excellent place, clean and spacious, good facilities, nice room and very helpful owner! Hongu itself does not have a great deal to offer but is a nice little town with a big temple and a nice park. Perfect place to spend a day if you want to take it easy. And I definitely recommend the Blue Sky Guesthouse, very good vallue for money.
Date: Nov/2014
Australia (Male, age **)
3.80
Great place to unwind
This was a lovely place to spend a couple of nights with the freedom to cook your own meals and the convenience of served breakfast as an option. The owner Mr Yamamoto really goes out of his way to make your stay comfortable and was generous in his advice about the area, bus timings, onward travel connections etc. the accomodation was very clean and well equipped. Bear in mind this is a Japanese guesthouse and not a hotel so you need to comply with the customs and some restrictions like a 10-3pm lockout during the day but these are well explained and the owners can be flexible. I never felt put out and enjoyed the experience of sleeping on the traditional tatami mat floors etc. hongu is a great base to explore the local onsens so a couple of days here after long hikes on the kumano trail is worth it.
Date: Oct/2014
Spain (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
- No subject -
the best hostel where I stayed at in Asia, the staff (Nahoya) is amazing, friendly, helpful, always with a smile on his face ... I delude us that after so much time walking and two-week stay in Japan have a Western-style breakfast. the truth is that the atmosphere after two days of road in Hongu, you tienees contagious and if you enjoy in a relaxing place like that .... becomes even more magical ..... Thanks again
Date: Oct/2014
Israel (Male, age 20-29)
4.60
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Oct/2014
United States (Female, age **)
5.00
Blue Sky deserves more than 5 stars!
Blue Sky and its owner Naoya exceeded our expectations; it was wonderful in all aspects. The location was beautiful at the side of a rushing stream which was lulling in the evening. The floors were beautiful as were each bedroom and the bathrooms were outstanding. It was clean and fresh and thoughtfully appointed with tea and hot water in the room, coffee in the dining room, and comfort at every level. Naoya went out of his way to assist and accommodate us even when we thought two in our party had problems on the trail and he called the police, hospital, etc. Breakfast was delicious and Naoya assisted in making dinner reservations for us. Please don't miss this opportunity to stay if you are in the area, you won't be disappointed.
Date: Oct/2014
Australia (Male, age 60-69)
4.80
- No subject -
Had 2 nights in the middle of the Kumano Kodo trek at Blue Sky Hongu, including one rest day.This gave us an opportunity to recover and relax. Hongu was an interesting place to do this. The owners of Blue Sky are a lovely couple (with good english) and the guesthouse was a very nice place to stay.
Date: Oct/2014
Brazil (Male, age 20-29)
4.60
The best of Hongu
This place was nothing short of spectacular. I really enjoyed my stay at Blue Sky and will for sure return. The host and owner was most friendly and very efficient.
Date: Aug/2014
United Kingdom (Male, age 20-29)
4.00
Good place to stay in Hongu
I had a nice stay here - the location of the guesthouse is very peaceful. The main room was very simply furnished (perhaps slightly too simply) but the bathroom was good. It was a surprise to find BBC News available on the TV and the laptop for guest use was also a nice touch. I had asked for dinner to be provided and beef with onions and rice was prepared for me. Although it only cost 650 yen, I would have preferred to pay a little more as the meat was very fatty and really the meal was not enough to fill me up - however, as all restaurants and cafes in Hongu seemed to be closed, I was pleased to have some food! The owner speaks good English, which is helpful.
Date: Jul/2014
Hong Kong (Male, age 60-69)
4.40
- No subject -
The facilities are very new and clean, an excellent place to recover after the Nakahechi hike because it is in Hongu itself. There is no need to connect transportation to the nearby onsen sites where majority of the accommodations are located. The host was helpful in many ways and spoke relatively fluent English. Ability to use kitchen for cooking supper was good, and in fact necessary because most eating places closed in the evening.
Date: Jul/2014
Spain (Male, age 40-49)
4.60
Warm welcome and great place
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2014
United Kingdom (Female, age **)
4.60
Very helpful guesthouse with great food
We stayed for two nights and had dinner and breakfast. Everything was really good and the owners were beyond helpful and polite - we really can't thank them enough. The place is very new so the tatami still has its fresh aroma - we slept with window open to keep the air clear and room cool (there was air con too but we chose not to use it). The doors have nets so it was all good. I would definitely stay here again and very much recommend for others.
Date: Jun/2014
Australia (Male, age 50-59)
4.20
- No subject -
The most brilliant thing they do is have signs that allow walkers to find the place. Coming into Hongo late and finding taxi stopped Tourist information closed, to see their signs showing the way to them is simply brilliant. More establishment need to do this. Then the place is clean plenty of room friendly hosts. Only negative is lack of night eating places in Hongo and they do not do a supper
Date: Jun/2014
Germany (Male, age 60-69)
4.80
- No subject -
Very nice, friendly and helpful hosts! The house is very well maintained, we felt like in paradise.
Date: May/2014
United Kingdom (Female, age 20-29)
5.00
Review of Blue Sky Guest House
Really loved staying here! Definitely recommend it. The owner was extremely welcoming and helpful (he reserved a table for us at a nearby restaurant). The room was great, all the mod cons including wifi. The bathroom was very nice too. The location is great. When we went for dinner we saw about 30 eagles getting ready to roost for the night. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the guest house. Breakfast was lovely too.
Date: May/2014
France (Male, age 30-39)
4.75
Very good!
A guest house to be recommended!
Date: May/2014
France (Male, age 50-59)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: May/2014
Italy (Male, age 20-29)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: May/2014
Australia (Female, age **)
4.75
Brilliant little guesthouse in Hongu
After completing a section of the Kumano Kodo trail, Blue Sky Guesthouse was the perfect place to rest and relax. We were greeted as we walked up the driveway by the owner and given the most impeccable service - he is such a friendly, caring man and is probably the main reason why we loved this place so much. Our room was traditional Japanese (which we love), but really comfortable with a clean, neat little bathroom. The guesthouse provided free wifi and there is a communal area with a kitchen and laundry for guests use. It is quite a small guesthouse, which means you are really well looked after and treated more like a friend than a stranger. The morning we left we had to depart before 6am and as we were leaving too early for breakfast, the owner's wife got up early to make us rice balls for the journey. If you are going to Hongu, definitely stay here - we absolutely loved it and would highly recommend it!!
Date: May/2014
United States (Male, age **)
4.60
nice new building, delicious breakfast, ensuite baths
Great value for stay! Naoya is very polite, friendly, knowledgeable and speaks great english. We enjoyed the new, clean rooms with ensuite bath (unusual and nice feature). About 10 minutes walk from center of Hongu, tucked away in a beautiful river valley.
Date: Apr/2014
United Kingdom (Male, age 20-29)
5.00
- No subject -
We had a fantastic stay at the Blue Sky Guesthouse! The room was beautiful and very comfortable, the food was delicious and the hosts were absolutely lovely. We would love to come back and stay again!
Date: Apr/2014
United States (Male, age 50-59)
3.00
Friendly staff, comfortable
Comfortable, clean, will be even nicer once renovations complete. Very inconvenient that there are few dinner options in Hongu and that the lodging does not supply dinner. Bath would have been nice.
Date: Apr/2014
Japan (Female, age 50-59)
4.75
- No subject -
My second time there, very satisfying indeed. Thanks to the owner, we could walk with a lighter ruck-sack as he took our belongings to Yunomine onsen.
Date: Mar/2014
Netherlands (Female, age 40-49)
4.50
- No subject -
Very nice room and a quiet atmosphere. The hosts have an eye for details and are very attentive. The Western breakfast was well taken care off. We enjoyed a pleasant stay.
Date: Mar/2014
Australia (Male, age 50-59)
4.50
Not near Hongu Taisha
I can't fault this establishment except that it is about one kilometre from Hongu Taisha and after a long day of walking I guess I expected it to be closer. However, it is in a quiet, wooded part of town and has a very peaceful atmosphere and the owners are very welcoming and helpful and have good English.
Date: Jan/2014
Republic of Korea (Male, age 50-59)
5.00
Blue Sky Guesthouse.
A wonderful little guesthouse in a quiet rural area. The facilities looked very new and are all very clean and tidy. The friendly English speaking owner was very polite and helpful, and went out of his way to assist me in my travels.
Date: Dec/2013
Australia (Female, age 20-29)
5.00
Great place to stay
Great place to stay, owner very friendly and helpful. Lovely room.
Date: Dec/2013
Australia (Female, age 60-69)
5.00
Hospitality personified.
The young host and his lovely wife did their utmost to make my stay comfortable and memorable - nothing seemed to be too much trouble. I had ordered a simple meal for the night I completed the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage. When it arrived, the food was not only delicious but much more than I expected.
Date: Nov/2013
Australia (Male, age **)
5.00
A quiet and peaceful location yet very conveniently located
The owner was very friendly and welcoming. The room was clean, spacious and stylish with an ensuite bathroom. It was good to be able to cook our own dinner for a change and the local convenience store was well stocked with options. The owner was very helpful with local information including bus timetables. The bus stop is very close to the guest house
Date: Nov/2013
Australia (Female, age 20-29)
4.80
A pleasant place to stay with great service!
We stayed here when we travelled through Kumano Hongu Taisha. The guesthouse is located around 10 minutes from Hongu Taisha, and there is good signage along the way as you approach. We arrived earlier than stated, but the owner welcomed us in immediately and showed us to our room. The owner has great English and is very professional. Our room was new and nicely arranged, with even a small verandah outside to enjoy the fresh air. The rooms have a toilet and bathroom, both which were modern and clean. During our reservation, we opted for dinner to be provided, and the owner made us some delicious Gyu-don and miso soup. We were really satisfied with our meal! For those that don't chose this option, the guesthouse has a kitchen that guests can use to cook their own meals in the dining area. There is even a vending machine in the room for drinks! The next day, we had to leave earlier than originally intended and we expected to miss out on the breakfast that we booked for. However, we were pleasantly surprised the next morning when the owner packaged some freshly handmade onigiri for us as we left!! We were very happy with this!
Date: Oct/2013
Australia (Male, age 50-59)
4.20
- No subject -
the owner had good english and was extremkely helpful with suggestions and bus schedules, also we left our sunscreen behind, and he had it sent to our next accomodation
Date: Jul/2013
United States (Female, age **)
5.00
Lovely Guesthouse
We enjoyed our stay at Blue Sky Guesthouse. The ensuite bathrooms are a plus, and the setting makes for a peaceful stay, The rooms were clean and the owner solicitous and helpful. We will return here.
Date: Jul/2013
United States (Female, age 60-69)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2013
United States (Female, age 60-69)
4.40
- No subject -
The conscientious young owner does a very good job of managing this pleasant guesthouse. The room and other facilities are impeccable. No dinner is served, but the breakfast was delicious. The guesthouse is conveniently located near the bus stop, several small stores, and a good place for a snack or light meal (Cafe Bonheur, which closes at 5).
Date: Jun/2013
Japan (Male, age 60-69)
4.00
- No subject -
ゲストハウスに宿泊するのは、初めてでした。 見かけた当初は、民家と思ってしまいました。 清潔な部屋とお風呂で大満足してます。 熊野古道（中辺路）を二日掛りで歩き通したので、ウエアや下着が汗で汚れており、洗濯機が自由に使えたので、大変助かりました。 機会があれば又、宿泊させていただきたいと思ってます。
Date: Jun/2013
Australia (Female, age **)
4.80
Blue Sky Guesthouse
This was a lovely new guesthouse, built in the traditional style with beautiful carpentry. The rooms were delightful, with a small deck overlooking the garden. It was a bit of a walk to the Hongu Taisha (1.2km), but I'd definetely stay there again as the host was so kind and helpful, he used to be a travel agent, and the food was excellent.
Date: May/2013
Germany (Male, age 30-39)
4.40
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Apr/2013
Japan (Female, age 30-39)
4.80
Stay here.
Everything is shiny and new since repairs and renovations after the 2012 typhoon damage, the host is gracious, kind and goes out of his way to help. There is a wealth information tidily amassed in book if you want to research things yourself and get ideas, but the host has the most, if you have any questions or need last minute itinerary ideas/changes. It's minutes from everything, including a grocery store, so you can make your own dinner is all the restaurants have shut down, which they do terribly early there, yet there is a bamboo grove, a stream, it has all the serenity of being way off the path without actually being so. Breakfast was excellent. Free internet-yeah! And my one regret, when I saw the monkeys from the bus the next day heading out of town, I wished that I had walked up the road to get a leisurely firsthand view and photos.
Date: Apr/2013
Japan (Female, age 50-59)
4.80
Very satisfied
No guest review.
Date: Mar/2013
Canada (Female, age 20-29)
4.80
Nice confortable place
Modern japanese hostel style, very confortable with private bath. Nice location. We had a light supper, very simple, but very good, just what we needed. Many travel books to look at and internet access. Nice owner too, well english speaking, who answered well to our many questions :)
Date: Mar/2013
United Kingdom (Male, age 50-59)
4.33
- No subject -
a very new and fresh guesthouse with all the ammenities that you could wish for.The owner was so attentive and helpful
Date: Jan/2013
Brazil (Male, age 30-39)
4.20
- No subject -
Awesome bed and bathroom. The breakfast could be better, but it's ok. No diner and all restaurants were closed so we bought our own Cup Noodles at made at the room.
Date: Jan/2013
Japan (Male, age 40-49)
3.00
- No subject -
部屋もトイレも風呂もとても清潔でした
Date: Dec/2012
Australia (Male, age 40-49)
4.67
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Dec/2012
Australia (Male, age 30-39)
4.25
- No subject -
A beautiful and well maintained place, rooms large nice and clean with superb ensuite facilities. All the mod cons! Owner very nice and extremely helpful. Highly reccommended!
Date: Nov/2012
Italy (Female, age 30-39)
4.00
- No subject -
nice place, very clean and new
Date: Oct/2012
Australia (Female, age 40-49)
4.20
a nice modern inn
This was the second time I've stayed at Blue Sky. This time it was on the third night of our hiking trip: we hiked there from Koguchi. It's easy to find, and there is English signage from the bus stop to the guesthouse. The innkeeper is lovely, and speaks good English. He's very welcoming. The rooms are well appointed, and there is a communal kitchen and laundry. Two differences from standard minshuku: no ofuro (communal bath) and no dinner or lunch. There are individual bathtubs in each room. Warning: the restaurants in town close pretty early, so be sure to eat by 6pm or you'll be stuck. A nice place to stay, very solidly built and almost brand new.
Date: Oct/2012
United States (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
Beautiful Guesthouse
Super clean and beautiful guesthouse. It is a modern interpretation of Japanese style/aesthetic done with quality and care. I loved the common room with the gorgeous woodwork and vaulted ceiling. The rooms were very private and clean with own bathrooms. Internet was very handy to have. Didn't have time for laundry but it is a nice bonus. The owner speaks very good English and was eager to help us with planning our sightseeing and traveling. I would definitely stay here again.
Date: Aug/2012
Canada (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
Personal Concierge Service
The Blue Sky Guesthouse was awesome! Quiet, spotless, friendly, helpful...it was like you had your own personal concierge service...but at a reasonably priced guesthouse. I wish I could have stayed longer. The perfect mixture of the convenience of a well equipped hostel, with the beauty of a boutique Japanese B&B. This is one of my favorite accommodations...on the planet! I wish I had more stars to give. Go, stay, and be merry.
Date: Jul/2012
United States (Male, age 50-59)
4.20
- No subject -
This is a good guest house. For a walker, it is a very convenient accomodation. There are few restaraunts in town and the only grocery is really a convenience store, so plan accordingly.
Date: Jul/2012
Thailand (Male, age 30-39)
4.80
Wonderful Weekend away
Firstly thanks to Kumano Travel who recommended Blue Sky Guest House to us. We left it pretty late to book anywhere before the long weekend in July "Umi no hi" and couldn't of asked for anything better. We traveled down on the train from Osaka, then took the connecting bus to Hoshimon Oji, then walked 3hrs to Kumano Hongu Taisha. 5mins down the road is Blue Sky Guesthouse. The welcome was fantastic, rooms immaculate and friendly atmosphere most pleasing. We had a very restful night and a great breakfast before setting off to Yuminoen Onsen. We plan to do some more walking along the Kumano Kodo and will certainly stay at the Blue Sky Guesthouse again next time - Thank you very much!
Date: Jul/2012
Germany (Male, age 20-29)
4.25
- No subject -
Great location and very friendly owner. Would definitly recommend.
Date: Jun/2012
United States (Male, age 60-69)
5.00
Blue Sky Guest House, Hongu Taisha
This small guest house, in a secluded but convenient location, was a highlight of our trip to Japan. The owner-innkeeper was gracious, considerate and charming. He went out of his way to help us plan our activities during our too short, three-night stay. The guest house is a modern structure with modern amenities but with the tremendous appeal of thoughtful Japanese design. The Japanese breakfast (Western is also available) was an absolute delight, with the innkeeper patiently explaining the selections. His knowledge and library of reference materials made the stay in the Hongu Taisha area, and our hike along parts of the Kumano Kodo, even more enjoyable.
Date: Jun/2012
Norway (Male, age 20-29)
3.80
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Jun/2012
New Zealand (Female, age 30-39)
4.50
- No subject -
The room was immaculate and the service was excellent, the owner went out of his way to fi.d travel information for us and was very friendly and helpful. It was one of our favourite places on our trip and we wish we could have stayed longer.
Date: May/2012
Japan (Female, age 40-49)
5.00
Blue Sky Guest House = amazing
Very recently renovated (as of April 2012). I definitely recommend staying at least 2 nights here. The grounds are beautiful, and the accommodations are ryokan-worthy; you just pull out your own futons and prepare your own dinners. The breakfast is delicious (especially Japanese style), and the service is top-notch. Not much to do in town except hike. Yunomine Onsen town is an hour's hike away or free shuttle.
Date: Apr/2012
Spain (Female, age 30-39)
5.00
Modern and beautiful
All new, modern and beautiful, great service. I didn't try the meals.
Date: Apr/2012
France (Female, age 20-29)
4.50
- No subject -
No guest review.
Date: Apr/2012
United Kingdom (Female, age 40-49)
4.00
- No subject -
Positives: Beautifully designed and spotless accommodation with communal laundry and cooking facilities. Scenic location. Welcoming host. Negatives: The guesthouse was closed before check-in time at 3 pm so I guess you have to pre-arrange with the owner if you are going to come early and leave the lugagge there before the check-in time. Next to the main road so slightly noisy though it did not bother me too much having been in Tokyo the previous week.
Date: Aug/2011
Canada (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
Great for walkers
The Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route runs nearby including the Dainichi-goe section that leaves from very close by the guesthouse. I had a good time here. One of my favourite accommodations during my trip to Japan.
Date: Aug/2011
Canada (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
Lovely, quiet setting
No guest review.
Date: Aug/2011
Canada (Male, age 30-39)
5.00
Perfect for multiple night stay
This guesthouse was fantastic! It is located in a quiet valley just off of the highway in the village of Hongu. There was free internet in the lobby and laundry facilities. It is perfect for staying multiple nights to refresh from travelling. I enjoyed the down time in a peaceful mountain settings. The kitchen was also very useful for cooking our own meals. The owner or "master" (as he is often referred to) was so friendly and attentive. Any question that we had he tried to answer as best as he could. There were also many pamphlets about the area available in the sitting room.
Date: Aug/2011
Sweden (Female, age 30-39)
4.50
Friendly guesthouse
This is a very convenient guesthouse with a friendly owner. Nice to meet someone that speaks relatively good English. Very helpful with sightseeing tips. New rooms with all comfort.
Date: Jul/2011
United States (Male, age 50-59)
4.20
Delightful host, and very clean, spacious accommodation.
Delightful host, and very clean, spacious accommodation. The breakfast, including toast, eggs, coffee was delicious. It was pleasant to have a few books in English to be able to consult or read in the breakfast room. We thank our host for the gift of the "Blue Sky" towel!
Date: Apr/2011
United States (Male, age 60-69)
5.00
- No subject -
No guest review.
Price Plan(s)
Statement from the owner to the guests
| Notice |
|---|
| ■ This accommodation follows guidelines to reduce the spread of Covid-19. For Guests ■ Please follow the advice for the public outlined by the World Health Organization when visiting the area. |
Guestrooms
| Western Style | No |
|---|---|
| Japanese Style | Yes |
| Mixed Style | No |
| Other Style | No |
| Number of Rooms | 4 |
|---|---|
| Maximum Guests | 16 |
Ensuite bath: All rooms
Ensuite toilet: All rooms
| Facilities |
|---|
|
| Amenities |
|---|
|
Baths
| Shared Indoor | No |
|---|---|
| Shared Outdoor | No |
| Shared Sauna | No |
| Privately Reserved | No |
| Ensuite Indoor | Yes |
| Ensuite Outdoor | No |
Meals
| Supper |
|---|
| Bento-style meal available depending on the plan. |
| Breakfast |
| Western style, served in room from 6:30-8:00 |
● Able to cater to vegetarians and/or guests with food allergies on request
Please let us know details of what you cannot eat in advance.
● For guests with dietary restrictions
We cannot accept requests for meal restrictions for the "Standard Bento-style Supper & Breakfast" Plan.
Please select the "Kumano Taste Bento-style Supper & Breakfast" Plan if you would like to request meals with special dietary requests.
● Supper: Plans with bento-style meal from nearby restaurant available. (Must be requested in advance.)
There are restaurants nearby but they close early.
Please feel free to bring your own groceries to cook using the guest kitchen.
● Breakfast: Western style meal may change to Japanese style at accommodation convenience.
● Please be aware that meals may be the same for guests staying 2 nights or more.
- Meal Options
: Possible : Not Possible
Vegetarian 
No Meat
No Fish
No Seafood (other than fish)
No Dashi fish stock
No Dairy
No EggsGluten Free With Miso & Soy Sauce
No Miso & Soy Sauce (Celiac or Intolerant)
Allergies Possible
Others No Raw Fish/Seafood
No Pork
No Red Meat (beef or pork)
No Shellfish
Vegetarianism and gluten free foods are not common in the Japanese countryside. Please double-check the meal options that are possible with each service provider to make sure that it meets your needs.
FISH STOCK: Often being able to eat trace amounts of the ubiquitous Katsuo Dashi (fish stock) makes it easier to find vegetarian options.
GLUTEN: For those who are not intorelant to gluten or Celiac then choosing Gluten Free "With Miso and Soy Sauce" will increase your options.
NOTE: It is difficult and not culturally sensitive to change meal requests, or make new meal demands, onsite when you arrive at accommodations. Meal options must be confirmed during the reservation process and respected during your visit.
Facilities & Services
| Facilities |
|---|
|
|
- Internet
- Free Wi-Fi (Guestroom)
- Public computer
- Credit Card
- JCB
- AMERICAN EXPRESS
- Diners
- Traveler's Cheques
- Not accepted
- Language
- English
- Services
- Shipping
- Notes
- ● Full kitchen facilities (Microwave oven・refrigerator・kitchenware・condiments）※Kitchen opens 15:00-21:00● Iron & Ironing board available● Free use of washing machine & detergent / Coin-dryer 300 yen● Yukata Japanese bathrobe rental 250 yen● Free coffee in the dining room
Access
- Access Information
Busses run daily to Hongu from JR Kii-Tanabe Station, Shirahama, Shingu and Gojo.
● ~2 hours by bus from Kii-Tanabe Station (bus timetable 1)
● ~1 hour 10 minutes by bus from Shirahama (bus timetable 4)
● ~1 hour 20 minutes by bus from Shingu Station (bus timetable 5)
● ~4 hours by bus from Gojo (bus timetable 6)
● 1 minute walk from "Dainichigoe Noboriguchi ”大日越登り口" bus stop● 7 minutes walk from "Hongu-Taisha-mae 本宮大社前" bus stop
● 10 minutes walk from Kumano Hongu Taisha
● 3 minutes walk from Oyunohara (former site of Kumano Hongu Taisha)
● 1 minute walk from entrance of the Dainichi-goe section of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route
Hongu
Kumano Kodo Hongu Area Map
- Shuttle Service
Not available.
- Parking
Free Parking for up to six vehicles.
Sorry, "Reservation Requests" are not available at this time.
Set booking times: 7:00–9:30 and 19:00–22:00 daily, Japan Standard Time.
Please check this Article for more information.