Where to stay between Tsumago and Hakone?

We don't want to stay in Takayama due to the April 14-15 festival, and Kanazawa seems too far (5 hrs from Tsumago and another 5 hrs to Hakone). Where should we stay for two nights between Tsumago and Hakone?

We will have seen Nara, Koyasan, Kyoto and Tsumago and will finish the trip with Hakone and Kamakura.

Any suggestions would be welcome, thanks.

Use google hotelfinder
https://www.google.com/hotelfinder/

Over 150 hotels(ryokans and more) hitted by Tsumago.
But next Apr price[料金] update yet.
Change this Nov dates instead.

Also google map "Tsumago hotel" works.

You could stop in Nagoya. Toyota, Noritake, The Tokugawa Museum, the castle, and the Atsuta Shrine are the bigger sites.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2155.html

Or Ise, south of Nagoya, if somewhere more rural is of interest where the shrines and the pearls at Toba are the main draws.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4310.html

Or Shizuoka, if you have an interest in Tokugawa Ieyasu. He came from here and his first tomb is here before it was moved to Nikko.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6350.html
http://www.shizuoka-guide.com/english/area/index.html
The rural areas around the city are noted for tea and wasabi farms.
http://shizuokatourism.com/wasabi-in-shizuoka-prefecture/


A not-so-touristy stop might be in Hamamatsu, depending on your interests. It gives a taste of urban life but not at the scale of the major cities so it's more relaxed.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g303148-Activities-Hamamatsu_Sh...

Matsumoto is OK to stay at. We've been there a few times, it is livelier on the weekends, and the Hotels Buena (sp?) Vista and Richmond are good. The castle is the best bit.

But I'd probably go on to Karuizawa via Nagano. Karuizawa is also on the Nakasendo highway, and I thought it was more fun than Tsumago. If you do, I'd suggest staying at Tsuruya Ryokan and taking the hike from there to Kumanokotai shrine, which follows the Nakasendo highway (I hope I'm spelling that right). Actually we took a taxi to the shrine and walked back alone the trail - a few km through the forest.