Yufuin Besso Shikisai Hotel

The hotel's service was excellent. We don't eat beef, so the hotel specially prepared pork for us. The hot springs were also great, and our family had a very pleasant stay.

The hotel's location is quite far from the station, about a 25-minute walk. However, they do offer pick-up and drop-off service from the station, which we didn't arrange beforehand. Walking along the road for a stretch was a bit tough. On the upside, the surroundings of the hotel are very quiet. The room style is a bit old-fashioned but spacious. The evening onsen was great, I had it all to myself. Dinner was plentiful, but breakfast was just okay, though the dining environment was pleasant. The hotel service was decent, and the owner was quite understanding. However, the front desk staff wasn't very friendly; they wouldn't let us check in even ten minutes early. Eventually, the owner approved an early check-in. It's a nice touch that they offer a free shuttle service to the train station when you check out.

The environment here is great. Although it's a bit far, they offer shuttle service, so it's not a big issue. However, I was quite concerned about the cleanliness of the hot spring. It seemed that whenever I moved, a lot of black, white, and gray fibrous material would float up from the bottom of the pool. I even saw distinct small white feathers, possibly from birds? I understand that being in the mountains might lead to some influence from plants and animals, but there was clearly a lot settled at the bottom, suggesting it hasn't been thoroughly cleaned for a while. Many of the restaurant staff were from India or Pakistan, and most of the other guests I encountered were foreigners. The price isn't expensive, and the room is large, but the facilities are a bit old. The room's cleanliness was actually decent, it just felt a bit dated.

This is a fantastic small hot spring hotel with an excellent overall experience and ambiance. The breakfast and dinner, which were included with the room, were both quite good. The surroundings are very peaceful, and taking a leisurely stroll outside the hotel after dinner was wonderfully relaxing.

The hotel staff are mostly Korean, and the owner is also Korean. We booked a triple room on the first floor, which was conveniently close to the outdoor onsen. The room itself was spacious and clean. The onsen was also excellent. We visited on a weekday, and it seemed like there were only two groups of guests, including us. It felt like we had the dining area and the onsen all to ourselves. Aside from briefly seeing them at the front desk, we didn't encounter the other guests at any other time. We had booked a package that included dinner. The dinner was a delightful, multi-course Japanese meal (kaiseki-style), where each dish was introduced and served individually, only after the previous one was finished. Upon departure, a complimentary shuttle service to the station was provided. However, getting there upon arrival was a bit tricky; we had to take a taxi (around 1000 JPY) as it involved an uphill walk, and it was quite hot. Walking would have taken 30-40 minutes. The hotel is a convenient 10-15 minute walk from Kinrin Lake and the 'Fairytale Village.' You could easily visit these attractions in the morning, return, and then check out before departing. If you need to do laundry, there's a coin-operated laundromat a 7-8 minute walk away (as shown in Pic 4). For those who prefer to buy their own breakfast, a convenience store is a 10-minute walk, conveniently located on the way to Kinrin Lake.