Yufuin Santoukan

They offer a pick-up and drop-off service, which is very convenient. The room is spacious and has a private hot spring tub. Both dinner and breakfast were very plentiful, especially dinner, which tasted excellent. It was perfect for us!

We went to Fukuoka for Chinese New Year, and since my husband loves hot springs, we decided to stay two nights in Yufuin. The inn's location was superb, close to Lake Kinrin, and very quiet. Just a short walk away was Yufuin main street. We booked late, so our only option was a Japanese-Western style room without a private hot spring, which was a pity and a bit disappointing for my husband. Our 'one-night, two-meals' plan was incredibly filling, featuring what seemed like kaiseki cuisine plus either wagyu barbecue or wagyu shabu-shabu. I'm not really an expert on kaiseki, but I could definitely tell the food was exquisite and fresh. Since we don't speak Japanese, the inn assigned a young, English-speaking waitress to attend to us throughout our stay, which was very thoughtful. As I mentioned, the food portions had many courses, and we were quite full by the end. When the waitress asked if we wanted rice and we replied 'just a little,' she seemed genuinely concerned, thinking perhaps we didn't like the food 😅. I wanted to tell her we were simply already full. As for the downsides, my husband found the toilet a bit far from the sink, especially in the private toilet within the bedroom. The inn also didn't offer laundry service; staff advised us to use the laundromat on the main market street if we needed to wash clothes. In the end, we decided against it and waited until we returned to Fukuoka to do our laundry at the hotel there. Also, I imagine the inn is a traditional Japanese establishment, and the staff are quite principled. We were late arriving due to unfamiliarity with the transport, so dinner was pushed back to around 7:30 PM. They seemed a little displeased but remained composed. On our way back, as our preferred train/bus tickets were sold out, we had to leave earlier. The inn was accommodating with our breakfast time. We initially asked them to reduce the portion for the child and just serve scrambled eggs, but they insisted on serving the full original portions, telling us to eat as much as we could. Their reasoning was that since we had paid, we should receive the full amount we ordered, which we respected. We simply didn't want to waste food. Overall, we were satisfied and really appreciated the Japanese culture and traditional decor in all aspects.

Walked to Lake Kinrin in under 6 minutes. I'm not sure if I picked the wrong room type, it felt like there were different styles. Dinner was a standard beef shabu-shabu; the food was ordinary and the sashimi wasn't particularly outstanding, though there was a good variety and I ate until I was stuffed. The onsen was quite relaxing, but it didn't have any views since it's located in an urban area. The last seating for dinner was 6:30 PM, and for breakfast, it was 8:30 AM. However, after breakfast, they actually packed up my bed, which was a bit surprising as I wanted to sleep more. On the bright side, the staff were incredibly helpful and all very nice.

The cleanliness, noise level, and service at the accommodation were all satisfactory. The hot springs were also very clean and quiet, which I enjoyed. However, dinner and breakfast were not as good as I expected. The plain white rice was probably the best part, haha. But despite that, everything else was so good that it left a lasting impression.

Service: Excellent, with a welcome ceremony upon check-in. Atmosphere: An old-style, traditional Japanese inn (ryokan). Hygiene: Even though it's an older hotel, it's very clean. Facilities: Has everything you'd expect, including an open-air onsen (hot spring). The breakfast and dinner were extensive.

The dinner was delicious. The environment was comfortable, and it's just a 5-minute walk to the main street. Room service was excellent, and the staff were very friendly. Guests also get free parking.

They offer a shuttle service, but you need to call to arrange the pick-up for your arrival, which I couldn't do since I don't have a Japanese phone, so I just walked and enjoyed the scenery along the way. For my departure, they dropped me off at the station. It's a 5-minute walk to Lake Kinrin, and both dinner and breakfast were delicious and filling! You can also visit their sister onsen for a hot spring bath, and the water there is even hotter. Yufuin is definitely worth an overnight stay.

The rooms were comfortable and clean, and the staff were incredibly friendly, professional, and attentive, making our family stay very enjoyable. Both dinner and breakfast were plentiful and delicious, and the servers' professional and warm service made us feel right at home. Many thanks!