Hotels with Breakfast in Aso District

"Pros- spacious villa, quality bedding and large private indoor onsen( see picture 13). We also like the public outdoor onsen in the sister ryokan nearby. There is a little cafe there you can buy drinks and coffee, run by an adorable old couple, very nice and polite. We spent a lot of time there just chilling and listening to the music. Cons- Living room: we were only able to book the western style villa as it’s a little last minute trip. The living room is basic, bland, with sofa, instead or tatami. Our room 512 is next to the car park. Parking lot in front of your main door is not very pleasant. Food : just soso. Nothing extraordinary. See picture. No horse sashimi, the presentation of the steak is really ordinary - disappointing. Perhaps because we had such an amazing meals in the previous ryokan this became a massive letdown. Dinner served in a large public dining room, lack of the privacy and intimacy ther ryokan provide ( we had private dining room in another ryokan 野之花during this trip). I got to see other couples but also feeling like we are being watched. Service- served by young people, not much attentiveness you would expect in traditional ryokan, lack of the warmth and ritual. Reception- 3 star at best. A basic room with uncomfortable chair while you wait to be checked in. We arrived around 2:30pm, and was told that check in can only start at 3pm, and please wait. So we sat at the hard chair and forced to watch the promotional video until 3pm. Conclusion - 3.5 star ryokan, not the most exciting or exclusive villa we have stayed. Maybe it would get better once the trees grow thicker and staff better trained. The sister Ryokan nearby has better feel of environment and feels more established."

"The hotel room has a great view, which makes me feel really relaxed. The hot spring is open until 11:00 p.m., which is perfect for unwinding. The only downside is that there’s no bathroom in the room, so you’ll have to use the public bath. If you can’t make it to the hot spring at night, there won’t be any other place to take a dip, so that’s a bit of a bummer. On the bright side, there’s a golf course right next to the hotel with a beautiful environment. Lots of locals and tourists come to play golf there. The room is also really big and comfortable, so you’ll feel like you’re sleeping in the sky."

"This is the largest onsen hotel in Kurokawa; in fact, it's the only large-scale hotel there, all others are inns. The hotel itself is quite spacious, featuring three public baths and two private onsens. If there are many people, you might have to wait in line at the entrance, but it's usually not too long. It operates on a one-night, two-meal basis. Dinner is a buffet with a good variety of dishes. The taste is decent, nothing spectacular but not bad either. I personally quite enjoyed the breakfast, which was also very plentiful. Our room had a bed, not a tatami mat. I thought it was pretty good, even though it was small. The bathroom had a separate wet and dry area and was very clean, although the yukata was a bit unflattering. The hotel has a rooftop with what was supposed to be a telescope, but it was out of order when we visited. In the evenings, there's a mini-bar offering some drinks and snacks."

"Excellent! The rooms are beautiful and well-appointed, featuring excellent soundproofing and stunning views. The numerous hot springs were all incredibly relaxing and comfortable. The front desk staff were exceptionally friendly and always ready to assist with any needs or requests. The hotel's dining options were also fantastic and more than satisfying. I highly recommend this place!"

"One of the many ryokans in the area. Picked this ryokan due to the location to the bus station, but the hotel did pick up and drop off us at the bus station. The dinner was satisfying, and as we are not very big eaters, we were so full by the end. The stay comes with private onsen which requires reservation. Hospitality of the staffs are great."

"I strongly recommend spending a little more to stay at the main building during winter. The rooms are spacious, and the 500+ RMB price including breakfast and dinner for one person is good value, but these are probably the only two advantages. Disadvantages are as follows: ① The room's air conditioning is inadequate and leaks air, making it difficult to warm up. The bathroom is in a separate cubicle, so it's extremely cold due to the air conditioning and the leaking air; I was shivering while brushing my teeth and using the toilet at night. ② The assigned room has a sliding door that's difficult to close and lock. The entrance hall is too small to fit luggage, so you have to carry it into the room, which may explain why the bamboo mat isn't very clean. ③ The women's bath in the annex is very small, and the changing room's air conditioning is weak, making it easy to catch a cold. Although you can use the main building's bath, it's cold in the room at night, let alone going out. ④ There's no elevator, and the front desk doesn't help with luggage like they do at Misato or the main building, where they deliver luggage to your room. However, considering the price, this is acceptable. In short, it's not bad value for money, but if you're on vacation, it's not worth suffering for the sake of saving money. The experience might be better in spring, summer, and autumn when it's not so cold."

"Fantastic atmosphere! The hotel is very close to the main attractions in Kurokawa Onsen. The rooms themselves are quite spacious and come with air conditioning (heater). When we realized we didn't have a 100V adapter, the staff quickly found us a charging station with USB output. The hotel has 6 private onsen rooms available on a first-come, first-served basis. There's a separate app on the TV to track their availability. In mid-March, there was enough availability for everyone. But if you don't want to wait, you can always go to the shared men's/women's onsen. I really liked that you're not allowed to wear shoes inside the ryokan (the residential area); you have to leave them until check-out and receive slippers to wear around the premises. Oh, and I almost forgot – there's a lady at the front desk who speaks excellent English, big thanks to her for explaining the main rules!"

"wonderful ryokan, we had a river view from the window. delicious kaiseki dinner and breakfast. totally recommend! tattoo-friendly onsen, but the showers are only on the first floor. the private outdoor rooftop onsen does not have a shower, so it’s better to shower downstairs first; otherwise, it can be quite chilly to rinse yourself outside using the buckets. there is free parking, but the street itself is very narrow and busy with pedestrians; the ryokan staff can help with parking. the staff warned us about the parking situation in advance and advised leaving the car at a free parking lot in the village center, but there were no spaces available."

"I recently visited Kurokawa Onsen in Kumamoto and stayed one night at Yamamizuki Shinmeikan. Overall, it's a traditional Japanese ryokan suitable for those looking to relax in hot springs, but there are a few things to note. The location is its biggest advantage, right in the heart of the Kurokawa Onsen area. It's just a few minutes' walk to other ryokans and small shops, making it super convenient to use the 'onsen hopping pass' (Tegata) to try different baths nearby. Driving to Mount Aso or Aso JR Station takes about 40 minutes, and there's a free shuttle bus to the main gate. Although the road is narrow and winding, the scenery is beautiful and worth the trip. There are river views and forests nearby, and the air is fresh at night, giving a very tranquil feel. Cleanliness was average. The tatami-style room was spacious enough for luggage, but as it's an older establishment, there was a bit of dust in the corners. Although the bathroom was cleaned daily, water marks in the shower area weren't wiped dry, which made it feel a bit less comfortable during the stay. Fortunately, the bedding was soft and odorless, and towels were changed promptly. In terms of service, the staff were friendly. The front desk attendant helped with simple English and check-in was quick. There's also a 24-hour free coffee machine and vending machine, convenient for drinks late at night. The kaiseki dinner was fresh, featuring local vegetables and river fish, which was very satisfying. The Japanese-style set breakfast was simple but flavorful. However, the facilities were a bit disappointing. Although there are five hot spring baths, including a 30-meter-long cave bath and an open-air mixed bath, which were very therapeutic, some pools didn't have attached showering areas. You had to walk further to rinse off, which wasn't very convenient. The rooms don't have private bathrooms, relying entirely on communal ones. The TV and fridge are basic, and there's no Wi-Fi in the rooms. The older design of the floors felt a bit cramped. In conclusion, this ryokan focuses on hot springs and a traditional ambiance, suitable for budget travelers. But if you're looking for modern facilities, you might want to reconsider. Next time I visit Kurokawa, I'll try other newer establishments."

"It was the best part of my trip to Fukuoka, Aso, and Kurokawa. If you have a rental car, I highly recommend it! It's about 6 minutes from Kurokawa, so it's not that far, and it was a great place to feel nature and experience Japanese traditions rather than the bustle of Kurokawa. Here, I experienced two famous places in Kurokawa: open air, and my whole family said this was the best. It was a fun time at a house like Totoro Forest :)"