Kusatsu Hotels with Breakfast

Excellent service. I will give 10 out of 5 if I could. There was a staff who rushed out to us and asked if we were going to stay at the Ryokan. Very helpful for lost travelers overwhelmed by the cold weather. Greeted us warmly when we arrived. Explained the important information to us as best as they could in English, which is perfectly fine. Room was big. Decorated meticulously in the traditional Japanese style. Yukata and Obi provided added on to the immersive experience. Dinner was exquisite. Dishes gave us a taste of what traditional Japanese cuisine was like. The food was sincere (didn’t feel like frozen / canned / ready made food), served and plated meticulously. There were 2 onsens, indoor and outdoor. They were clean and spacious enough. Water (I believe) is from the hot spring nearby and was immensely therapeutic. Ryokan was near the heart of the town and everything was within walking distance. Kindly shuttled us to the bus terminal when we checked out (we didn’t have to wait for fixed timings) and carried our (heavy) luggage. All in all, we enjoyed the one night stay very much and they set a high bar for Japanese hospitality.

This was my first and only stay at a ryokan so I don’t have much to compare it to. I chose this lodging because of the cats and good reviews on the food. The cats were really sweet and I enjoyed playing with them. I have 2 cats of my own so it was really nice. The food was so beautiful and delicious - the mushroom soup at dinner was amazing. I really enjoyed it. The private bath rooms were very convenient and open 24 hrs. I thought the facilities were clean and very pleasant. The location was very close to the central area and a quick walk to all the important sites including the bus station. The only comment I have was in the morning someone was smoking and the smell got ****** into the 2nd floor hallway so maybe more care should be taken to be sure the smoke stays outside. The host was so nice and sweet and I used google translate to ask questions. The matcha madeleines are so tasty I bought a box to take with me.

Kusatsu itself is a magnificent place. The hotel is located right in the center. The room type was traditional with futons, and we had a mountain view, which was stunning in the morning. The hotel is well-maintained. We absolutely loved the onsen at the hotel – it was incredibly enjoyable! It was clean, beautiful, and comfortable. I particularly want to highlight the breakfasts and dinners; the selection was absolutely superb. Highly recommended!

It was better than any other inn I've stayed at so far. The futons were fluffy, the bathroom was clean, and the breakfast was full of vegetables. It was the best inn. I was surprised more than anything by how nice the people were.

Facilities: Very comprehensive, most common amenities are available, but some in-room facilities are a bit old. Hygiene: No major issues, overall feeling was good. You even have to take off your shoes before entering the hotel, and you can wear socks throughout the entire hotel. Environment: Beautiful views and great hotel design, plus very attractive private hot spring landscaping. I think it met my expectations. Service: Nothing exceptionally special, but everyone was very enthusiastic in providing service, which I really appreciated.

The hotel is quite a walk from the bus center, and the uneven roads make it inconvenient for luggage; taxis are also scarce. The room is spacious, and the tatami area with heating was very comfortable. It was handy to be able to pick up yukata (robes) for men and women in the lobby. The service level at the hotel's front desk was generally poor. They didn't even bother with a fake smile, haha 😂. Japanese service is becoming more expensive and the quality is getting worse – a clear sign of decline. The hot spring pool in the hotel is very small and the facilities are quite old, so don't expect too much. My favorite part was still the Nishinokawara露天温泉 (outdoor hot spring) outside the hotel. It's 100% natural mountain spring water, so healing! For 800 yen, there are no services, no showers, and you need to bring your own towel. It was totally worth the trip and instantly made up for the round-trip train ticket from Tokyo.

This onsen ryokan in Kusatsu has a public bath and rooms with private hot springs. The add-on wagyu beef set was also of good quality. You can also walk to the nearby sister ryokan to use their public bath.

We arrived early (about 11:00) at the ryokan and were met by a very helpful young lady receptionist who spoke good English. She accepted our luggage, arranged a ground floor room for us (my wife has difficulty climbing stairs) and recommended us where to eat and what to do. The room was clean and sizeable. The bed was comfortable. The ryokan provided a simple buffet breakfast (much to our surprise and delight).  It is located just a short distance from the Yubatake and is very convenient.  Overall, we are very happy with the ryokan. 

It was a bit far from Yubatake, so it was quiet and nice. On the way there, I walked while looking around the village, and after checking out, they took a shuttle to Kusatsu Terminal, so I could travel comfortably. The staff were friendly and the meal was delicious. It was truly healing to relax in the hot springs at the hotel. There was no shower room in the Japanese room, but since I often go to hot springs, it wasn't an inconvenience. The hot spring water was good and there was an open-air bath, so I didn't feel the need to make a pilgrimage to other hot springs.

A very old hot spring hotel is also the cheapest one in the area. At this price, it was in line with expectations. It arrived a half hour earlier, and it also smoothly let CI. Just like a small Japanese-style hostel, the clerks do not speak English, and they communicate with me in Japanese with no more than 10 sentences. The room is older, but there is everything there, and the bathrobes are beautiful. The hot springs are all public, there is no private soup, and the toilets are also public. There is a squat pit and a toilet. The toilets have to line up that morning. The sense of form at dinner is still in line with the routine of Japanese hot spring hotels. The dishes are ok, and the breakfast is a bit disappointing. It is all carbon water, and the hot spring eggs are not. The geographical location is an extra point. This town has many mountain roads. His home is a 1-minute walk from the bus station, and it will not be very tired to go up and down, let alone ask the hotel to drive to pick it up. According to these circumstances, it is okay to give 4 points, but I don't recommend everyone to live, because this house has hidden charges, and in winter it will charge 500 warm house fee and 150 hot spring water tax. There is no mention on the booking page. If the hot spring tax is not unfamiliar to people who frequent Japan, what is called the warm house fee is very strange. Communicate with the store. They showed me their official website, which means that there is a statement. I said that I didn't set it on the official website. I have no way of knowing it. I prefer to believe that the owner ’s idea is pure and not intentional, but doing business is very frustrating. No wonder it takes up such a good position and does not renovate. Similar hotels that have been renovated next door can sell twice as much. Of course, the result of the matter itself is still good. This hidden charge problem was later subsidized to me by Ctrip. I praised Ctrip customer service and dealt with it in a particularly efficient and professional manner. The reasons for not recommending are: 1. Difficulty in communication. I went to the next few places and visited. Although the English is not fluent, it is obviously much better. There are local characteristics (I changed to the hotel the next day); 3. In addition to the so-called warm house fee, his family's original price advantage of only three or fifty rmb will no longer exist, and you can choose the same price slightly more expensive, Choose the few hotels, the single room price is also in this grade, but the conditions are much better, anyway, this one also experiences impenetrable Japanese feeling, if you really want to experience Japanese feeling, you can choose a hotel above 1500rmb.