Hotele z: parking w Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan

I have been staying in very special places in Japan: beautiful locations with lots of care and details but this one is my favorite so far! Yoshi and Myong made me feel super welcomed, comfy and happy in their guesthouse. I arrived with a BIG LUGAGGE which was right away taken up by Yoshi (thank you so much!!!) and when I left he reminded me I could ask for his help if I needed (which I did). I like to ”judge” a place by the comfiness of their sofas, and Aso Base delivered superb excellency! So many cozy corners, there's not even one futon that is not hyper soft! The bathrooms have some themes on the wall, one is the cat theme, another one jellyfish and the other is lizards, so I had fun time choosing what theme I would go to. The shower capsules have shampoo conditioner and soap and then an area to dry your hair with a great view! There's details that are just piece of art! A small corner with a table, cd player and CDs that are awesome- Japanese, international and relax music and audiobooks! I've searched many of them in Spotify and will keep listening. While you are listening there are some images, like a collage, and it's so well thought. Every image has a doll representing it live action as well, like dreams coming true. The kitchen is reeeeaallly equipped, drinking water at the tap and has lots of seasonings and teapots 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 There's extra blankets and pillows and some of the pillows are animal shaped 😺🐶🐷🐑 so during my four nights there I slept in the company of Mr Snuggles, a grey cat that smiled with his eyes closed - there was pinky pig and hairy sheep too! in the female dorm every bed has a blue sky wallpaper like in Toy Story!!!! 🥹 I was a bit worried because the comments say there's lots of rules and that they are strict and don't open the door for people in the rain. But the thing is: there are some rules, because they are two people (+ another lady who helps with cleaning) taking care of a big house. It needs some organization and routines. They provide storage and the area has great options to enjoy while waiting - if necessary. Is a small town, many great restaurants around - the shop right next to the station that sells local products is a must trying repeatedly, the best onsen in the region is 3 minutes away, a Lawson across the street. I greatly enjoyed my time in Aso and everyday was glad to be going back to Aso Base. It is a place to come with a light and warm heart and soul ( they will certainly retribute), where you can have great conversations, play games or read a book, cozily nested and drinking tea while the fireplace and many lighting create a whole vibe. I've booked 4 nights and wish they were 8! Kamsahamnida and Domo Arigato, Myong and Yoshi!!!

Having lived in Japan for over ten years, I have to commend this hotel. It far exceeded my expectations. 1. Right outside the door is the largest local bus terminal, making it incredibly convenient to get to the airport, Aso, Amakusa, and Fukuoka. 2. The price is half or even less than half of surrounding hotels. I originally had no expectations, thinking it would just be a cheap place to crash. 3. While the hallway decor looks a bit dated, it perfectly aligns with the MUJI団地 (housing complex) design philosophy. You even use a traditional key to open the door. 4. Although the room has an old-style Japanese business hotel decor, it's exceptionally clean and very spacious. The room design is well-thought-out, making it comfortable and secure to use. 5. Both check-in and check-out at the front desk were handled with meticulous care and polite, professional service. This is something even much more expensive hotels I've stayed at elsewhere often fail to deliver. 6. I stayed here for five consecutive nights and had a great experience. I would definitely choose this hotel again for future family trips.

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.

Really nice place to stay in, exclusive experience, you don’t really need to do any onsen hoping if you stay here, one private onsen booking per day which means 2 booking for one night stay and you have got guest only public onsen which alternate each day. They were kind enough to accommodate our vegetarian diet even though they weren’t too happy about that because they had to change their whole menu, so I would suggest checking with them before making the booking. Overall, definitely worth it.

The hotel's front desk service was excellent. They quickly and helpfully resolved a bug with the parking lot access, which was very thoughtful. The room was small, a typical Japanese-style room. The location is quite good. The image shows the information for the hotel's partner parking lot.

部屋は広々としていて、くつろげました。古さはありますが、清潔にされていて良かったです。 温泉も、熱い湯が好きな自分としては熱い所が小さかったのが気になりましたが空いていたので問題はありませんでした。温いお湯しかない所も多いので、あるだけプラスかなと思います。 アメニティーも充分でしたが、一つだけ悪い点としてスリッパが自分には合わず足の甲が痛くて苦痛でした。大浴場まで結構距離があるので、ここだけは改善してほしいなと思いました。もっと柔らかいものだと良いのかな？ それ以外は値段から見て大満足でした。また機会があれば行きたいですね。

I finally realized my long-held dream of staying here, having booked the room over half a year in advance. Its location is indeed quite remote, nestled deep in the mountains. Upon arrival, a car picked us up directly from the hot spring bus stop, and the elderly driver was incredibly warm and friendly! The heavy rain on the day of our visit truly enhanced the ambiance. The room itself was incredibly spacious. Surprisingly, even in June and with the rain, it got so cold at night that we needed to turn on the air conditioning. The cuisine was also quite sophisticated. Dinner was exquisite, though the portions were a bit on the small side, leaving me not quite full... The private six-foot outdoor bath was absolutely unforgettable – a definite must-book! If I had to nitpick, for a price tag exceeding 3000 (currency unspecified), I expected the service to be a touch more enthusiastic and friendly. I couldn't shake the feeling of being treated slightly differently (compared to what I observed for local Japanese guests and Westerners). Having stayed at no fewer than 10-20 hot spring ryokans in this price range, I'd say claims of 'superb service' are a bit of an overstatement. Overall, I'd give it an 80/100, and despite the minor points, I still highly recommend it!

The location is a bit out of the way. From JR Aso Station, you can take a bus and get off at Uchimaki Station (about 20 minutes) and then walk for five minutes to get there. The surrounding environment of the hotel is very quiet, surrounded by countryside, the interior decoration is exquisite, and the rooms are very comfortable. There is a small courtyard landscape in the middle, which is very suitable for sitting on a chair and dazing. There is a family hot spring available for use. The hotel's meals are mostly Kumamoto's local cuisine, which is very suitable to my taste. The service attitude is very good. There is only one Nepali guy who can speak English, but the service attitude is really warm and impressive. All in all highly recommended!

Facilities: The hotel, built in 2021, is quite new. I stayed on the fifth floor, and they have ice makers and water dispensers, so it's fine even if your room doesn't come with complimentary water. This is also the only hotel where you can add an extra bed and the room is 40 square meters. They even allow luggage storage until my next stay. I've checked with all the surrounding five-star hotels, and they either have small rooms, expensive rooms, don't allow extra beds, or can't store luggage for an extended period. This is truly a major highlight! Hygiene: I have to complain about the hygiene. In room 507, the bathroom sink had no cover, and there were many tiny flying insects inside. I sprayed mosquito repellent here, and it was only when I saw many dead insects at the opening that I realized the issue. My son even got bitten and had bumps on his chest. Environment: It's super convenient, only 150 meters from Hakata Chikushi-guchi. Yodobashi Camera is right across the street, so you can shop 'til you drop! There are also many convenience stores nearby. Service: The breakfast selection isn't huge, but it's fine for a one-day stay. I highly recommend the breakfast coffee – it's very rich.

Conveniently Located, but Wouldn't Return Due to Room ConditionOn the bright side, the hotel has an excellent location. It was easy to locate and surrounded by various attractions and convenience stores. The staff at the front desk was polite and accommodating as well. However, the room condition was disappointing. Right after checking in, I noticed a severe musty smell reminiscent of damp, old laundry. Thankfully, the friendly staff provided a handle to open the window, so I aired out the room while eating dinner outside. However, the room was extremely small.