Hotele z: spa w Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan

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!

A round trip from Tenjin by bus costs 8000 yen and takes three hours! Remember to book your tickets in advance as there aren't many services. The old street in Kurokawa Onsen is very quaint and full of character! Most of the onsen ryokans are built along the creek. The ryokans are simple and clean! In the open-air onsen, you can listen to the gentle flow of the stream and feel that sense of tranquility. In the evening, during the illumination season, walking around in a yukata and geta (wooden clogs) is truly delightful! The kaiseki dinner featured exquisite and unique dishes, including local horse meat and wagyu beef! It was very filling, even for a woman! Please note that the restaurant intentionally doesn't have Wi-Fi; the owner hopes guests can quietly enjoy their meal without disturbance! I absolutely applaud this! The ryokan also offers a shuttle service to Kurokawa Onsen Station, which is a 5-minute drive away. Next time, I plan to stay in Kurokawa Onsen for two days to fully enjoy the peace and quiet!

Room is big & clean. Pillow not very comfortable. The shower room is small, good to have a shelf to put toilette. Staff are very friendly. They tried their best to communicate with us. Breakfast & dinner spread is very good. But almost similar range after 3 nights can be a little overwhelming. Onsen is good.

I love the interior of this resort. The staff members are really friendly and helpful. I had little knowledge in selecting local onsen resort, so my initial expectation was not high. Much to my surprise, I love everything this hotel has had. Facility wise everything looks brand new. The room is spacious and comfy. The public bath and indoor onsen are big and clean. As for the meals, the presentations were good and they were delicious. I have no complaint about it. Keep up with the good work. Look forward to staying there again.

Right across from the bus station, and super convenient for getting to JR (Japan Railways) by tram – it's a flat 200 yen fare. The hotel's rooftop onsen is a real highlight. The room was tiny but clean. They don't provide toiletries in the room, but you can grab free toothbrushes and combs downstairs. Coffee is available from 6 AM daily, but it's a shame there's no milk. There's a Lawson convenience store just a few steps away, which is really handy.

Amakusa is at the edge of Kumamoto, and transportation is inconvenient. You can take the Amakusa bus from Kumamoto, which takes two and a half hours on the road. There will be no group tours in this place, which is good. It is quiet and the hot springs are basically like a private place. The hotel facilities are relatively new, the sea view is extremely beautiful, and the hot spring water quality is excellent. But there are no places to play around, so in the hotel you can: watch the sea, soak in hot springs, and be in a daze. Note: There are only two ways to leave Amakusa, one is to return to Kumamoto, and the other is to take a ferry across the sea to Nagasaki. Don't choose the Lingbei Steamship plan to go to Nagasaki. If the wind speed is greater than 10 meters/second, the steamer will stop sailing. The wind speed in Amakusa is 16-30 meters/second every day. It depends on the weather to sail. There is a forecast on the blog of Lingbei Steamship. Once it can sail, it will be like good news. If you really want to go to Nagasaki, it is best to choose to take the car and passenger ferry to Oniike Port, which basically will not stop sailing. It costs more than 3,000 yen to take a taxi from Amakusa Angel Garden Hotel to Oniike Port. After crossing the sea to Kuchikozu Port, take a bus to Isahaya, where you can transfer to the Nagasaki Line train to Nagasaki Station.

The hotel is okay, but quite old and outdated, so I'd say it should be cheaper for what they provide. Location is perfect for an overnight before your flight though. Stuff is friendly and helping, also they gift you a tasty ice cream. Hot bath also looks old, but it's a nice addition to relax before sleep, you can even watch the stars late evening in onsen. You can see the mountains from your window and lots of green houses) Breakfast cost is 1500 jpy, I didn't use this option. Overall everything was okay, but I believe they need to renovate rooms.

The location is super convenient, just a few steps from Shintori Shopping Arcade with tons of food options, and there's a Family Mart right downstairs. The hotel is very new, and the service is excellent. Though the room is small, it has everything you need. The late-night ramen, free popsicles, and Yakult are a big plus! It's a 10-minute taxi ride from Kumamoto Station, and you can walk to most major attractions. Highly recommended!

It's located very near to the train station that is very convenient for travelling and with many restaurants around. Room is rather small but clean with all the necessities required. The public bath and free breakfast are extra bonus for the booking. We enjoyed our stay very much.

The bad reviews of the service were for the agency and Ctrip customer service. Later, Ctrip customer service apologized to me sincerely. It is best to book on the official website yourself. The agency is too bad. The service of the hotel is excellent. The hotel is in Kurokawa Onsen. I am a free traveler and do not drive myself. The transportation is inconvenient. There is no train, only bus, and there are only three buses a day. The Kurokawa Onsen bus station is an unmanned station with no toilets, no taxis, and no business. Based on some common sense about the inconvenience of transportation in the secret hot spring, I asked Ctrip customer service to make an appointment for the station the day before, and was told that there was no pick-up service and I had to walk there myself. At that time, I felt that it was wrong. Apple navigation said that it was 20 minutes away. As a result, I was dumbfounded when I arrived at the station. I contacted the hotel myself. The front desk did not speak English well. He asked me where my name came from and immediately knew that he sent a car to pick me up. When I arrived, the driver bowed and apologized to me. It took 5 or 6 minutes to drive to the hotel. It was all uphill without signs. When checking in, the hotel staff said that they wanted to ask me how to get to the hotel, but the agency was a landline and no one answered. The hotel has always had a pick-up service. Yueguangshu Hotel is almost perfect. There are only 8 rooms, each of which is very good, and the facilities and supplies are extremely attentive and of excellent quality. Each room has two indoor and outdoor hot springs. The hot spring water is of excellent quality and is really skin-beautifying. The food is top-notch and very enjoyable. In addition, the hotel does not need to find staff who can speak Chinese. Japanese employees are much more polite and enthusiastic. It is enough to use translation software or gestures. The main reason for coming to Japan is that I like the enthusiasm and uncompromised service. In short, Gekkoju is worth a try and I will come again. The water quality of Kurokawa Onsen is well-deserved. There are also high-quality hotels such as Takefu. It is up to you to choose a budget. They are all quite good, but it is too deserted and the transportation is inconvenient. There are no convenience stores or coffee shops, only two or three restaurants. If you want to stay a few more days and stay in a few more hotels, you don’t know where to go after checking out at noon.