Hot Spring Hotels in Aso District

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!

This place is simply gorgeous. The hotel is beautifully designed to give a real zen feeling. The room was spacious enough for a family, the bed was plush (they also had tatami for those interested) and they even offered Kose skincare products in the room. It had big sliding doors that offered its own Japanese garden and quality tea set to brew your own tea in the room. The breakfast was simple but wholesome (not a single fried food in sight) and offering fresh ingredients. The only drawbacks for me was 1) there were no shower in the room, so you had to use the public bathing area and 2) this ryokan is a fair bit away from Kurokawa Onsen so it is an inconvenient if you’re looking to do some onsen-hopping. Having your own car would be ideal. If you have the time, I would highly recommend staying at the Hanashoan to experience some relaxing time.

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.

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!

The service was excellent, and the food, both breakfast and dinner, was great. The onsen was comfortable and clean. It's a shame that the massage chair required a coin-operated subscription; normally, hotels of this caliber and price shouldn't charge extra for it.

The photos I saw when I booked this hot spring ryokan online seemed like nothing, but when I came here it was two completely different views. The hot spring in the room is very comfortable, the room is very clean, the environment is very quiet. This time it was one stay and two meals, the food was delicious, you can see the attentiveness of this hot spring inn, each food is small and tastes good. The staff who checked us in was very attentive and explained very clearly, the service was very good. The attitude of the restaurant's staff is also 10% satisfactory. I want this hostel from Aso Volcano, definitely a good choice. 

Traveling as a family of four, we booked this inn primarily for its private onsen, and the experience far exceeded our expectations. The inn boasts 8 private baths, so there's no need to rush or share – you can soak whenever you like, which is especially convenient for families traveling with seniors. We took turns trying out several different styles, both open-air and indoor. After soaking, our skin felt incredibly smooth. The sound of the stream in the valley and the birdsong was incredibly therapeutic. The stay included two meals, dinner and breakfast. The Bungo beef BBQ for dinner was substantial, and the elders thoroughly enjoyed it. The onsen egg and local miso soup for breakfast were also very authentic. It's about a 3-hour bus ride from Fukuoka; the mountain roads are winding but offer beautiful scenery. Our whole family unanimously rated it highly. This night at Kurokawa Onsen was the most relaxing part of our trip. It's perfect for families who want a quiet hot spring experience without being disturbed.

I love almost everything about this ryokan - the facility, the room( it’s a massive suite with living room, Bedroom, private onsen and private bathroom etc. very spacious) the outdoor onsen, the private onsen… The highlight is the food! Absolutely amazing! It’s seasonal and high quality with horse sashimi,tuna toro, even the starter is delicate and delicious; and two types of local wagyu beef - melt in your mouth. We have been to many ryokans over the years, with some charging double the price than we paid here, and I would say this is one of our favourite. Our waiter was a lovely young man who can speak good Chinese and tell us about his recent trip to HK. We adore him. I used the massage chair a lot every time after the onsen bath. It’s heavenly. We went to another ryokan (深山山莊）afterwards in the same area and it can’t compare to this level of comfort or food quality. The only one slight con is that our room has no view as it’s surrounded by the walk path and buildings, and we have to keep it shut the whole time. Maybe because I booked last minute and can only have the last room. But the public outdoor onsen is looking into the stream, it’s beautiful. Another highlight is the massage chair in the suite.

My luggage was too heavy, so I asked the hotel shuttle to take me to the station. The Chinese-speaking woman at the front desk was very unhelpful. She kept saying it was very close and I could walk, and then that there was no driver. She made me wait, only to tell me again that it was too close and they wouldn't take me. Haha, so I was dragging two suitcases out the door myself when a Japanese staff member ran out and said they could take me after all. Really left a bad impression, especially that Chinese-speaking woman at the front desk. Avoid this place.