Aso District Hotels with Parking

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.

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!

Rooms, open-air hot springs, service... almost perfect! I could easily stay here for two or three days alone and not get bored. If you arrange it in advance, the driver will pick you up from the bus station and also drop you off when you leave, so there's absolutely no need to worry about transportation. I'm so glad I chose this hotel; thankfully, I didn't stay in the center of Kurokawa town, which was too crowded and a bit noisy. Why 'almost'? Because the duvet didn't have a proper cover, just a thin sheet separating it, which got messy every time I moved. It didn't feel very hygienic or comfortable. The food was just okay, nothing particularly outstanding, but it was filling. However, the dining environment was very pleasant! Overall, this is a hotel I would highly recommend to friends!

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.

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.

We are a couple from Australia and I only speak a little Japanese. This was a truly AMAZING experience! The staff were so kind and friendly, giving us assistance was no issue for them. The location is stunning, the private onsen was glorious and the dinners and breakfasts were bigger than we could possibly eat (and we love our food). The price point for this experience was so good - fantastic value for money. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a little adventure in the heart of countryside Japan. If you get the chance to also visit Minamiaso (they will take you there at no extra charge) for the day, grab some e-bikes and have a ride around- take in the beautiful scenery and wonderful food options.

It’s a good private house. But I’m won’t recommend if weather is cold or raining, or if you’re traveling with young kids. I travelled with my family with two toddlers. The bath and onsen are outdoors, not quite well lit and not well covered. The hot water water pressure is low, and the water is either very hot or very cold. It was a cold, raining and windy that night. It was a horrible experience for us because of the above, and the kids had a lot of trouble taking a bath. And we were worried they might catch a cold. And strangely the door lock of the bath is locked from the outside and not from the inside. Also remember to buy food before entering. We bought ours and cooked our own dinner. Otherwise, it’s a good private house, probably best for adults.

From entering the parking lot everything is taken care of, the rooms are enormous, the size of and amenities of a decently sized appartment along with a large kitchen and finally a private onsen fit for two people right next to the beautiful Kurokawa onsen river, aswell as a small waterfall creating an absolutely dreamy experience. The Ryokan is a about a five minutes walk outside the city center which is absolutely no problem as you have everything you need there. The gentleman in the reception speaks decent English so even with no japanese knowledge you should be fine They only seem to have four rooms, we got lucky and booked two days ahead, but most likely won't be that lucky. Absolutely would go again, great experience

The main plus this location , if you want to be quiet alone with nature ... Early in the morning even the deer breakfasted opposite our terrace 🦌 The common swimming pools were very much liked , the water was hot as you wanted . The room in Japanese style was taken and it corresponds to the mood , I wanted to enter Japanese culture . The hotel owners helped us in this 🙏 All staff very kind . Food is very delicious , for two nights different menus . Thank you the chef of the chef 🙏 It was my birthday and I spent a great time . The Recan fulfilled our expectations 💫