Aeruyado Takamatsu — Hotel in Kusatsu

Aeruyado Takamatsu is a mix of refinement and frustration — a property with tastefully designed rooms and generous amenities, but weighed down by maintenance issues, confusing dining, and uneven service.

The Positives

The guest rooms strike a careful balance between tradition and modernity: new tatami flooring, comfortable lighting, and a layout that feels refreshed. The yukata selection was genuinely thoughtful — multiple sizes neatly stocked in-room, with designs that were flattering rather than generic. Amenities were a standout, offering four cosmetic lines (Mikimoto pearl, Paul Smith, another Japanese brand, and the house line). These details elevated the feel of the stay beyond what’s typical for Kusatsu.

The onsen baths were soothing, and the use of premium grooming products post-soak added to the experience. At breakfast, the miso soup and hot buffet dishes were satisfying and well-prepared.

The Negatives

That said, several issues undermined the stay:

Cleanliness & Upkeep: The circular outdoor bath was extremely slippery. Ceilings showed visible mold, shower fixtures were dirty, and the white plastic wash bowls were greasy. Wallpaper in the rooms was peeling in places, which cheapened the otherwise tasteful decor.

Dining Confusion: Breakfast was one of the most frustrating parts. At check-in, you’re required to pre-select a “Western breakfast.” But when you arrive in the morning, the buffet is tucked behind a wall in a corner, with a strange layout that causes bottlenecks (beverages in the middle, hot dishes at the end). After you’ve already gone through the buffet — wondering if you should even take much, since you vaguely recall pre-ordering something — a Western breakfast plate suddenly arrives at your table. This was never clearly explained, and by the time it appeared, it felt redundant and disjointed. The Western plate itself lacked seasoning, and the overall buffet had no real sense of local Kusatsu orientation, more “international hotel” than terrain-rooted flavor.

Service & Atmosphere: Check-in was awkward, slowed by a large group arriving at the same time. Staff were polite and attentive, but it felt performative, as if you were constantly being watched. Once the bill was paid, the warmth dropped noticeably. The departure was a low point: while waiting for the shuttle, I felt unwelcome, and no help was offered with luggage. I ended up straddling my suitcase on my lap in the back of the van while the driver swerved recklessly through Kusatsu’s hills.

Location: The property is a significant walk from Yubatake, which may be inconvenient if you want to be close to Kusatsu’s center.

Verdict

Aeruyado Takamatsu has the bones of a great ryokan stay — generous amenities, refined room details, and an ambition to blend tradition with modern touches. But the cracks show: cleanliness issues, confusing breakfast logistics, a lack of privacy, and an ungracious send-off. A stay here can be comfortable, but expect moments that pull you out of the atmosphere and remind you how much work still...

Aeruyado Takamatsu in Kusatsu||This hotel markets itself online as a boutique hotel in Kusatsu. However, upon check-in, we realised that it was very far from any nice boutique hotel. The room was so small and spartan that we had to move small pieces of furniture out to the tiny balcony in order to accommodate our luggage so that we had walking space. The room pictured online which we booked was not honoured. The room allocated to us faced the car park with no view and a glaring street lamp shone right into our room whole night long. ||They offered pathetic value for a package of over JPY 42,000. ||Food was bad. Dinner was served in another hotel which they called Sister Lodge which was a good 5 minutes walk away. Imagine if it was raining or snowing heavily, it would be so inconvenient to walk to the dinner place. Dinner offered was buffet with some set items. The quality of ingredients and taste of food served was not on par as the ones offered at good ryokans, and for a package of above JPY 40,000, it is way below par. ||Breakfast was again pathetic. We had a choice of mains selected from 3 options given (2 slices of roast beef or scramble egg or omelette). The roast beef served was tiny and tough. The scramble egg served was too watery. I had to request for a change to omelette. The rest was buffet from a small spread. ||We went to more than 10 ryokans for this trip. The room and board offered by this hotel was the worst we encountered. Everything was below par standard provided by any decent Japanese ryokan for the price tag. The pictures on the website was deceiving and the actual outdoor hot tub was much smaller than the pictures. ||I will NOT recommend anyone to stay at this hotel. A...

The room was beautiful, we opted for modern japanese room with open air bath. The was very specious and overall is modern and clean. The open bath I believe is onsen water, which we couldn’t alter the temperature and it was a bit hot for our liking.

Yukata was provided in the room so you could wear it out. The in house shared bath was a bit small but you could go to their main branch which the onsen there is bigger. There is less room in this branch so our stay was very quiet and peaceful. Breakfast was normal but you have to book time slots. There is shuttle back to the bus station but you need to reserve in advance and comes pretty infrequently.

Only con is the location, it’s a bit of a walk (5-8mins) from the main location. But good if you drive as there is parking...