Kurokawa Onsen Oyado Noshiyu — Hotel in Minamioguni

It’s not a luxury ryokan and there’s only a few pictures and little info about the room. I don’t know what to expect but the photos taken by other guests around the property were truly beautiful. ||I stayed in the room “Shion” and it was one of the five (?) rooms that contained an en-suite bathroom. It looked like a dated traditional Japanese room in the hotel’s website, though I know that this ryokan was actually built and opened in the 90s, not an old property at all. ||It was located next to the nicely decorated coffee room, vending machines and close to the reception area. Dining place was just a little further. All connected under one roof. This is very important for us since it was rainy on the day we checked in. ||I was satisfied with the room’s decor. The room was more spacious than expected. Clean, cozy with a lovely scent of tea in the air. The in-room foot bath unique to this room was a nice touch and it was more convenient than those Kotatsu-style foot bath. We enjoyed it very much. The irori was not fired with charcoal but was covered. The arrangement is good since the charcoal fired hearth will make the room stuffy. I usually don’t like sleeping on tatami, but I slept soundly that night with the fluffy futon . Also I don’t hear any noise from the neighboring room or the traffic outside.||This is not a top-tiered ryokan. You may well be aware that the number, size and quality of the towels provided cannot compare to those luxurious properties. There was no free mini-bar but just vending machines. The in-room rock bath was small and rough. There’s no butler, of course. If you have problem adjusting the temperature of your bath, you have to tell them before dinner. Dinner time is fixed at 1800 and you will certainly see other guests when you step out of your room. Nevertheless, our stay was comfortable. Staffs were polite and hospitable. The room was equipped with good heating devices, a fully automated toilet, a powerful hairdryer, and some good quality skincare, hair & body wash, which I wanted to buy. I was pleasantly surprised by these. ||The public and private baths were located in another side of the main building, where you need to pass through an outdoor moss-covered courtyard. We didn’t go to the public open-air bath but had checked out the private indoor baths, they’re rustic, just a bath & without any other facilities but looked interesting.||Meals were served in a private room in the restaurant. It didn’t come with horse sashimi, crab, lobster or other sumptuous ingredients but it tasted good. The add-on premium Akashi beef, however, was not impressive. ||I decided to stay at a ryokan near the Kawabata street just because of the Yu Akari. However it turned out to be a very good experience though I still didn’t like to bump into other guests during my stay. Oyado Nishiyu is a great choice and the property has done a good job making their guests...

It’s not a luxury ryokan and there’s only a few pictures and little info about the room. I don’t know what to expect but the photos taken by other guests around the property were truly beautiful. ||I stayed in the room “Shion” and it was one of the five (?) rooms that contained an en-suite bathroom. It looked like a dated traditional Japanese room in the hotel’s website, though I know that this ryokan was actually built and opened in the 90s, not an old property at all. ||It was located next to the nicely decorated coffee room, vending machines and close to the reception area. Dining place was just a little further. All connected under one roof. This is very important for us since it was rainy on the day we checked in. ||I was satisfied with the room’s decor. The room was more spacious than expected. Clean, cozy with a lovely scent of tea in the air. The in-room foot bath unique to this room was a nice touch and it was more convenient than those Kotatsu-style foot bath. We enjoyed it very much. The irori was not fired with charcoal but was covered. The arrangement is good since the charcoal fired hearth will make the room stuffy. I usually don’t like sleeping on tatami, but I slept soundly that night with the fluffy futon . Also I don’t hear any noise from the neighboring room or the traffic outside.||This is not a top-tiered ryokan. You may well be aware that the number, size and quality of the towels provided cannot compare to those luxurious properties. There was no free mini-bar but just vending machines. The in-room rock bath was small and rough. There’s no butler, of course. If you have problem adjusting the temperature of your bath, you have to tell them before dinner. Dinner time is fixed at 1800 and you will certainly see other guests when you step out of your room. Nevertheless, our stay was comfortable. Staffs were polite and hospitable. The room was equipped with good heating devices, a fully automated toilet, a powerful hairdryer, and some good quality skincare, hair & body wash, which I wanted to buy. I was pleasantly surprised by these. ||The public and private baths were located in another side of the main building, where you need to pass through an outdoor moss-covered courtyard. We didn’t go to the public open-air bath but had checked out the private indoor baths, they’re rustic, just a bath & without any other facilities but looked interesting.||Meals were served in a private room in the restaurant. It didn’t come with horse sashimi, crab, lobster or other sumptuous ingredients but it tasted good. The add-on premium Akashi beef, however, was not impressive. ||I decided to stay at a ryokan near the Kawabata street just because of the Yu Akari. However it turned out to be a very good experience though I still didn’t like to bump into other guests during my stay. Oyado Nishiyu is a great choice and the property has done a good job making their guests...

If you like an intimate, quiet, discreet place, with quaint olden day village feels, this is definitely a place to consider.

The service is amazing. From the time you arrive, they are always on the lookout for their guests. When we parked the car, someone came out to get our bags and carry them in. We literally had a private check-in, as we were ushered into a private waiting room, and were served hot tea and snacks (mochi i think?). It was a nice touch, as it was raining when we arrived, and this was a nice way to be welcomed.

The room was quiet and intimate too. It was actually built on quite a high raised platform, somewhat like a treehouse, and built around 2 trees! The beds were plush and nice! There was a swing on the verandah, which was quite nice. We also had a private hot pool to use in the basement, which was a nice touch. It was raining on the day we went, and the rain pelting down on thatched roof added to the quaint village feels of the place. It was pretty cold that night, so we didn't have to turn on the air conditioner.

Cost-wise, it wasn't cheap, but it was worth every penny. Do note that they only take cash. No credit cards taken.

Meals were intricate, again adding to the warmth and village feel. We had one of the best grilled beef as part of the kaiseki dinner we had. It was so tasty, full of beefy goodness and rich in taste. The rest of dinner was just amazing, and should be experienced in person.

I highly recommend this place. One of the special ones tucked in the small townlet of Kurokawa Onsen. Thank you so much for the rich...