Enokiya Ryokan — Hotel in Yufu

I had several criteria when I was choosing my accommodation in Yufuin:||1) Location- It has to be within reasonable walking distance from JR Yufuin station.||2) Price - Since I was by myself (not with a friend, or someone to share the cost with), I set the budget to be no more than $ 100 per night.||3) Onsen - I wanted a place with a private onsen that I can enjoy.||Enokiya Ryokan meets all of my requirements, so I decided to stay there for one night. ||I arrived at the ryokan around 12 PM. The staff was flexible enough to let me check in and and have my room right away, which is pretty rare for any Japanese hotel or ryokan, since they are usually pretty strict about check-in time. It was nice to settle in a bit before I go out for lunch. The staff spoke enough English to communicate with guests, and there is even a ryokan & onsen guideline in English/Chinese/Korean, which I think can be very helpful for newcomers. (I have stayed at several ryokans with onsens - so I know the etiquette, but I still appreciate their attention to details)||My room was quite spacious. It was on the second floor, with a view of the stream that flows through the town. I booked a room with a toilet and sink because I wanted the convenience.||I found the onsen to be a bit disappointing because a) the private bath was way too hot to even have a foot bath and b) the private one was inside and had no view. Consequently, I ended up in the women's onsen, which had an outdoor part and reasonable water temperature, but still the view was not impressive.||Unfortunately, this place didn't offer a half-board package (or maybe it was during the low season) -so I went out looking for a place to have dinner. However, nothing was open and I came back to the ryokan assuming that at least their bar would be open, but it wasn't. They said it was closed, but I didn't understand if it was for the day or for the season. I had to go out again on a food find when it was already dark (and small towns have dimly lit streets), which was ok for me since I feel safe, but I had to carry a torch with me! Luckily, I stumbled upon a nice place where I could enjoy a shabu shabu set dinner.||Their breakfast is traditional Japanese style, and you can choose between 8:00 and 8:20 AM. It you have diet restrictions, it might not be ideal for you to have breakfast at the ryokan.||The onsen and the ryokan may not be top-notch, but it served my purpose of having a quiet getaway in a small town thanks to the location being off...

I had several criteria when I was choosing my accommodation in Yufuin:||1) Location- It has to be within reasonable walking distance from JR Yufuin station.||2) Price - Since I was by myself (not with a friend, or someone to share the cost with), I set the budget to be no more than $ 100 per night.||3) Onsen - I wanted a place with a private onsen that I can enjoy.||Enokiya Ryokan meets all of my requirements, so I decided to stay there for one night. ||I arrived at the ryokan around 12 PM. The staff was flexible enough to let me check in and and have my room right away, which is pretty rare for any Japanese hotel or ryokan, since they are usually pretty strict about check-in time. It was nice to settle in a bit before I go out for lunch. The staff spoke enough English to communicate with guests, and there is even a ryokan & onsen guideline in English/Chinese/Korean, which I think can be very helpful for newcomers. (I have stayed at several ryokans with onsens - so I know the etiquette, but I still appreciate their attention to details)||My room was quite spacious. It was on the second floor, with a view of the stream that flows through the town. I booked a room with a toilet and sink because I wanted the convenience.||I found the onsen to be a bit disappointing because a) the private bath was way too hot to even have a foot bath and b) the private one was inside and had no view. Consequently, I ended up in the women's onsen, which had an outdoor part and reasonable water temperature, but still the view was not impressive.||Unfortunately, this place didn't offer a half-board package (or maybe it was during the low season) -so I went out looking for a place to have dinner. However, nothing was open and I came back to the ryokan assuming that at least their bar would be open, but it wasn't. They said it was closed, but I didn't understand if it was for the day or for the season. I had to go out again on a food find when it was already dark (and small towns have dimly lit streets), which was ok for me since I feel safe, but I had to carry a torch with me! Luckily, I stumbled upon a nice place where I could enjoy a shabu shabu set dinner.||Their breakfast is traditional Japanese style, and you can choose between 8:00 and 8:20 AM. It you have diet restrictions, it might not be ideal for you to have breakfast at the ryokan.||The onsen and the ryokan may not be top-notch, but it served my purpose of having a quiet getaway in a small town thanks to the location being off...

We ran into Japanese long weekend holidays and had problem booking a room in Yufuin. Enoki ha Ryokan was one of the few we could choose from. It is a 15 min walk from the train station. It's rather tiring lugging our 25 inch trolley bag along the small street. The ryokan is located along the river and away from the main street lines with shops, so it is quiet and comfy. The lake is only 7 min walk away.||Our room was on the 3rd level which is top floor but there is no lift. The staff brought our luggage up but when checked out, we got to carry them down ourselves. ||We booked a Japanese style room with tatami and mattress on the floor. The room came with a basin and a toilet. For shower, it's shared on the first level with public onsen. There is a private one too, for those who are embarrassed to shower with strangers around.||Breakfast was oiishi, provided you don't mind having rice in the morning. Small delicate dishes, free flow of rice, miso soup, and an onsen egg... We regretted not having dinner at the ryokan as we reckoned it will...