Guest House Asora

The bed was hard to get in and out of. Its mattress was too soft, and the wooden frame sat higher than the mattress. The ground-floor common area was very cold in March. It's a two-storey property with four rooms, two downstairs and two upstairs. There is one shower shared by all four rooms. The three washbasins are downstairs near the ladies' toilet, and there's one ladies' toilet plus another toilet for men and women. Check-in is only from 5pm to 9pm. The place was nice and clean.

We were there only from 19:30 to 7:00, which was plenty. It cost 9k for the night and served as a quick stopover, so at least we got a funny story to tell friends. The springy mattresses were uncomfortable too, though that was almost a side issue. The welcome and all the laminated rules and instructions came across as so passive aggressive that it was hard to settle in. There were six laminated sheets in the shower alone. Before we arrived, communication felt suffocating. We could only confirm our 19:30 arrival by car so many times. We struggled with the feel of the house and the lack of warmth or kindness in the way the lady spoke to us. It had the vibe of Katy Bates’s doll house, in character.

The owner was very kind and trusting. Since the bicycle at the tourist booth was being repaired, she let us use the hostel's bike for longer than an hour. She also suggested some good places to eat and a traditional onsen with discounted tickets. This was the cleanest hostel I've stayed in across many countries. It's well equipped, with clear instructions.

Toto, the owner, was so nice, and the house was spotlessly clean. The rooms were lovely and I slept really well, the mattress was great. It's also only a 10-minute walk from Aso station. A great, authentic stay!