Beppu Kankaiji Onsen Ryotei Matsubaya

I felt at home here. The staff were patient, smiling, and very hospitable, and they even cleaned our car before we left. Little things stood out, like the fragrance bags on the bed, the okami-san’s sweetness, and their best efforts to communicate in English. The kashikiri hot springs are worth trying, each with its own theme, though I wish the changing areas had better ventilation or air conditioning. The baths were still a great experience. The meals were good quality, with a few western touches that surprised me since I prefer Japanese-style food. This is a high-quality onsen ryokan with what you’d expect, though it wasn’t the most luxurious one I’ve stayed at. For me, the hospitality was among the best, and the stay felt worth what I paid.

The complimentary coffee, drinks, and draft beer in the cafe, bar, and lounge were a lovely surprise. We also thought the traditional Japanese breakfast went well beyond what we expected, and all the private and family baths were lovely. My wife and I have traveled around Japan quite a bit over the last decade, and Matsubaya has become our favorite place for a deeply relaxing stay. Our room was nicely appointed and had a very nice city and sea view. The staff are warm, welcoming, and helpful. We’ll be back again and again. The service, food, and everything else were excellent.

I enjoyed the hot spring bath, and the free drink bar was good. The front desk staff were also very nice. But the service in the restaurant, especially when food was being served, felt very different for foreign guests than for local people. Some of the local male restaurant staff seemed to think I couldn’t understand their language and made comments about us. I did understand, and it hurt. I regret choosing matubaya. It may be good for local people, but some staff seemed narrow-minded, and as a foreigner I didn’t feel welcome.

We stayed in the annex, where the room was large enough for four adults, though there were three of us. It had two queen beds with more modern, western-style mattresses, plus extra futons on the floor for a more traditional Japanese option. The room also had the amenities we expected and more, including a private onsen on the balcony with a city view. There are four private onsen on site, as well as a public one. The included meals were very good, the best of the four ryokan we stayed at in the prefecture. After a bath, we liked having the lounge with free soft drinks and alcohol, snacks, tea, and coffee. Service was great from the start: we were met at the bottom of the driveway and shown each step of the way to our room, just what you’d expect from a Japanese ryokan.