Arima Road Yuuwa Hot Spring Hotel

The biggest issue for me was that I didn't feel welcome. A few times, Japanese guests were treated differently from us. For example, staff took their luggage to the shuttle, but didn't even offer to do that for us. I also felt overlooked: when describing dishes, asking for a signature on a check with my name on it, or talking about amenities, staff addressed only my husband. I can remember one or two exceptions, and one was after he pointed this out. It wasn't a huge issue, but it left me feeling like I didn't exist. We got almost no information in English. All the warnings and information signs were in Japanese, so we had to use our phones to translate nearly everything. It felt like you had to know Japanese, how to wear a yukata, and the onsen etiquette. We'd stayed at another ryokan with onsens before, so it wasn't a major problem, but we still didn't feel they wanted to help. The receptionist was also unhelpful when we were choosing baths to book. He only gave us information after we'd picked time slots. We chose an early open air bath and only then learned about the nighttime light show. When we changed our slot based on that, he then mentioned there was a sauna too. Having to rethink it several times because we weren't told everything up front was uncomfortable. Don't expect a prime time slot at the open air baths. They were mostly booked by guests staying several days or arriving early. We arrived close to 3 PM, and there was very little availability. The options were either 3 or 4 PM, or 10-11 PM. We also didn't get any check-in details or confirmation a few days beforehand. We only learned about the private transfer from the city after hiking to the hotel with our luggage. The good parts: we had one of the newest rooms, with a private bath, and it was spacious and comfortable. The food was excellent, just the right amount, and looked and tasted amazing. We had dinner and breakfast at the second restaurant in a separate room just for us. The karaoke room was fun and had lots of international songs. They also took our picture during dinner, printed it, and gave it to us at checkout. The private baths you can book didn't seem much different from the one in our room. You can only book two of them, one indoor and one outdoor, so with a one-night stay there's no way to try them all. The amenities were the usual hotel set, with nothing extra beyond the yukatas you're meant to wear during your stay. Conclusion:

After doing a lot of research, I found this little gem. I prefer smaller ryokan with different onsens to try, and this place was just what I wanted. The staff were warm and welcoming, and both dinner and breakfast were so good they felt almost like kaiseki at a proper restaurant. And the kinsen onsen was amazing. The real hidden gem, though, is the pair of D-Core massage chairs in the hotel. Honestly, they might be the most luxurious massage chairs ever.

The baths were a highlight for us. There are public and private options, including two private outdoor baths and three indoors, and the indoor ones are just as lovely. I think guests can book one bath in the afternoon or evening and another in the morning, while the public baths can be used as often as you like. We chose the dinner-and-breakfast plan. We’d looked through nearly every other place in Arima Onsen before finding this one, and it really felt like a hidden gem. I’d happily recommend it.

The place has a relaxing feel, and I really liked the baths, the spacious karaoke room, and the shuttle bus. The service was great too. Breakfast tasted good, though I wish there had been more vegetarian choices.