Hotel Yuou Onsen

I could see spending a quiet two-night stay here over a long weekend, even without any particular reason to visit the area. It feels like a place to relax in the room rather than go out, since there isn’t much to do within easy walking distance. The TV has an HDMI port, so I might bring a Firestick next time. There’s internet too, and that could make a longer stay more enjoyable. Yamanashi only has NHK and two commercial channels, though, and no BS, so regular TV might get boring. This is in a residential area, two stations from Kofu Station and about a 10-minute walk from Minami-Kofu Station on the Minobu Line. The building feels a bit like a public bathhouse with rooms attached. My Western-style room had the feel of a Showa-era business hotel. It was old but not dirty or smelly, and the older carpet had stains despite being renovated where needed. With only a desk and bed, there was lots of space, including room for big luggage. The facilities and building are dated but not gloomy. It was 6,000 yen a night without meals, and I thought it was a great deal considering the hot spring water. The front desk staff kindly walked me through how the facilities work. They also gave me a canned chuhai from the convenience store and apologized for the inconvenience caused by the closure. Maybe that was the plan? The bathroom is a standard three-piece unit, but the water comes out hot and brown, with an iron-like color. It’s hard to stretch your legs in there, but I soaked several times and felt refreshed and warmed right through on a freezing day. The public bath was closed for renovations, though I was fine with the unit bath. There’s no restaurant on site, so you’ll need to get food elsewhere. OGINO, a local Yamanashi supermarket, is about a 15-minute walk round trip. It has a great selection, including local sake and distinctive prepared foods. I recommend Kai Sushi, whose toppings are smeared with sauce. There’s also a Lawson shortly before OGINO. I stocked up, had a drink, lounged around, and could soak whenever I wanted without worrying about anyone else. That was great. Although Minami-Kofu Station is the nearest station, taking a Yamanashi Kotsu bus from Kofu Station gets you closer to the inn, though the fare is a bit higher.

The hot spring water was the best part. It flowed freely in the room’s unit bath, and the large public bath had the atmosphere of an old public bath. I’d booked it after a work trip, but I arrived at 9:40 PM and the public bath closed at 10 PM, so I barely had time to enjoy it. It was only open from 2 PM to 10 PM, with no morning bathing. The Japanese-style room had a single thick mattress for the futon, which I didn’t find comfortable. There were no low chairs at the low table, just rice cracker cushions. Wi-Fi was poor, and I had to tether my phone for work. For two people, 12,000 yen seemed probably cheap given the late check-in, but still felt a bit pricey. The hot spring was excellent, while the rest disappointed me. I probably won’t return.

The room and its bathroom were okay, though a few spots were dusty. The bathhouse was old, but that was clear once I’d checked in. The soundproofing was awful. Someone in the room on my right was snoring loudly, and two or three girls in the room to my left were talking and laughing so loudly that I couldn’t rest. Around midnight, I finally went down to look for the front desk, but nobody was there, so I had to knock on doors myself.

I expected the place to be old and dirty, but it wasn’t unsanitary. The showers are new and comfortable. The jacuzzi wasn’t working properly, though the spacious bubble bath was relaxing. Even though it’s a public bathhouse, it’s part of a hotel, so shampoo and soap are provided.