Gensen Ichinoyu

The baths were so relaxing that we felt like jelly afterward, and the hotel as a whole is clean and restful. We’ve been a handful of times: first in a room with a private onsen, then on other visits by renting the private bath for 45 minutes. The rooms and customer service have both been great. Breakfast is decent. I’ve seen complaints about it in other reviews, but I don’t think it deserves them. I just wish there were a little more. I’d suggest booking a room with its own bath, and staying for two or more days to have longer to enjoy it, especially in the cooler months. If you’re in Kusatsu for just a day and have tattoos or don’t like public onsens, you can book a private bath for 45 or 90 minutes. It’s a little pricey, but it’s lovely, private, and has all the necessary amenities, so I think it’s worth it. I’ll book a private onsen here whenever I return to Kusatsu.

We had a great one-night stay and would come back. Our 45-minute private onsen booking cost 3200 yen and was worth it. The bath room was spacious and clean, with its own shower and bathroom, and it was very relaxing. There’s also a public onsen downstairs. The hotel is about a five-minute walk from the bus station. It has older architecture with modern updates, and check-in was easy. Our room was spacious, clean, and had really good wifi, though I noticed a small stain on the blanket. A tip: don't wear shoes or sneakers inside. Sandals for going out are in the lockers with the keys. Socks are fine around the hotel, or staff can give you sandals. Breakfast is a buffet with limited choices, and you need to reserve a time slot. The bar closes around 10pm.

We had a lovely honeymoon here. Our room was large, clean, comfortable, and came with a private hot spring bath. The hotel has an elegant Japanese feel, and the location is great, just a three-minute walk from the main street without being right in the crowds. We liked the free foot bath in the lobby, which was quiet and gave us a little privacy since there weren't many people around. Free coffee or tea is available outside the public hot spring area, and the rest area there is peaceful and beautiful. There’s a laundry room as well. The small gift shop sells sweets, ice cream, drinks, and pretty souvenirs at reasonable prices. The staff were friendly, too.

The room's soundproofing was extremely poor. Heavy footsteps came through all day, which was so annoying and made it impossible to relax. The location was awful too. The road is extremely narrow, so a car can't drive up and drop luggage in front of the lobby. The front desk service was good, but the other hotel staff were ill-mannered, especially the people cleaning and standing by the umbrella storage area. I don't recommend the hotel. I also don't recommend Kusatsu Onsen, since traveling there just for the onsen wasn't worth the time or money to me.