Resort Inn Yunogo

The price, room, meals, and the young staff were all good, and after seeing how hard the dining room team worked, I changed my rating to four stars. Over my three nights, they served beef sukiyaki, pork shabu-shabu, then duck hot pot, making an effort to keep each dinner different. Their recovery was impressive, and it’s an inn I’d like to support. I’m leaving my earlier note here for now. On November 11, an elderly woman, S, was alone in the breakfast area and spoke to guests in an overbearing way, including with discriminatory language. She told us not to sit by the window and directed us closer to the serving area because more people were supposedly coming. Nobody else came in while I ate. Afterward, from the cafe-like area above, I saw one of the other people who’d also been sent to a seat by the wall seem to ask, “Huh? Why here?” I asked the inn what the rules were for sitting by the window, but didn’t get a clear answer. Until that breakfast, I’d have rated the place at least 4.5 stars. The encounter with S brought it down to one star. The breakfast experience was so unpleasant it made me feel awful. I understand the 3.8 overall rating now. I took a photo after finishing, and S staring blankly at the TV during the meal only added to the feeling that guests couldn’t choose where to sit. There was also confusion about my room. At check-in, the receptionist said I’d have the same room for the first two nights of my three-night stay. The morning after the first night, a man named H abruptly told me to leave it. This was only mentioned five minutes before departure, and we hadn’t asked for a triple room. Staff didn’t seem to share information, and the male staff member started criticizing the receptionist for poor judgment. I couldn’t understand why they were blaming each other. The walls were poorly soundproofed. The lack of hospitality and the extra burden this put on guests because of the hotel’s poor coordination were hard to overlook. [PS] I usually only write about really good or really bad experiences, but the effort from the young staff made me update this one. Thank you for the three-night stay. For your company, ☀️🍽️, I think breakfast would work best if guests could simply “sit wherever you like.” Please consider it.

The sauna had 90s J-pop playing, and the outdoor cold bath felt great. After the public bath was crowded on my first visit, I came back about an hour later and had the whole place to myself. I enjoyed it several times. Getting there from the Yugo hot spring town took me along mountain roads, and in the evening I started wondering if my navigation was leading me the right way. I could park right outside, though the space was angled, then climb a few steps to the check-in desk. Payment was at checkout. The front desk area had a pension-like feel, with ice cream and other things for sale. My room was still warm from the day, so I turned on the air conditioning before heading to the bath to cool off.

We rented a private cottage for a family stay at Yugo, one of Mimasaka Santo, the three famous hot springs of Okayama alongside Yubara and Okutsu. We chose Yugo for its beauty-enhancing waters. The cottage was spacious, recently renovated, and had three beds on one side of the entrance, two on the other, plus a sofa and large TV. The toilet and bath were older modular units. The way there wasn’t wide enough for suitcases, so it was a big help that staff carried our luggage. There are patterned yukatas by the front desk that you can pick from. The entrance stairs made bringing luggage up difficult, and the building is older and a little maze-like. Music on the terrace was fairly loud. The hot springs are open around the clock, with no gender separation. There’s one indoor bath, two outdoor baths, and a sauna, though the changing room is small. I went three times, and once I had the baths entirely to myself. The silky outdoor bath, completed in December 2024, was at a lovely temperature. My kids said their skin felt so smooth, and joked they might have become a little more beautiful. Amenities are provided, and shampoo, conditioner, and hair dryers can also be borrowed at the front desk. Dinner in the restaurant starts at 6 PM. The Japanese kaiseki course featured an appetizer trio, sashimi trio, shrimp and local vegetable stew, Okayama peach pork and local vegetable hot pot, bite-sized domestic beef rib steak, Mimasaka trout grilled with salt, chawanmushi, assorted tempura, takikomi gohan, soup, and dessert. They asked what we wanted to drink, but didn’t explain the dishes in detail before lighting the little pots. Everything was delicious, as the reviews said. The beef was so tender it melted in my mouth, the trout was plump and excellent, and I couldn’t stop eating the well-seasoned food. The boiled radish was a little tough, but everyone agreed the soup was tasty. There was so much food I thought I’d burst, and they wrapped the leftover seasoned rice for me. At night, lamps along the path made it magical. The open-air bath under their dim glow was heavenly, and we relaxed in our rooms afterward. In the morning we took a bath as the view gradually brightened. Breakfast was a tasty half-buffet; the recommended raw egg over rice was great, though the miso soup was a bit lukewarm. Staff helped with our bags again at checkout. The service was nicely balanced, and the waiter explained the food well and understood us, so there were no communication problems. It was a fantastic trip for the price, and I have no complaints about the food, service, or lodging. There are a lot of stairs in the cottage wing, including the steep ones to the entrance, and you also have to go down stairs to reach the hot springs. Handrails are there, but the layout could be risky for anyone with weak legs. The cottages seem better suited to energetic or younger guests. Even with a roof, getting around in the rain would be difficult. My child also said the ceiling air conditioner in the three-bedroom room was so loud, like a typhoon, that it kept him awake.

We could use the bath in the middle of the night, which was lovely. I woke up around 3 a.m., so we headed to the hot spring and spent a relaxing while in the open-air bath. The kids were delighted by the cute slippers there. Our pet-friendly lodge was roomy and the air conditioning kept us comfortable even on a hot day. Dinner was shabu-shabu, enough for two adults, and they had tableware ready for the children too. We had a very relaxing stay.