Tabist Koboshi no Yu Senshintei Aizu Yunokami Onsen

I usually pick big hotels with buffets because I have children, but this time I chose this inn since it was nearby and we wanted to visit Ouchi-juku. I'm glad we did. It was a quiet place tucked into the forest. The open-air bath had a nice woodland feel, and I stayed warm and cozy even after getting out. Dinner lived up to its good reputation, with lots of carefully prepared, delicious dishes. Breakfast was colorful and tasty too. The sweets in the room were from Châteraisé. Local sweets would have made me even happier.

The hot spring left our skin feeling very smooth. The indoor bath was quite hot, so we only put our feet in and spent the rest of our time in the outdoor baths, which had a comfortable temperature for that season. We visited during autumn foliage. There were only about a dozen rooms, which meant we rarely ran into other guests at the baths. There was no elevator, which seemed like it could be hard for older guests. The staff seemed to be operating with very few people. The place didn't have the traditional inn services I expected. The fish tank, which looked like it had been used before, was empty. The ramen corner and coffee counter in the lounge were dark, unattended and offered no service. The gift shop was open, but with few guests it had only nonperishable goods, alcohol and folk crafts, no sweets.

The room was a generous 12-plus tatami mats for two, and I slept well. The lobby is lovely, and I'd have been happy to pay for coffee after the meal, but I would have liked that option. There seems to be a shuttle to the station. I only had breakfast because I planned to go to Ouchijuku's most famous soba place just before closing, and that worked out well. Just a note, the wooden outdoor bath shown in the photo belongs to the special room. While soaking in the outdoor bath I got bitten by a horsefly. There was no water to drink afterward, which was disappointing, so bring some along.

The outdoor bath was the best! The food was really tasty too. I was impressed by how tender the Aizu beef was and how good the rice tasted.