Auberge ALBIREO

The innkeepers were friendly, and the food and stargazing were so good that I still give it five stars, despite a few drawbacks. The room was a comfortable twin with a UB, a sofa, and a fan in the atrium, with a pleasant feel to it. I hadn't expected much since it's an auberge. Amenities were sparse: no hair dryer, hand soap, welcome drink, refrigerator, or T-fal (lol). Drinks were only available from lobby vending machines, and with no convenience store nearby, bring your own if you want more choice. The bath was meant to be a hot spring, but it was one big stainless steel tub with circulated water, so it hardly felt like one. Maybe that's a harsh review. By the way, there's a hot spring facility at a nearby roadside station. Others have covered the excellent food and stargazing already, so I won't go into detail. m(_ _)m ♪

The meal was delicious, and we had a truly lovely stay. The owner's astronomy stories were fascinating too. I think this may be the only inn where you can look at the stars through a professional telescope.

The stargazing turned into a long, fascinating conversation. It was my first time looking at celestial bodies through a telescope, and I learned a lot from the director's astronomy stories and experiences. We talked about the name Albireo, Night on the Galactic Railroad, and all sorts of questions for an hour and a half, with my husband and the director. 😄 The food was another highlight. Dinner was French, but the radish soup, sea bream pie (maybe wrapped in spring roll wrappers?), and homemade basil penne were seasoned in a way that felt very Japanese and easy to eat. I hadn't realized French food could be like that. Breakfast had three kinds of crisp croissants, pain au chocolat, apple bread, a vegetable-heavy salad, ham, sausage, and more. I was stuffed, and the café au lait kept coming. The dishes tasted wonderful, as if the vegetables and sauces were homemade, and the dining room had a relaxed feel with views outside. I came by train and bus while sightseeing around Kinosaki Onsen. The exterior looked a bit worn, so I initially wondered about the place, but I would definitely return. There were a few insects in the room, so summer might be challenging. Thanks! 😊✨

Dinner and breakfast were both delicious, and we were really happy with the meals. The room was comfortable, the bath was just the right temperature, and we slept soundly. I did wish there were a towel rack in the room. We came mainly to stargaze and were thrilled with what we saw through the big telescope: Saturn's rings, Jupiter's stripes, and even the Andromeda Galaxy. Checking the weather and stargazing index before choosing our dates was a good call. The explanations of the stars were detailed, and the retelling of Kenji Miyazawa's "Night on the Galactic Railroad" was really moving. We had brought a stargazing mat, so we lay down at the edge of the parking lot and watched the sky.