Buko No Yu Annex

My favorite onsen around here.

The bath felt dated and uncomfortable, and the whole stay had me thinking of a visit to my grandma's house rather than a vacation. I saw the kotatsu and had a bad feeling, which turned out to be right. Anyone hoping for something special should probably look elsewhere, especially at this price and quality. There was an odd smell as soon as I walked into the room, and it didn't seem clean. My clothes were visibly worn out, too. At night there was no hot water, and there wasn't even a kettle, which made the basic comforts inconvenient. The toilet was Japanese style, awkwardly converted to Western style, and using it was stressful each time.

We picked this place at the last minute for one night over Golden Week, hoping to enjoy the hot springs and take the Nagatoro Line boat ride. It was handy for both Chichibu Shibazakura Hill and Nagatoro, and there’s a campsite right next door. The room felt a bit damp, maybe because the old detached house sits in the shade. We tried the attached Takeda no Yu bath. It looked very Showa-era, but the bath itself was really nice. Dinner was, well, the photo says it all (lol). Breakfast was available for an extra charge, but we passed. Thanks for the stay.

There’s no Wi-Fi at all, and the annex was so unpleasant that I won’t stay there again. It’s worse than staying at a relative’s house. The whole old building shook when we walked around, and the bathroom looked like it belonged in a hotel from the bubble economy era. The place smelled musty despite air fresheners being everywhere. Dust was left around, there were strong drafts, and the annex is an old detached house. The parking lot was hard to get in and out of, and the lock was stiff and difficult to work. The lighting was dimmer than outside. There are two air conditioners, but they seem old and make an almost nuisance-level racket. The stone-tiled toilet is a former Japanese-style one that’s been forcibly converted to Western style. My child was scared and didn’t want to go in. The FamilyMart doorbell was the only thing that made me laugh. When I raised the issues with staff, they interrupted me, so I don’t want to return. Breakfast is served in a makeshift hut. The staff member wore plastic gloves, but a finger got into the rice. They’d just been opening and closing the door with that hand, too, and those things are noticeable. At the annex entrance, the vending machine had sold out of everything except beer. When will they restock it? It’s a shame, given that this is a hot spring.