Gems Yufuin

I liked the spacious, clean room and comfortable beds. The food was decent, the coffee was good though a bit pricey, and the sauna was good too. The onsen is hot and small, but since it usually isn’t busy, it’s mostly like having it to yourself. Two things brought my rating down: the rail around the top bed was very dusty and looked like it hadn’t been cleaned, and there was no coffee or tea in the room.

The room was spacious, the staff were kind, and the location was perfect. It was a great stay for a reasonable price.

Mei Yu at reception was a real dear, friendly and very helpful. The bus from Yufuin station to Kusu IC was fully booked, so she helped us book a bus to Nagasaki by an alternative route. Booking that bus required a phone call, with no website option, which was frustrating. The location is great, right beside the bus station. Rooms start on the second floor, and there’s no lift, so you have to carry your bags up yourself. Our room had four beds, two on the upper level and two platform beds below. There were light switches and chargers by the beds, which made phone charging easy, though the light switch would be better in the middle of the bed instead of at eye level, where the night light shines into your eyes. The platform beds seem more suitable for younger families, and there are steps to each toilet and bathroom. Bring your own coffee and tea, since there aren’t any in the room. They run a cafe on the first floor and have happy hour for hotel guests at certain times. A 7-11 next door is handy for last-minute food. Restaurants around here close early, around 4 or 5 p.m., with only a handful open until 9.

The food was terrible. I paid over $300 USD for one night, and they still charged $8 USD to hold my luggage for an extra 30 minutes after checkout. Zero stars if I could.