Hoshino Resorts KAI Yufuin

The room was spacious, with a sitting area, separate double beds, a dark, moody water closet, and a standing shower that led out to the onsen tub. The tub was big enough for two adults. We didn’t get one of the private huts, which have been hard to book, but the room still had its own outdoor onsen. Looking forward to staying here. The drive into Hoshino Resort KAI Yufuin was unusual, with some very narrow, steep slopes. The resort is tucked away in the hills and feels very private. The lobby is dark and moody, and the rice paddy field slopes make a great photo spot. One thing to improve: the bidet seat in the WC should be sterilized better. The seams on the seat weren’t as clean as I expected.

They eventually took us to our room, but there was no apology. About 30 minutes later, staff called to say there weren’t any tomatoes on the menu anyway. It’s Japan, of course. A good hotel would have checked that straight away. Instead, we spent an hour in the lobby in a ridiculous standoff, and nobody ever apologized. It was a terrible experience. I strongly recommend choosing somewhere else. I’ve never stayed in a worse hotel. At check-in, my wife mentioned that I have a minor tomato allergy. Staff immediately said they wouldn’t make food substitutions. That was rude, but I said fine. Then they insisted I sign a form absolving them of responsibility, which I refused. I’ve eaten at thousands of restaurants and never been asked to sign anything like that. They refused to show us to our room unless I signed. We were paying nearly $800 for one night because we had booked a private cottage, but we sat in the lobby for an hour. When I asked for a refund so we could go elsewhere, they said we’d be charged 100%. I lost my temper and told them that if they were charging us, they should take us to the room. Eventually they did. This is the rudest hotel I’ve stayed at in Japan, and I’ve stayed in many.

The room’s basic cleanliness was unacceptable. There was a used tea bag from the previous guest, water left in the electric kettle, and dirty stains or coffee marks on the light switches. It caused us a lot of distress and ruined the stay. We reported what happened to staff and filled out a comment form, but the hotel never followed up. At this premium price, the service was absolutely unacceptable. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who cares about cleanliness and professional service.

We were very disappointed and wouldn’t stay with this group again or recommend it. We eat fish but not meat, so we were put on the vegetarian menu, which was just rice and tofu. The first night was bad enough since we didn’t know what to expect, but the exact same meal came the second night, with no changes allowed. The staff were young, sweet, and smiley, but clearly couldn’t change anything. No one seemed to be managing the hotel. There’s a lot they could do better.