La Maison De David

A nice cottage for a family stay. The drive up can be a little tricky, so it's better to call first and check with the last.

Nice place.

The room-only setup worked well for us. We picked up dinner at the nearby Aeon and ate quietly in our room, and the staff also suggested plenty of restaurants. The place felt like a house, so noise from the rooms above, below, and next door didn't bother me. Yufuin seemed to have Korean visitors everywhere. I stayed in the least expensive room, “Yufu.” The tatami and kotatsu made it feel homey, though the kotatsu wasn't working. The staff were cheerful and polite, which made us feel welcome. Lake Kinrin and Tenso Shrine are close by, a great spot for catching the morning mist. Bring your own lounge clothes, since yufukata aren't provided. The one letdown was the hot spring being out of order when I arrived. It took a while to fill, so I couldn't bathe straight away.

The owner drove us to the station in the rain on checkout day, which was such a kind gesture. I also really enjoyed cooking here: the owner recommended the “A-COOP” supermarket, and the guesthouse had plenty of seasonings and a full set of pots and pans. They even had their own beer and sake cups. I cooked steak, eggs, mushrooms, steamed eggs, and stir-fries. The kitchen fan wasn't very powerful, but the room didn't end up smelling strongly of grease. This is a warm, traditional wooden place, with a feel that reminded me of Nobita's house from Doraemon. Lake Kinrin is practically on the doorstep, just a 30-second to one-minute walk. I came hoping to see the morning mist, but it rained, so no luck. Yufuin Station is around a 30-minute walk away; the nearby Lawson is about seven minutes away, with a slight uphill stretch, and the busier shopping street is roughly 15 minutes on foot. My room's kotatsu worked well and was lovely and warm, and I enjoyed the hot spring enough to go back several times. I was on the first floor, where ordinary glass windows offered limited sound and wind protection. Footsteps on the second-floor tatami and people on the outside stairs were easy to hear. There were no curtains, and streetlights kept the room fairly bright at night, which did help me wake up early. Even with doors and windows shut, two stink bugs and a ladybug got inside. In this kind of natural setting, that seems hard to avoid. The stay had small flaws, but the hospitality and warmth made it a place I'd highly recommend.