Yufuin Lamp no Yado

The owner and staff were really nice, and there was a garden where you could relax with the cats. Lots of different private onsens to choose from, too. I had a great onsen stay and enjoyed the yakiniku-style kaiseki dinner. I had to leave early and missed breakfast, but I'm sure it would've been as yummy as dinner.

The hot spring rooms are wonderful, though the water doesn't get hot enough. The source is limited, so the whole tub stays too cool. I loved the clean, comfortable, well-kept ground-floor room and its little balcony opening right onto the outdoor garden. The lovely cats and dogs that might visit your room made the stay so much fun.

Dinner and breakfast were tasty and filling, and the hotel is close to yufuin station. It felt clean and homey, with five private baths and a foot bath in the middle garden. I loved the resident kitties, Tama chan and Ran chan, and the golden retriever, Akira chan! I'd stay again, 10/10.

The price felt far too steep for what we got, and we left feeling misled. The photos gave the wrong impression: a “new” room is in a separate building behind the main garden area shown, with a 3-5 minute walk to the facilities. That wasn't made clear in advance. The room walls were very thin, and the room was extremely noisy. Bathroom and entrance lights switched on with movement at night and kept waking us. After a seven-hour drive we arrived at 8:30 pm, only to be assigned a 7:00 am breakfast without being told beforehand. Exhausted after a poor night, we missed it. The onsen was the main reason we booked, but it's first come, first served, with no reservations. It stayed full all evening and night, and after trying repeatedly we gave up at 1:00 am without using it. Checkout at 10:00 am was the earliest I've ever experienced, leaving no time to recover. There are much better options in Yufuin for the same or less. Our stay at Yufuin Lamp no Yado was very disappointing.