Oyado Yufuintei

The room at Oyado Yufuin-tei was spacious, well equipped, and had excellent amenities. The private onsen was clean and relaxing, and even had a TV. Dinner was a highlight, especially the delicious Nagasaki beef, and breakfast was a traditional Japanese meal with grilled fish. We had a fantastic stay at Oyado Yufuin-tei in Yufuin. The private bath in our room was convenient and relaxing. There was also an outdoor public onsen, but the shower area is outside too, which might feel quite cold in winter. In summer it wasn't a problem. I would have liked more breakfast variety or some extra amenities. Even so, Oyado Yufuin-tei exceeded our expectations in many ways, and we'd highly recommend it. Four stars.

We felt they didn't seem to welcome foreigners. Nobody could speak even a little English, which wouldn't have mattered if the service had been good. Unfortunately, it wasn't. As we walked into the hotel, a housekeeper swept the floor at us. Before dinner our child didn't know shoes had to come off and put one foot on the stairs. The waiter shouted at our child and wiped the stair with his foot. At dinner, the waiter took our photo without explaining why. We didn't want a picture, so we didn't look at the camera, but he seemed unhappy and told us to take more photos and look at it. We still don't know why he took them. When he asked how we wanted the meat cooked, rare, medium, or well-done, we weren't sure how rare it would be and asked him. He didn't understand and seemed unhappy about the question, so we ordered medium and rare just to see the difference. When the steaks arrived, we asked him to set the main dishes on the table so we could pass them around ourselves. He slammed them down hard, touched one of our dishes with his hand, and didn't apologize. This wasn't the kind of Japanese service we'd experienced before in Japan.

We booked full board, and both dinner and breakfast were delicious and healthy, just what you'd expect at a Japanese ryokan. The stay was comfortable and pleasant, and felt like good value for money. The place is beautifully decorated and set on a quiet road off the main one, a short walk from Yufuin station. We stayed in room 14, which was a good size for two and had an in-room onsen. There were complimentary drinks and eggs as well. The staff spoke very limited English, but they did try to understand us.

We spent two nights here, and the staff spoke basic English and did their best to help us. The walk to Yufuin Station takes around 20 minutes, which also means the area is quiet and peaceful at night. The room wasn't luxurious or modern in design, but it was comfortable. We had two dinners, duck hot pot one night and steak the other, plus two breakfasts. The duck hot pot was a delicious surprise. The steak was good, though the Japanese-Western-style side dishes might not be to everyone's taste. The public pool had room for six without feeling crowded. Free boiled eggs, tea, and beer were available too. A good fit for travelers looking for a short, relaxing getaway. The food and amenities won't disappoint.