Miyabitake

I'd gladly trade a bathroom for a room twice this size, though I did miss having a microwave. The room is huge and has the essentials, but its separate toilet is a bit cramped. There isn't a shower or tub in the room; downstairs there's a public bath for about five people, with natural spring water straight from the ground. The hotel is close to the main road, but far enough away that traffic noise doesn't come through.

Know what you're signing up for, and it can still be a fun place. The room was big enough for four to six people, but they seem to charge per person, which takes away the value it might otherwise offer a group of four. There's no in-room shower, though the first floor has an open bathhouse. Mineral buildup was spilling over the onsen tap, which seemed like a good sign, but the water was seriously hot. Moss on the walls gave the bath an earthy feel. I think I also walked in on someone hot-boxing the first-floor lounge.

The owner's kindness really stood out. We arrived in heavy rain and went to the lobby to wait for the 3 pm check-in, but at 12:07 pm he let us in, got our rooms ready right away, and gave us somewhere comfortable to rest. Wonderful service. The rooms were very clean and had a full sink and mirror, plus things like combs and toothbrushes. There's no shower in the room, which may feel unusual to Western visitors, but the public bath was clean and stocked with shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner. The hot spring water was too hot for us at first, though the local bathers seemed to find it normal and stepped in without reacting. The futons were thinner than we'd hoped, but still fine for a comfortable night's sleep. In short, clean, well-equipped rooms and excellent hospitality, with a bath that felt too warm to us outsiders.

The staff were friendly, and the natural hot spring bath was good. Parking can be a little inconvenient if you arrive by car.