It’s the third time we came to Yufuin. Previously, we stayed in onsen hotels with meals provided. This time we are staying for 2 months in Japan to experience the local life, and Yufuin was our third stop, where we stayed for 6 nights.
The service is top notch. The host responded very quickly whenever I had queries, and very clear instructions for free pick-up were given days before check-in. As we stepped in the house, the air- conditioner had already been turned on there were 3 big bottles of water in the fridge which made us feel so welcome. They collected our trash every day and asked us what we needed.
The guesthouse is an independent unit full of beautiful Japanese decorations. It was sparkling clean and thoughtfully furnished with everything you need. A first-aid box was provided. We were given 12 sets of clean towels and toilet amenities, including toothbrushes. We have stayed in different apartments before and have never experienced this.
More importantly, the kitchen was well equipped with everything—many cutlery items of different sizes and even wine glasses. There were a hot pot and a frying pan, a toaster, rice cooker, coffee machine, and even a dishwasher. You can't imagine there is even a massage chair! The bathroom was designed like an onsen. You can simply add some onsen powder to enjoy a hot bath.
You can easily access different attractions on foot. The location is about a 20-minute walk to the nearby supermarkets, 25 minutes to the main shopping streets, and 30 minutes to the JR station. If you drive, it is even easier. For us, we enjoyed walking and seeing the beautiful scenery, so it was not a problem for us even though we didn’t drive. Every day we walked to the supermarkets and bought fresh produce to cook. We had so much fun making different dishes and hot pot.
When we asked for a whetstone, the host quickly gave us theirs, and the next day, they bought us a new one. They even gave us sake as a gift. On the day of check-out, the host drove us to the JR station and helped us store our luggage in the visitors’ centre.
Next time when we come to Yufuin, we will definitely stay here again. It’s really great value for money.
