Forest Resort Yugawara Manyoso

In mid-April, we searched for a place to go for at least one night during Golden Week, and even though it was GW, this Hotel had availability at a very reasonable price, so we booked one night. We entered the location into the car navigation system and arrived without any trouble. The building itself feels a bit dated now, but the rooms seemed to have been renovated. The room had a slight smell of smoke, but it was nicely refurbished, and the toilet felt quite upscale with both the lid and seat operated by remote control. The Onsen—both the rock bath and the large public bath—was at just the right temperature for me since I don’t handle very hot water well. In particular, I could relax in the rock bath thanks to both the temperature and atmosphere. One thing that stood out was that the sliding door on the way to the rock bath was heavy and stiff—I felt that a quick spray of oil or silicone lubricant would make it much easier to open. The green mat laid under that door also had holes in it, so I think it should be replaced since it wouldn’t be expensive. The meals were far beyond what I expected for this price—an unexpectedly large variety of dishes and all delicious. Judging from how busy things were inside, I could see why; dinner was very satisfying and left us completely full. Breakfast was a typical Hotel breakfast, but for us in our late 50s/early 60s it was just the right amount. All staff were friendly and left us with a good impression; in particular, a young male staff member from overseas who spoke earnestly in Japanese made a great impression on us. He’s someone we hope will stay on for many years. We use Yugawara from time to time, but this was easily the best value-for-money Hotel we’ve stayed at so far.

Room: Western-style twin. It was more than spacious enough for two people, which was great. Equipped with a washlet toilet. Mountain-side view from the window. No particular complaints about the bed size or comfort (even a large man over 180 cm had no issues). Disappointed to find the previous guest’s toenail clippings on the floor.Staff: Everyone was kind. Check-in was smooth.Onsen: Two shared large baths (an indoor bath and a rock bath), plus two private baths (one paid and one free). I didn’t use the paid one. The free one feels like an even smaller version of a home bath, so if you want to stretch your legs, I recommend the large baths. The private bath water was quite hot. My skin felt silky smooth afterward.Dinner & breakfast: Both were very filling and delicious. It felt like a true Onsen Ryokan meal.The outdoor garden visible from the lobby was also well maintained and beautiful. I really enjoyed my first trip back to Japan in a year.