Senomoto Kogen Hotel

Very satisfied! We had a great time.It poured on the first day, so I’d like to visit again on a sunny day.The buffet had a wide variety of delicious dishes, and the all-you-can-drink alcohol was a nice bonus.Because of the heavy rain, we could only use the open-air bath in the morning, but it was very relaxing.It was a wonderful Hotel in a magnificent setting.The only disappointment was that although three of us stayed, there were only two beds,and one full futon set had been placed on the floor.

A highly recommended Ryokan and Onsen!!It’s about a 3-hour highway bus ride from Fukuoka, and they provide a Shuttle Service from the Kurokawa Onsen bus stop to the Ryokan (with advance Reservation).Our bus was running a bit late, but they waited for us.We booked the “Room assigned on arrival” Plan with a 60-minute buffet starting at 19:30, but…Amazingly, we were shown to a first-floor Room with an open-air bath!!!Both the atmosphere of the Room and the open-air bath were wonderful.The buffet was originally scheduled from 19:30, but they said 17:30 was also fine, so they changed it for us.The buffet by the window with a beautiful view was delicious across the board!!There were lots of Kumamoto specialties as well. Plenty of drinks too—absolutely satisfying!!As for the Onsen, there is a large public bath, and the open-air bath is in a separate area.To reach it, you walk outside about 50 meters from inside the building. It’s a little dark at night, but there’s just enough lighting without spoiling the view or the starry sky.At night the open-air bath is almost completely dark (in a good way), and when the weather is clear you can see the stars through the steam. There’s also a reclining bath, so you can relax while surrounded by cool air, warm Onsen water, and starlight.Being able to bathe from 5:30 to 23:30 was also great.I’ve heard it’s especially amazing on snowy days.I went in again in the morning—it was such a pleasant start to the day while looking out over the grasslands.The in-room open-air bath was slightly hot, but you can adjust it by adding water, so I could enjoy it slowly either as a full soak or just a footbath. There’s no shower, and they 안내 that washing should be done at the large public bath.There’s also a relaxation room and a laundry room.Every day from 20:30 there is a “Stargazing Walk,” where they explain celestial objects and share interesting stories.On rainy days it becomes an indoor session in the lobby using a projector (projection mapping only), but on clear days they also go outside for explanations.This time we were lucky—the stars were beautifully visible outdoors!!We could clearly see Orion and the Winter Triangle; it felt like being in a planetarium.It does get very cold during winter outdoor sessions, so dressing very warmly is recommended.We even won a Kumamon towel at their rock-paper-scissors game (laugh).The breakfast buffet also had more variety than expected.Great scenery, and every staff member was genuinely kind—an extremely comfortable stay.A Ryokan that will definitely make you want to come back!