Motoyu No Yado Kurodaya

Rooms were subpar with renovations and cleaning desperately needed. The tub had black mold growing in the caulk and on tub surface. The bathroom was so cramped the toilet seat didn't completely open as it hit the countertop. The cramped size and plastic hardware were reminiscent of an RV bathroom. The step up to the bathroom was a wobbly small wooden platform which was dangerous for someone with an ankle injury who was wearing a boot but couldn't in the room. The Japanese style dinner wasn't very good compared to the others we had at other hotels and the bar options were limited. Most other places had a white wine, plum wine or plum liqueur but not here. Beer or sake were the options. The tour operators said this was a traditional Japanese hotel but I found it to be a run down mess. The Beppu area is super cute and I would come back to the area but chose a different hotel to stay in.

After a very, long, hot, stuffy, bumpy bus ride from the train station to the on-sen, I was ready for a nice, hot relaxing bath and I wasn't disappointed. The bathing facilities were decent. This seems like an on-sen that the locals might stop by on the way home from work. Not too many frills. You bathe and then you sit in the sauna for 10 minutes, then you bathe again and that's it. A little disappointing for someone used to wonderful spas in which you can bathe, then relax in a big comfy chair and have a beer and some noodles, maybe read a book, then go bathe again. In this on-sen, if you aren't actually in the bath, then you are in your room (which is very nice and comfortable) or in one of the horribly decrepit stinking cigarette hallways or lounge areas. The sky lounge is nice and quiet and a perfect place for a late night draft beer. The staff are friendly and attentive and the location is very good for sightseeing among the different "hells" that are the main tourist attraction of the area. I noticed some blue construction tarps set up around the lobby, so perhaps they are doing some much-needed renovating. Seriously - the hallways are absolutely fetid, which don't do justice to the very nice rooms or the perfectly acceptable (although a bit unimaginative) bathing facilities.

This hotel is a Japanese-style Inn (Ryokan), located near the "hells" of Beppu. It serves great Japanese traditional food, and the staff are quite friendly. It needs a tiny bit of maintenance, but the staff are friendly and we enjoyed our time here. It's about a 1500 yen taxi ride from the main station at Beppu