If I could give zero points, I absolutely would.
This hotel is marketed as a hot spring (onsen) hotel, but the most important part—the onsen itself—I honestly believe isn't even real hot spring water. I checked in at 4:00 PM and immediately went to the bath with my mom. The women's bath has two areas: one indoor and one outdoor.
The indoor onsen temperature was displayed as 31°C. At first, I thought the display must be broken. But when I stepped into the pool, the water was so cold that I had to get out immediately. Then I tried the outdoor pool, which felt lukewarm, not hot, despite showing 37°C on the display. Since it was winter, I initially thought the outdoor temperature might be affecting it.
But the temperature of the so-called hot spring water wasn't even the biggest issue—the hygiene was. There was so much moss along the edge and bottom that it felt slippery, like I could fall just by walking. And since there was still daylight, I could clearly see not only moss, but also a lot of hair and even body hair floating in the water. All I can say is it was disgusting. As soon as I realized what I was seeing, I got out immediately, genuinely worried about getting a urinary tract infection.
When I returned to the room and tried to sit down, I noticed what looked like a bloodstain on the seat cushion(I forgot to take a photo). There was also hair on the floor.
I've stayed in at least 30 onsen ryokans. I don’t mind if a place is a bit old —but hygiene is non-negotiable. This hotel as an onsen ryokan, not a budget hotel. If your onsen isn't even real hot spring water, how can you call yourself an onsen ryokan?
Afterward, I looked online and saw many reviews from others pointing out the same issues. I believe this hotel has changed ownership and is no longer managed by Japanese operators. The meal was passable, but I came to Yufuin to experience a real onsen. Instead, I lost an entire evening I’ll never get back. I don’t want others to be deceived like I was, and I sincerely hope this hotel will face its problems honestly.
I booked through Agoda and reported this issue to them as well. They simply told me to contact the hotel directly. I did report it to the hotel—and they said they would raise the indoor onsen temperature. But when I went back in at 9:00 PM, the water temperature hadn’t changed at all.