Kusatsu hotels & places to stay

The hotel was easy to reach from Tokyo station by Shinkansen bullet train, then change to bus at Karuizawa for a scenic drive into the mountains. The hotel staff was warm and welcoming on arrival. English was limited but acceptable...extremely attentive and friendly staff. My spacious room had a beautiful view of the surrounding town, mountains, and a small waterfall. I was surprised and impressed by the quality of the in-room served dinner and breakfast. This was not ordinary Japanese food...every meal was fine cuisine, beautifully presented by a friendly hostess wearing a kimono. Food of this quality would be found in an expensive restaurant...likely around $100 USD per person. Certainly the finest dining experience I have had in any hotel anywhere. Kusatsu is one of Japan's top 3 "onsen" hot spring towns, and it didn't disappoint. Much to my surprise, the "sakura" cherry blossom season in the mountains was at it's peak during Golden Week in early May, long after the season ended in Tokyo. Cherry blossoms were everywhere, enhancing the beauty of the hotel and the town. There's much to see in Kusatsu, including the public hot spring bath in a nearby park. Highly recommended! The spas in the hotel were excellent and refreshing. I'm glad I included Kusatsu in my Japan holiday, and give Kusatsu Onsen Boun my highest recommendation! It's not the cheapest "ryokan" hotel in Kusatsu, but worth it. I will stay there again.

At the best location in Kusatsu right next to Yubatake, Naraya is a well established ryokan of history. Despite the age, facilities are all kept in very good conditions. I appreciate in particular the onsen which feels even better to me than those fee-charging ones around Kusatsu. Dinner was excellent. My room was decorated with a theme, spacious and comfortable. Staff were all very friendly. I recommend Naraya to all wishing to have a nice stay in Kusatsu.

Kusatsu is a famous traditional onsen (hot spring) town in Japan, so the hotel prices here are more steep. having stayed at Hakone before, our family decided to try Kusatsu during this trip to Japan. the hotels in Kusatsu are clustered around the Kusatsu hot springs where mineral rich waters flowed out of the ground, the steam from the hot springs can be clearly seen from our hotel. you can take a walk around the special structure built to showcase the hot springs for a nice photo opp.

Excellent service from a big hotel with night entertainment . We picked tis hotel as it has rooms with western beds. Our room is big , western- japanese , modern , newly renovated , has 2 beds , small dining table , and coffee maker. Kaiseki dinner in the dining room was good. About 5 mins walking uphill from the bus station , the hotel provides pickup from bus station. It’s about 15 mins walk downhill to the village centre . No English speaking staff at the front desk during my stay , but they did find someone to reply my email in English . Very responsive and excellent service . Special thanks to the lady staff managing the bus service.

This is a lovely, small ryokan. I opted to have breakfast only, which was served in my room and consisted of salmon, rice, soft boiled egg, miso soup, vegetables and various pickles. There are separate baths for each gender and two private baths, one of which I used in the morning as the sun streamed in - a very relaxing experience. The ryokan is close to the centre of Kusatsu but I'd recommend a taxi from the bus station if you have heavy bags, as Kusatsu has steep hills. The staff were all helpful and very understanding of my limited Japanese!

As the hotel is right next to the springs Kusatsu is famous for, it also means it is subject to the iconic smell of rotten eggs, although this was to be expected. All in all the rooms are big, new, well designed and good for value, they offer food baths and their own Onsen as well as a restaurant and free soft drinks. All great for exploring town or just relaxing on site.

As a solo traveller coming to Kusatsu for the first time, Kusatsu Onsen Futabaya was the perfect starting location for exploring the surrounding onsens. The location was very close to the central Yubatake area where most of the onsens were, and with a little bit of walking, you could reach the other onsens perfectly fine. Coming into Kusatsu completely blind, the receptionist who was working at the time was extremely patient and kind, providing some very helpful pamphlets and maps and advice on which onsens to visit, making the experience so much smoother. He also provided some light refreshments which were welcomed after travelling all the way over. In terms of the facilities, the rooms were very clean, cosy, and had everything you needed. The hotel also provided yukata and onsen towels and baskets for you to use, saving you the trouble of having to purchase them. Overall, it was a positive experience and I would definitely come back to Futabaya if I return to Kusatsu!

I guess that this hotel was popular like 20 or 30 years ago. Not is just a cheap hotel in Kusatsu, but at least is clean and location also quite conveniente. I mean, it's 10~15min from Kusatsu center, but the hotel is on the top of a climb so getting back is not very easy like going. Also, I may say that breakfast is not really good, not too manu choices and totally focused on japanese customers only. So, no croissant, no coffee or cappuccino, no yogurt: it's definitely better going to Kusatsu for having a better one. However, I can't say that I didn't enjoy my stay there: it was cheap compared to other locations, room (kapanese style) clean and quite big also for 2 persons. But next time I may choice another location!

The max stars I can give here is 5 but if I could I would give it more! Great hospitality in this mini ryokan with just a few rooms. Despite that, there are four private onsens to use with is very sufficient, all with the same spring water from Kusatsu onsen square. The breakfast included was spectacular. Would have been great if they did dinner as well. Definitely great value great quality in this hidden gem. Special thanks to Yoshi San for his warm hospitality!

It was a pleasant stay. Enjoyed the onsen. The stay came with breakfast kaiseki set, good spread but not exquisite enough considering the high price paid for stay. The same goes for the room. It was just a basic tatami room, though spacious. The price paid for it could get a very expensive 5-star stay probably even in Tokyo. Perhaps there isn't much choice in Kusatsu. There is no wifi in the hotel, need to search for wifi service in town centre.

It was a great stay. Big room, high speed wifi, there is toilet inside the room but you need to take bath outside the room. You can use private hot spring bath and the water quality is the same of original Kusatsu onsen. Try the breakfast for 1000yen(remember to reserve it when you arrive). You can take city loop bus to 3rd station. Across the street and you can see the hotel name plate and follow the direction to walk into small road. Walk straight til the end, turn left, walk straight around 150meter and you will see the hotel on your left side. The hotel provide the shuttle service to Kusatsu bus station. There is free onsen too beside this 3rd station of bus stop or you can turn left on small road beside the bus stop, then turn left again and you will see a Otaki-no-yu, a famous onsen with many bathing methods inside this bathhouse. Overall is a nice stay and will back again if I visit Japan.

The Yubatake is just outside the hotel and it's good to see the morning and the night view of the Yubatake. There is a public onsen for foot right next to Yubatake. Good for a winter trip after walking outdoor for a while. The famous Sai No Kawara Outdoor Bath is 15 minutes walk from the Yubatake and along the road there are some nice shops for food and for souvenirs. For the hotel, the onsens(both outdoor and indoor ones) are good. The decoration of the hotel is traditional and the dinner and breakfast are great!

Value for Money- certainly value for money if you compare to other ryokans in Kusatsu. the dinner (semi buffet style) is pretty good. Location- it is not in a convenient location, but the shuttle bus makes up for it (shuttle bus service from Karuizawa is available, but reservation is required) Cleanliness- rooms and facilities are clean Staffs- communication with the staff is not a problem even if you cant speak Japanese. Staffs are also very helpful, and even reminded me of the shuttle bus service upon checking out. Facilities- facilities are adequate and well maintained. english instructions are provided on using the onsen

Tokinoniwa Hotel is amazing! They are clean and tidy. We are being treated in care from the first step inside this hotel. Staff will take care from luggage, check-in, until you are in the room. Hotel facilities are great! They have 23 types of onsen and you won’t feel bored during the whole stay. Shuttle buses from Karuizawa are convenient! And shuttle bus to and from the hotel and the bus terminal is frequent! Though food is so-so, but the staff will well prepared the table which has high privacy and you won’t feel being disturbed. For sure if I go to Kusatsu again, I will book this Hotel again!

The owners are extremely friendly. They have collected a ton of items throughout their travels so the ryokan itself is a mini museum. Clean accommodations. The location is great. about a 3-4min walk from the central yubatake springs. Only downside is the steep Hill you have to climb to get to it. The hot springs water was the best part. One of the stronger baths we experienced during our travel there. As such you can only dip in the bath for 3-5mins, 4 times a day. Extremely soothing. Has a private bath for couples or individuals. No reservation required. The owners can accommodate most requests as long as you ask. Highly recommended for a traditional ryokan experience with amazing baths