Kurokawa Onsen Gosyo Gekkoujyu

“One of the best onsen inns we've ever stayed at”

We stayed here one night on our first trip back to Japan in three years. It could not have been a more perfect choice. Our room was the Izayoi which was at the top of the resort, with a gorgeous L-shaped outdoor tub, and a dining table where you could soak your feet while we ate. The partition betw… more

We stayed here one night on our first trip back to Japan in three years. It could not have been a more perfect choice. Our room was the Izayoi which was at the top of the resort, with a gorgeous L-shaped outdoor tub, and a dining table where you could soak your feet while we ate. The partition between the bath/outdoor space and the dining room can be completely opened so you can enjoy the view of the mountains while you're eating. The meals were excellent - it was almost too much food, but each dish was executed perfectly, and the rice made in an iron pot was superb. Service was attentive but never too much, and we loved the nice touches in the room such as a coffee pot with a coffee mill to grind your own beans, a repronizer hair dryer, and an amenity kit with Mikimoto products. The only small complaint is that there were lots of step ups and step downs in the room. That could be a problem for older people in general, but we both ended up missing steps on our way to the bathroom in the middle of the night too.

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“Maximum privacy, tranquility and comfort”

Having stayed at Takefue during our last visit to the area, we decided to try out Gosho Gekkoju this time, with mother-in-law in tow. Neither property is in the center of Kurokawa Onsen town, which is fine by us, since it's a short drive away, and we did not want to compromise on comfort, amenities… more

Having stayed at Takefue during our last visit to the area, we decided to try out Gosho Gekkoju this time, with mother-in-law in tow. Neither property is in the center of Kurokawa Onsen town, which is fine by us, since it's a short drive away, and we did not want to compromise on comfort, amenities and space. In fact, Gosho Gekkoju is a mere 4 minute drive away, yet feels like you've entered another world. The property is located on the side of a small hill; after parking our vehicle we were transferred to a golf cart to take us to our room. On the way, there is an impressive traditional gate that opens up - it made us feel as if we were entering a massive samurai residence and sets the mood for the rest of our stay, since everything about the experience made us feel like nobility. There are just 8 total rooms scattered throughout the property, and all are villa type arrangements. Of the two rooms that we booked, we chose Tenshin for one of them - it's the closest room to reception, is situated in the lowest part of the hill and has the least amount of steps, which I researched beforehand and was a requirement for our mother who has some mobility challenges. The drawback is that it lacks any views of the valley and mountains, since you need a room further up the hill for a good view and that's what we got with the second room, Kazemachi. All rooms have open-air Onsen (natural hot springs) baths, and even Tenshin was sufficiently spacious, featuring separate bedroom (with real beds) and living room (with a nice sofa and large TV), a smaller Japanese-style Tatami sitting room, as well as a dining area for enjoying the kaiseki meals in one's own room. Both villas had an indoor and open-air outdoor Onsen, but Kazemachi's open-air bath had the view and was a bit larger and more impressive. Same goes for the room itself; it was just a bit more spacious and better laid out. That said, the difference between then was 88 square meters versus 99, so it's not a massive difference in terms of space. I thought that the interior was done in a traditional way, but also had modern/Western touches like the aforementioned Western-style sofa and beds, heated floors and fast WiFi. It was neat seeing the use of traditional Japanese-style exposed wooden beams as well as the Irori hearth in the middle of the dining table, which really added to the old-world Japanese charm of both rooms. Basically, for a property that was newly built in 2017, they did an incredible job in giving out a traditional ryokan vibe. The quality of the hot springs water in the Kurokawa Onsen area is legendary, and at Gosho Gekkoju, it's no exception. What's notable about the open-air baths in both rooms was the fact that it was jacuzzi-style - they have a jet system that blows bubbles from below. We're generally not accustomed to seeing such an arrangement, and when we asked a staff member why they do this, the explanation made perfect sense... it's to maintain the temperature balance between the surface and the bottom of the bath. Really smart idea! We didn't have to mix the bath water by ourselves, which was really convenient. We also tried out both of the rental baths (which are free to guests on an availability basis) - a "Cave bath" ("Dokutsuburo") and an open-air bath at the top of the hill (called "Tenku.") To be honest, in hindsight we would've been just fine sticking with the baths in our rooms. The Cave bath was man-made, and made to feel like an actual cave, but it was quite gimmicky and not particularly authentic looking. And the open-air bath is completely exposed to the elements, so if you opt to use it, I'd recommend you avoid going during midday (especially on a Sunny day) as you're completely exposed to the elements with no canopy to shield you from the Sun. The food was a highlight. It doesn't rank up there with the very best ryokan meals we've ever had, but we thoroughly enjoyed the 2-hour kaiseki experience. Among the highlights was a Grilled White Horsehead fish (Amadai in Japanese) in a Clear soup made from Bonito Flakes & Konbu Seaweed Dashi Broth. Light, subtle flavors but complex and full of umami at the same time. We also enjoyed the "Basashi" (Horsemeat Sashimi), which is a delicacy of Kumamoto Prefecture. An in lieu of the typical plain miso soup that comes at the end of the meal (well, before dessert) along with rice and pickled vegetables was a miso soup with lobster - the lobster itself was nice, but the lobster being part of the soup broth really added a richness to the soup that was a cut above the ones we are typically served. That said, there wasn't a single, "oh my god, this is new and amazing!" type of dish that we'll remember for the rest of our lives, which is okay, since it's not something that occurs to us often. Gosho Gekkoju is a relatively new property that successfully manages to exude old world charm (without the associated drawbacks) but with freshness and comfort. The overall property is charming and huge, and the incredible in-room Onsen baths, luxurious rooms, great views (at least from Kazemachi) and the ability to have meals served in your own room are luxury aspects that are super compelling. And, the ryokan is gracefully hosted by wonderful staff members that take great pride in offering a bespoke guest experience. Between Takefue and Gosho Gekkoju, it's a tough call. Overall, we felt that Takefue's property grounds were even more atmospheric, mystical and awe-inspiring, its baths (both in-room and rental) were absolutely massive (largest we've ever experienced, actually) and service was the best we've ever experienced. There are extra touches that makes us believe that every little aspect was considered, such as ice cream and drinks scattered throughout the property, Yuzu citrus added to the baths, amazing private dining rooms (in addition to the ability to have meals in your rooms), the option to choose from a multitude of gorgeous Yukata to wear... the list goes on and on. For those reasons, I'd give the nod to Takefue. On the other hand, Goshu Gekkoju does have better views of the (far away) landscape and offers a slightly better dining experience (it's the one aspect of Takefue that isn't in our Top 5 among the ryokans we've stayed at.) It would not at all be a bad Plan B for us if we were to return to Kurokawa Onsen and Takefue was fully booked.

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“Out of the world fantastic!”

This place is just out of the world! We were blown away right from when we arrived, we were greeted like royals at the doorstep! We were again blown away when we left! Service was top notch; the staff were very very good and attentive. Food was top notch; food was fresh and they will cater to you… more

This place is just out of the world! We were blown away right from when we arrived, we were greeted like royals at the doorstep! We were again blown away when we left! Service was top notch; the staff were very very good and attentive. Food was top notch; food was fresh and they will cater to your dietary needs. The room is top notch; indoor and outdoor private onsens and fantastic amenities and even traditional Japanese clothes for you to wear. The landscape was top notch; everything was very pretty.. Everything was way beyond expectations!! Everything in the room were all well thought of. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to relax and just enjoy the serenity of the environment and beautiful views mountains. The price might sound expensive but it is definitely well worth every cent. I will definitely go again if I travel to Kyushu again.

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“Does not live up to its reputation”

Nothing can be faulted about the villa / room and hotel grounds, but for this price point, the food was mediocre and lacked the finesse that comparable onsen hotels have. In short, they valued quantity over quality. I read on Japanese blogs that the ownership changed not long before our stay and th… more

Nothing can be faulted about the villa / room and hotel grounds, but for this price point, the food was mediocre and lacked the finesse that comparable onsen hotels have. In short, they valued quantity over quality. I read on Japanese blogs that the ownership changed not long before our stay and the food quality was much better under the previous owners. The staff were courteous and spoke good English, but service felt pretty robotic and very often, it felt as if the staff were just going through standard steps and procedures. Overall not a bad hotel but we would not choose to stay here again. There are lots of better options in the area for this price.

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