Kusatsu Onsen is one of Japan’s best hot spring towns. But choosing where to stay for the night can be hard as there are so many choices! So if you prefer to dine out at night to enjoy the local food or you have special dietary requirements, the below hotels/ryokans can accommodate you! A few of them even allow day visitors to reserve their private baths!
- Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu (草津温泉 源泉一乃湯)
- Yubatake Souan (湯畑草菴)
- Yorokobinoyado Takamatsu (喜びの宿 高松)
- Kusatsu Onsen Boun (草津温泉 望雲)
Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu (草津温泉 源泉一乃湯)
If bathing with strangers isn’t your cup of tea, you can book one of the private hot spring baths with Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu, even if you are just a day guest. The hotel is also a great accommodation choice for those who prefer to enjoy the local cuisine instead of dinner prepared by a hotel/ryokan chef.
Refer to our Ichinoyu article for more information!
Tip: You can enjoy a free plate of their simple breakfast at Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu’s lounge on the first floor if you spend a night at the hotel.
Yubatake Souan (湯畑草菴)
Another hotel that offers accommodation plans without meals is Yubatake Souan. In fact, it is the sister hotel of Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu. And the best thing about this hotel is its unique foot spa cafe where you can enjoy the foot spa for free up until 12 am, an extra two hours compared to the walk-in customers! (^_-)-☆
Although many accommodations that offer accommodation-only plans are generally old and shabby in Japan, this isn’t the case for Yubatake Souan. While the hotel was renovated from a ryokan from the late 19th century, it still has a stylish look and is comfortable!
Furthermore, it has a full suite of toiletries, making life really easy for those who love to travel light (^_-)-☆.
Tips:
☛ Free tea and coffee are available on the second-floor corridor.
☛ Free breakfast is provided to all guests at the foot spa cafe.
Important:
☛ Rooms without an open-air bath mean you have to use the public bath, which can be reserved for private use.
☛ There are no lifts/escalators in the hotel. This may be inconvenient if your room is located on the second floor.
Yubatake Souan’s Bathing Facility
Yubatake Souan has four types of guestrooms, with the one with an open-air bath attached being the most popular. Especially on weekends and public holidays, all of them are likely to be booked out three months ahead because there are only three of them!
Another thing that is worthwhile to point out is its hot spring tub. Because it is so close to Yubatake, the onsen in the hot spring tub is still transparent, as it doesn’t have much chance of being exposed to air. And the best thing is while the hot spring is strongly acidic, you won’t experience that tingling sensation.
In addition, the bathtub made over a century ago is deeper than usual. Because of the higher water pressure on your feet, the health benefit from bathing is enhanced!
Moreover, when you check in, you can reserve a time slot between 3 pm and 1 am to use the onsen tub exclusively. Between 1 am and 9:30 am, the bathing space is separated into a male and female public bath.
This system obviously means you can’t bathe at Yubatake Souan freely if your room doesn’t have an onsen tub. But don’t worry, all Yubatake Souan’s guests are welcome to use the public baths at Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu, just a 2-minute walk away!
Yubatake Souan Foot Spa Cafe (湯畑草菴 足湯カフェ)
If you are after a place for something unique and different, how about stopping by Yubatake Souan? The cafe in this hot spring hotel is quite interesting. In addition to the regular table sets, the foot spa cafe has seats around a foot spa and even a hand spa!
While the cafe doesn’t serve any savory vegetarian light meals, you can still enjoy afternoon tea at Yubatake Souan Foot Spa Cafe. The recommended dessert menu items are those with pinto beans. Why? Because pinto bean is one of Kusatsu’s local specialties!
Tips:
☛ There are coin lockers for customers to use.
☛ The best time to visit Yubatake Souan Foot Spa Cafe for couples is probably at night. With lighting surrounding the foot spa, the atmosphere is just fantastic and cozy!
Yubatake Souan Foot Spa Cafe’s Business Hours and Access Information
- Yubatake Souan Foot Spa Cafe is open from 10 am to 9:30 pm.
- The last order is taken at 9 pm.
- Yubatake Souan Foot Spa Cafe is just a 5-minute walk from Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal.
Yorokobinoyado Takamatsu (喜びの宿 高松)
If you want to enjoy a course dinner in the ryokan/hotel, consider booking your stay with Yorokobinoyado Takamatsu. The 11-level hotel is around a 5-minute walk from Yubatake. In addition, you can reserve one of the rooms with a hot spring bath or pay extra to utilize their private bath with a small Japanese stone garden attached!
Refer to our article on Yorokobinoyado Takamatsu for more information!
Kusatsu Onsen Boun (草津温泉 望雲)
Another ryokan that can accommodate your special dietary requirements in the Kusatsu Onsen is Kusatsu Onsen Boun. While it doesn’t have a private bath that can be rented out, you can reserve a room with an onsen tub connecting to the Sainokawara spring source! The best thing about staying with Boun is that you can opt to have dinner served in your room. It is the perfect way to enjoy your time at a high-class ryokan!
For more information, refer to our article on Kusatsu Onsen Boun!
Discover Other Attractions in Kusatsu Onsen
After you have your accommodation sorted, the next step is probably finding out where in the hot spring town you want to explore!
In addition to the public and communal bathhouses, Kusatsu Onsen has much more to offer. Whether it is soba noodles, traditional sweets or outdoor activities, such as obstacle courses and skiing, you surely won’t be bored at Kusatsu Onsen!
For more information, refer to our article on Kusatsu Onsen (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.
