AsoTsuruya

Excellent welcome by the hosts, and hospitality. The location in Aso was also very good especially after a hike up Mt Aso; the meals were also superb.

The place looks a little past its prime unfortunately, so expectations should be tempered when staying here.

The ryokan itself is truly beautiful, elegant, peaceful, and full of charm. Dinner and breakfast were absolutely excellent, among the best meals we had during our stay in Japan, prepared and served with great care. The staff were extremely kind and attentive in every detail, making us feel genuinely welcome throughout our stay. The location is also very convenient: very close to the main places to visit in town, while still being well connected to the station and the train lines.

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room aesthetic was wonderful and unique, private onsen was a major reason we booked

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We had 3 nights half board in the Japanese style room with private bathroom & open-air bath. The ryokan is quite old, some of it around a 100 years; so quite authentic. Our room was over two floors; the ground floor having the living area, toilet and access to the outside shower plus bath constructed out of natural cobbles cemented together. The latter is in a small, high walled courtyard making it private but not very pretty. Simple wooden stairs lead up to the bedroom with a toilet and storage area. The bedroom had a TV, as did the living area. Aircon units keep things cool. Having stayed at a ryokan beforehand we knew to wait to be collected for meals which were in different rooms each time (I think). The food was good at breakfast and dinner. Drinks were extra. The ryokan is, if my memory is correct, a family business with the 80+ year old matriarch very involved in the food side.

Being relatively old, the majority of door frames are quite low. The top of my head turned into a battle field! The wifi was intermittent which, if you don't have a network data plan could be an issue. The TV in the bedroom appeared to be a smart TV but without an internet connection solely delivers local television. Hopefully the wifi issue is now resolved. As with the other hotels I disconnected the power of the smart toilet before going to bed to avoid waking up the Boss. Being a traditional ryokan it doesn't have curtains in the bedroom so if you need complete darkness you'll need a good eyemask.