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.

Pros There is a free shuttle bus to yubatake from 3pm or it takes 8-10 mins by walking. The conceirg staff gave a free umbrella due to the rain when I was leaving after checked out. Staffs carry luggages and take for guests for a hotel tour then to the room. Good drum show at 8.30pm, and give away ¥500 if you volunteer to dance on the stage. Good buffer dinner and breakfast, has many choices and varieties. I would stay here again Cons A bit far from yubatake if walking. But the hotel offers a free shuttle bus every 30 mins.

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 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!

About 10-15mins walk from main kusatsu onsen bus terminal. We stayed 3 nights here and it was great. The onsen facility is clean and well maintained.. There is a HUGE range of beauty product in the female onsen area that is free for use.. The rooms were very pretty, spacious and of course, clean.. Both breakfast and dinner were provided and we LOVED the buffet spread.. It’s traditional japanese food, nutritious and delicious.. I highly recommend this place!

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!

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