Yufuin Baien Garden Resort (Review)

Oita prefecture is renowned for its many natural hot springs and Yufuin is certainly one of its most popular destinations. Located at the foot of Mount Yufu, with a very access by JR train 🚅, this small onsen ♨️ village surrounded by a lush vegetation provides a setting that is absolutely lovely, enlivened by tourists roaming in its shopping streets and around Lake Kinrin-ko.

For a complete immersion in this attractive scenery, we recommend staying overnight in one of the traditional ryokan inns constituting Yufuin. Placed off the touristic city center, Yufuin Baien Garden Resort is a good charming hotel 🏨 and thermal resort opened on the surrounding nature.

Encompassing several Japanese-style buildings, Baien ryokan spreads in a beautiful green setting, inside an inner garden adorned with seasonal flowers, with a view on Mount Yufu and its forest mountain overlooking the place.

Whether they are private or shared, the onsen baths benefit of a ubiquitous natural background. Furthermore, most of the bathing pools are in the outdoor (rotenburo) or just protected by an arbor so as to enjoy the scenery. The tubs are made of stone or hinoki wood and arranged with noble natural materials, always in harmony with the landscape. Families who don’t have onsen in their rooms can enjoy privacy in 2 designated outdoor baths.

Spacious rooms opened on the nature

Yufuin Baien Garden Resort has a total of 26 rooms, divided in:

• 14 rooms located in the main building; and,
• 12 rooms in independent pavilions.

The rooms are of Japanese style, with tatami flooring, sliding doors and the traditional seasonal decoration of a Japanese thermal inn. Bedding can be in the Western Style with a mattress on a bed-base; otherwise futons are to be unrolled on the floor for sleeping.

All the rooms are quite large with a 30m² minimum superficies, and:

• A lounge with a coffee table and low-rise chairs;
• A closed area for sleeping;
• Private toilets;
• A sink (without shower);
• A TV set and a tea set (kettle and mini-fridge).

The rooms on the luxury side are located in the main building’s annex and have a private outdoor onsen bath and a small veranda. Note that while the many large windows offer a beautiful view on the environment, they also are entrances for bugs and spiders, especially in summer when the weather is hot and humid. On early morning, one can hear the birds singing from the room as it is traditionally not sound proof.

A dedicated building shelters the restaurant where dinner and breakfast are served, all in the kaiseki fashion, that is to say a mainly savory and traditional Japanese cuisine. The miscellaneous small dishes constitute a gourmet choice of the area’s specialties, with seasonal ingredients. Red meat amateurs can order (with additional charge) a Bungo beef steak, the Wagyu beef from Oita. In the evening, a self-service bar is available for the Yufuin Baien customers, so they don’t have to go out to have a drink. The surroundings of the hotel are very quiet anyway.

A mid-range 3-stars ryokan inn, Yufuin Baien Garden Resort allows to indulge in the pleasures of outdoor onsen and the atmosphere of traditional Japanese inns without breaking the bank. It is also possible to select options without breakfast or without any meal when booking and therefore pay only the lowest price at the hotel.