Yufuin Sanso Warabino

I spent two nights here for a quiet vacation with mom, and Sanso Warabino was THE perfect choice. Upon entering, you will experience service, accommodation, and meals that are comparable to those of five-star hotels. The room we stayed offered view to beautiful bamboo forest. The staff were extremely helpful--their service wasn't too over the top, and provided just what we needed in the right time. Warabino even had a staff who spoke fluent Korean, which was really great for us. We enjoyed every single course of the exceptional meals they provided. And of course, the outdoor onsen was simply a delight--we just had to soak ourselves in whenever we had the chance. We loved every minute of our stay at Warabino, and I would recommend it to anyone who is seeking some peace and quiet. My sincere thanks to all the staff.

I was there for 4 nights in Sept 18 - 22. I have been to several high end ryokan in Japan, but I think this is the best so far. There are only 10 villas, so it is not very crowded, in fact I did not see many other guests. The local food is kaiseki and out of this world. They attend to your room about 3 times a day, provide all the bathroom essentials, and there was nothing that I needed to ask for. Each villa has a private outdoor spa bath and you can lounge in it 24 hours a day. They clean out the spa pool every day 7/365. I am planning to return there very soon. English and Korean are spoken by the staff so there are no communication problems. My thanks to Yukiko-san and Nikka-san for their excellent and superb service!

We picked this property as we are looking for a traditional upscale ryokan for a different kind of experience within the Yufuin location. The car navigation system recorded this property correctly and we arrived the property with no issue. When we parked the car, we did not see anyone. Interestingly, once we got out from the car, a very young lady already stood there waiting for us. She insisted to take 2 of our big luggages herself (but we also insist to at least take one back) and led us to the reception area. Check-in was smooth and the lady host can speak English and we are grateful with her hospitality throughout the stay. We booked a ryokan with 2 onsens - one outside and inside. The design is "original", rustic with a different kind of luxury. Dinner & breakfast was great and big - we think we should be polite to finish everything and we were so full. My only dislike is the villas are a little too close and noise not blocked at all (not expected though). So, in the morning, as we are not early riser, we can hear people walk past our villas, speaking so it is not "perfect". Also, although the external onsen is blocked in views (from other villas), we can hear people next door talking as well. Other than this, we have vey much like our stay here.

There is a youthful vibe for such a traditional ryokan, due to its staff whose median age I guess to be below 30. One of them who served my meals had recently studied overseas and spoke excellent English. She was a real mine of information on sightseeing and shopping around Yufuin. Located as it is in a secluded corner of Yufuin, and moreover on a low season weekday, I was able to enjoy the common bath and the quaint lounge with a fireplace in total seclusion. They allow you to have your meals either in your room or at the common dining area. There is a standalone souvenir shop so you can do some shopping without making a trip down to the station area. My main complaint is that they don't provide pickup or send-off transport. Taxi fare one way is about 800Y.

This is a beautiful ryokan with Onsen hotspring. There is a huge Japanese garden with a little stream going through, and villas are built a little apart from each other. The room we stayed, Hana-ikada, has 2 spacious tatami rooms with 1 little tatami room, and of course private Onsen outside and inside which we can enjoy anytime we want. There are also big outside Onsen and inside Onsen for guests, but since they only have 10 villas, those Onsen hotsprings are not crowded at all. They change bath towels in guest rooms frequently enough so that we could always use fresh towels. Big onsens are also equipped with fresh towels, therefore we did not have to carry towels around which we sometimes are required to do in big Onsen ryokan. It is a little away from the area where many ryokans and shops are located, therefore you can enjoy privacy and silence. Food is also good and the staffs are well mannered. This place is not too expensive considering what they offer. I have been to other ryokans in Yufuin area but Warabino is my favorite by far. I definitely recoomend this ryokan if you are looking for good Onsen hotspring, beautiful nature and quiet private getaway.

We had a great time here! The onsen quality here felt great on our skin afterwards.The meals were very tasty and they managed to serve us a good variety of quality food for two nights. Their service was impeccable! From picking up our B speak rolls from the town for us and catering well to our every needs! Highly recommend in Yufuin area. Much better than the famed Kamenoi Besso which we stayed at after this hotel and got food poisoning.