Matsuba Onsen Taki no Yu

Five of us stayed here: my parents, my younger sister, my niece, and me. The food and the private open-air baths in our rooms were wonderful. Since the rooms had different layouts, we tried both baths. My elderly mother had said, “This might be my last hot spring trip,” but she loved this inn so much that she smiled and said, “I’d love to come back here.” That made me truly happy. Thanks to the staff’s warm hospitality, including the wheelchair loan, we enjoyed a very comfortable short getaway. The freshly cooked rice at breakfast was delicious, but we had quite a lot left over. When we asked at the front desk, they kindly provided plastic wrap and salt so we could make rice balls, which we thoroughly enjoyed. At dinner, the inn offers a wonderful late-night snack service, turning leftover rice into rice balls. It would be lovely to have a similar service at breakfast, too, as it would also help reduce food waste. My mother has become a huge fan and seems to be telling everyone how wonderful this inn is. We would love to return with the whole family.

This was my first stay here. I had no idea there was such a wonderful Onsen Ryokan less than an hour from home. The service was excellent, and we truly enjoyed the delicious meals. In particular, the steamed dish with spiny lobster, abalone, and beef was outstanding. The bath in the Room was also wonderful, and I also used the day-use Onsen. After dinner, we relaxed in the Room watching Netflix and YouTube, and the late-night snack was delicious as well. If I had to mention one request, it would be that breakfast starts a little late. As I’ve gotten older I wake up early, so I’d appreciate it if breakfast could start sometime after 7:00 a.m. That said... what disappointed me happened after breakfast. My one real hobby is watching Major League Baseball. These days, the only TV program I watch is MLB on BS channels. Since check-out is at 11:00 a.m., I thought I’d be able to relax at the Ryokan and enjoy baseball until then, so I didn’t record it at home before coming. However... when I tried to watch on the big screen by pressing the BS button, there was no BS broadcast available. I was honestly surprised—I assumed BS channels would be standard at any Ryokan (that assumption is on me). I don’t mind if Netflix isn’t available; but at minimum, I would like BS channels to be accessible. So overall it would have been perfect except for this point, but for Facility/equipment and overall satisfaction I rated it 4 stars.