La Vista Kirishima Hills (Kyoritsu Resort)

The views are simply breathtaking. The property feels as if it was built to coexist with nature, leaving even the old trees untouched—I found myself wondering how many years they have stood there. The staff range widely in age, and it was wonderful to see even very senior team members working there. Perhaps because of the surrounding wilderness, everyone had such warm smiles and gave a bright, welcoming impression. The room uses a retro key lock rather than a modern card key, which may feel a bit inconvenient if you’re used to card keys, but I actually enjoyed the charm. With the bedroom separated from the living area, I slept very soundly. At night we had a sky full of stars, and in the morning a soft red sunrise—the sky was truly beautiful. Because dinner times are assigned in check-in order, ours was late; however, it was less crowded later on. We were also able to enjoy chuhai cocktails, juice, and snacks at the bar “Kiraku,” so we had no trouble waiting until dinner. At 10:00 p.m., they served complimentary late-night soba noodles—my first time trying it—and it was light yet delicious. There was a wine cellar in the room stocked with wine, and an open-air bath on the balcony. It was an extremely satisfying one-night stay (two days).

I stayed here solo during the October holiday weekend. The room was spotless and beyond reproach. Personally, I loved sitting on the terrace chair, gazing at Sakurajima and watching the changing sunset scenery until I lost track of time. The large public bath offered a great variety of baths to enjoy, and the meals were consistently delicious—I had a wonderful hotel stay overall. The only disappointment was that when I filled the open-air bath on the balcony, the water turned cloudy with what seemed like gray, sand-like sediment (perhaps mineral sludge?), which made me not want to use it. That was the only reason I deducted one star. Even so, it was a very satisfying stay. I would definitely like to return when I’m in the area again.