Koran no Yu Kinkouroh in Ibusuki

It's about a 10-minute walk from the station. While a bit out of the way, it's a great value hotel for a quiet retreat while enjoying the hot springs. If you need to buy something, there are two convenience stores within a 10-minute walk.

The room was amazing, especially the large tatami area with Sakurajima just outside the window. The large public bath on the top floor also faces Sakurajima. There's also a semi-open-air onsen on the first floor, and the atmosphere is just as wonderful. I really wanted to stay there all day without going out.

The hotel offers a shuttle bus to the "Saraku" sand steam room, but reservations are required. I didn't make a reservation, but after finishing my sand steam, I happened to see the hotel bus and asked, and they let me take it back. By the way, their luggage was delivered directly to the hotel from the JR station, which was 200 yen more expensive than leaving it at the station.

The downside is that it's a bit far from the city center, and the limited bus service in Ibusuki makes getting around difficult. By train, Hamamiya Station is about seven or eight minutes away.

There are also few dining options nearby. I found Shinshuan about 500 meters away, and a FamilyMart a little further. However, the road is dark at night, so it's hard to see, and walking can be quite daunting. So, it's best to book a room with breakfast and dinner included.

The front desk staff were very helpful and kind in providing tourist information. The food was delicious. The black pork shabu-shabu was especially sweet and delicious.

This hotel isn't located near Ibusuki Station, but two stops away at Miyahama Station.

Miyahama Station is quite charming (see picture 3). It's about a 10-minute walk from Miyahama Station to the hotel (you can arrange a pick-up service from the station if you contact the hotel in advance; we didn't have much luggage).
We encountered beautiful scenery on the way to the hotel!

And a train passed by! We were so glad we didn't ask the hotel for a pick-up.

The hotel offers two shuttle buses to the sand bath onsen (hot spring) at 4:15 and 5:15 PM. Advance reservations are required. We didn't make a reservation, but luckily someone cancelled, and we got a spot on the 5:15 bus. The return bus is at 6:30 PM. The sand bath onsen time is one hour (or 10 minutes if you only want the sand bath + hot spring), which is perfect timing.

The hotel includes breakfast and dinner, and I have to say, the food was absolutely amazing! I've stayed at many onsen hotels that include meals, and while the kaiseki/kaiseki cuisine is often exquisite, it's not particularly delicious. But this hotel's food was unexpectedly delicious and left a lasting impression. The chef's service was absolutely fantastic. He explained each dish in detail, even though our Japanese wasn't great, he explained them to us in English. He paid close attention to every customer throughout the meal, truly treating each one with care. At breakfast the next day, the chef even arranged for us to sit by the window with a view of the sea (other Japanese customers sat back in their original seats from the previous day's dinner; the chef made a special exception for us foreign customers). He also helped us take photos. The service was truly exceptional. Highly recommended!!

The waiter was very polite and attentive and explained in detail how to eat each dish.

Hot spring hotel, the restaurant is very good, the waiters carefully introduce each dish, it is delicious, the room has a beautiful sea view, the room is large and clean, the hotel also has bicycles for rent.

The room is large, clean and tidy, facing the sea, with a large bath on the 5th floor and an open-air hot spring on the 1st floor. The dinner is rich, the breakfast is rich, the surrounding environment is beautiful, the service is warm, and the praise is good👍

There is a free shuttle bus from Mayagaha Station, and there is a round-trip shuttle to Ibusuki Sarakukaikan. The facilities are really clean and friendly. :)
There were a lot of Japanese people, and we were the only Korean group, but it's a really good place! I definitely recommend it

Breakfast, dinner, and hot springs were all perfect💗 I really enjoyed the Japanese ryokan, and the ocean view was the best.

amazing hot spring resort with great food and great people! Everyone is very professional, couldn’t think of any bad thing at all! Just great

The hotel is quite dated but still clean. However, the open air Onsen is very small and the indoor one looks very old