Hoshino Resorts KAI Aso

Great room with a good onsen bath. The room was very clean, and quite large. The service is friendly and excellent, and the food was amazing both of our nights. The only regret we have is that we didn’t book a third night! Keep in mind that this is more of a forest retreat, so your room/chalet won’t have any view, but the dining room and terrace will have a nice view on clear days. This is clear from the website, but some people might still miss it

Very luxurious hotel with chalet/cabin type rooms with private onsen in Mt Aso. This hotel is fairly out of the way and accessible if you drive but the it is excellent for a getaway from the hurly burly of the city. While the rooms themselves have views only of the woodlands, the main building has an amazing views of teh five craters of Mt Aso. The private onsen is excellent for foreigners like my wife and I not comfortable with public onsen. As the hotel is situated in the mountains, you have to treat this hotel as a digital detox as the free wifi is not particularly stable nor allowed for high bandwidth usage in the rooms. The food provided is excellent which is typical Hoshino Kai flare if you are aware of the brand. At Mt Aso, we were very well taken care of by our assigned host, Ms Wakana. She took excellent care of us and provided us with excellent information in English of the cultural aspects of the cuisine served. We are very grateful of her effort to make us feel more at home and welcomed.

The room design is just average level, and do not have suitable slippers. The only slippers they have is hard and uncomfortable. And the floor is not clean. Although the hotel is located on the mountain, but there is no special or grand view from terrace or rooms. Waitresses are all friendly. However, when we leave, the front called a taxi that is very old and small. It even cannot put two suitcases in the back. It is the worst Japanese taxi I saw. Also neither the front or taxi driver informed us it is fixed price and no free bottle of water was given. Moreover, I am not satisfied with the cleaning service, they did not clear the basin properly. Finally, the rate is overly priced. Nothing is free, even if you order drink during meal will incur additional fees. If you wanna go to outside you definitely need a car, not shops around. Definitely shun this hotel, disappointing experience!