Sen-No-Mori

Forest Retreat Our stay was unique and our hosts were hospitable and warm. A family run ryokan. The kaiseki dinner was also aesthetically pleasing and delish! Our chalet was very private and set in the midst of the woods. It had a private bath and bedrock sauna that looked out into the maple trees and bamboo trees. Great for relaxing after climbing Mt Aso!

Sennomori is unique If you want a secluded quiet and peaceful place to be a private paradise, this is the place for you. The facilities the staff and the food are absolutely first class. If you add the incredible setting, you will have everything you need for a perfect stay

Avoid - not worth the price Very uncomfortable stay. The biggest issue was that unfortunately the entire room smelt of damp and mould during the whole stay. The rooms need to be ventilated properly. The rooms are also very dated (looks nothing like the photos) and some fixtures are broken to the point of being dangerous. E.g; nail sticking out and frayed electrical cords. Food is below average, and service minimal. The hotel entrance is very difficult to see, and we were given no directions before check-in. One staff member speaks some English which was ok, however no English guide was provided at all in the room. We paid 130,000 yen, we expected a lot more for that price. There are many more great onsen in the area, avoid this.

Food at the in house restaurant, Ichinokawa, was superb. Rooms were overall satisfactory, with big plus for their in-room onsen. Finding the ryokan was a little difficult. It’s off the main road. Look for the tall sign with a couple of logos on it. Turn in and drive down. They are about 150m in at a cul-de-sac. We were met by a staff member who helped us with our luggage, dropping it off in the room. Check-in was in an old hut with a small glass window in the floor to appreciate the river flowing below. The staff member spoke some English, and his ready smile made up for everything! Our Villa was a walk away. A small key on a large wooden key chain opened the sliding door. Once inside, we were surprised by what we regarded as mismatched furniture. A large red leather couch with a matching TV console, and a glass mural on the wall was in the living room. Further in was the formal tatami sitting area. Walking back past the door, a toilet with all the usual Japanese toilet with all the Japanese toilet functions can be found. Right next to it was a “retro” bedroom. Based on our personal taste, we chose to have the bed made on the tatami floor. Down one flight of stairs is the bathroom, Cedar wood bath tub and the sauna. There’s an air con here to heat up the sink area. We ran the bath to heat up the shower area. After shower and scrub up, we jumped into the bath tub for a soak. This was a nice area to be in. Very relaxing and if you’re up for it, there’s also a sauna that you need to wear clothing provided. The food at Ichinokawa is superb. Fresh seasonal produce with exquisite culinary skills. Beautiful restaurant environment. Service is polite, efficient and done with pride. Overall a satisfactory stay here.4 we just did not get with the room decor, but other than that service was excellent and the food was exquisite.

Real forest feel ,very politely