Kanemidori

This is a very beautiful ryokan. It has gone through renovations so the interior is new and modern, but it has also retained the charms of a ryokan with tatami floors, indoor gardens etc. The room is very big and well heated. I wish I had more time to hang around the ryokan! We had a half board, which includes dinner and breakfast. There was a good spread of local food, I got to try quite a few new food items that I haven't had before. A private onsen can be booked for an additional charge, about 3300 yen - Great for travellers who prefer or are unable to use the public bath. The ryokan is located almost right in the middle of Kusatsu onsen where all the shops and attractions are. The only unfortunate experience we had was communication with the staff regarding parking. When we checked in, the staff told us that we would be able to extend our parking at their premises for a few hours beyond the default time of 12pm by topping up for another day's worth of parking fees. However, on the day of the checkout, another staff told us that it was impossible to extend. Not an unpleasant experience, but it would be better the staff were on the same page.