Kirishima Kokusai Hotel

Good location close to the bus stop for the airport as well as the bus stop for Ebino Plateau, etc. About a ten minute walk from Maruo Falls and Senjojiki, and right next to one of the entrances to the Forest Therapy Road (highly recommended). Excellent breakfast and dinner buffets. Wonderful onsen, especially the rotemburos, which have the same beautiful milky blue water as Maruo Falls. The onsen is also open practically all day, only closing between 9am and 11am as well as after midnight. Spacious 12-mat room and balcony, with a view that includes Sakurajima on a clear day. Quite a bargain price, considering all it comes with. I can’t wait to return.

What could be improved: Too hot. You can turn the heat off in the room, but the heat from the genkan and bathroom still bleeds into the room. I had the sliding doors open, so that cooled it down. However, I was fortunate in that the wind was blowing away from the hotel while I was there. Otherwise, the room could have been full of the sulphur smell of the hot springs below.

The Onsen was excellent and not many people when we were there. The mud bath was an experience. The view was amazing because we have a high floor and we can see Sukarujima and the surrounding mountains.

What could be improved: The room is too hot all day long because the central air conditioning was turned off. The heating is turn on instead. You cannot control the air conditioning. The breakfast and dinner buffet could be improved. It's all the same food after the first day.

We were there for 2 nights, half board, tatami room sleeping on the futons. Onsen was good, with indoor and outdoor Onsen. The half-board was buffet style breakfast and dinner with many choices. The portions are small so we get to try many dishes made with local ingredients, the beef station really stood out as it was very tender and cooked well. Free parking available, right at the hotel.

What could be improved: The room got a bit hot at night, the only was to cooling was to open the windows. However there is a strong smell of sulfuric in the air. The check-in took a long time waiting in line (only spoke in Japanese) and also had to explaining everything. Also, when I was checking in at around 4pm, the staff told me dinner is only available at 745pm as they were busy!!! I did get upset about it as we were wanting to onsen and dinner and sleep early. I did express my disappointment with my limited Japanese, so the staff did call the restaurant and change our 2 person booking to 6pm. The common area is nice and modern however the room is a bit dated and needed some freshen up. Since it is a big hotel, there were a number of tour groups, which makes the whole buffet experience a bit of chaos and extremely busy.

Rooms are great.
We got the rooms with open air bath which was superb.
Love the buffet dinner and breakfast although there was time limit for the dinner. Food comes with great variety and good taste.
Public onsen is huge and offer wide range of bath to choose. We enjoy the outdoor bath and the mud shower most.

What could be improved: There are quite some stain (maybe from the minerals?!) inside the onsen area which appeared dirty.