Furuyu Onsen ONCRI

Furuyu Onsen ONCRI, Saga, Japan: A Michelin Key Selected Onsen Retreat

Furuyu Onsen ONCRI in Saga, Japan, a property recognized with a Michelin Key, consistently receives high praise from guests for its harmonious blend of traditional Japanese hospitality and modern comfort. Nestled amidst the verdant mountains of the historic Furuyu Hot Spring area, it offers a serene escape centered around its exceptional hot spring facilities and acclaimed dining.

1. Overall Rating & Sentiment

The general consensus for Furuyu Onsen ONCRI is overwhelmingly positive, with guests frequently describing their stays as wonderful and unforgettable. The hotel has garnered an impressive 10.0 overall rating from delighted guests on platforms like Agoda, receiving perfect scores in various aspects. On Trip.com, it holds a strong rating of 9.1 out of 10 based on numerous verified reviews. Key areas like cleanliness, staff performance, and facilities consistently receive high scores, reflecting a strong commitment to excellence and guest satisfaction.

2. Key Highlights

Guests consistently highlight several outstanding features:

• Exceptional Onsen Experience: The hotel boasts an impressive array of approximately 15 different types of indoor and outdoor hot-spring baths at its "SHIORI" hot spring resort, including open-air baths, a box steam bath, a hinoki cypress tub, a walking bath, and a waterfall-like streaming bath. The Furuyu spring water is known for its mild temperature (around 37-38°C or 100°F), often referred to as a "beauty bath," allowing for extended, relaxing soaks. A natural sand bath is also available.
• Outstanding Service & Attentive Staff: The staff receives perfect ratings for their performance, described as friendly, warm, polite, and exceptionally attentive. They are noted for going above and beyond to ensure guests feel welcomed and well-cared for, offering personalized recommendations.
• Superb Dining: Both dinner and breakfast experiences often exceed guest expectations, featuring high-quality Japanese and Italian cuisine prepared with locally sourced ingredients. The kaiseki dinners are particularly praised as luxurious and delicious.
• Thoughtful Design: The property showcases a "Japanese Contemporary" design, blending traditional ryokan aesthetics with modern architecture, creating a refined and comfortable ambiance that harmonizes with its natural mountain surroundings.
• Convenient Amenities: The hotel provides a free shuttle service to and from JR Saga Train Station, a gift shop with local souvenirs, and a kid's corner/club, ensuring a comfortable stay for all types of travelers. Additional facilities include karaoke, table tennis, a bar, and a coffee shop.

3. Room Quality

The rooms at Furuyu Onsen ONCRI are generally described as spacious, comfortable, and well-appointed. Guests can choose between traditional Japanese-style rooms with tatami mats and low seating or modern rooms with sofas and beds. All rooms are equipped with air-conditioning, a flat-screen TV, a dining area with a refrigerator, mini-bar, and an electric kettle, alongside a private bathroom with slippers and amenities. A notable feature is that all accommodations offer scenic views of the surrounding verdant mountains. For those seeking a unique touch, the Atelier rooms feature winning pieces from an art competition, adding a distinct personality to the space.

4. Dining Experience

The dining at ONCRI is a major draw. Guests consistently laud the "excellent breakfast and dinner". The hotel features Sebri for Italian cuisine and Kimi for authentic Japanese dishes, both utilizing locally grown food. There is also an "Innovative TEPPAN Watahan". Dinner, especially the kaiseki multi-course meal, is often highlighted for its luxurious and delicious offerings, surprising guests with its high quality. Breakfast is typically a rich and varied Japanese-style buffet, praised for its fresh vegetables, sashimi for making custom seafood bowls, and popular items like soybean flour pudding and healthy komatsuna juice.

5. Service & Staff

The service and staff at Furuyu Onsen ONCRI are consistently rated as exceptional. Reviewers frequently commend the team for being friendly, warm, polite, and highly attentive, providing excellent attention to detail throughout the guest's stay. Their dedication to making guests feel welcomed and well taken care of, including offering personalized recommendations, truly embodies the spirit of Japanese hospitality.

6. Location & Accessibility

The hotel is ideally situated in the renowned Furuyu Hot Spring area of Saga Prefecture, offering a peaceful mountain setting. It provides a complimentary shuttle service to and from JR Saga Train Station, which is about 11 miles away. While a shuttle to Saga Airport is available, it comes at an extra charge. The resort is approximately an hour's drive from Fukuoka city and Fukuoka International Airport, making it accessible for travelers. Guests appreciate its convenient location as a stopover for exploring the north-west coastal region of Kyushu. The surrounding area offers opportunities for leisurely strolls in the onsen village and is a 15-minute drive from ski slopes. Nearby cultural attractions include the Saga Castle History Museum and Saga Shrine, while shopping enthusiasts can explore local craft stores and larger malls.

7. Value & Pricing

Furuyu Onsen ONCRI is frequently praised for its outstanding value, with many guests rating it perfectly for its affordability relative to the quality of the experience. While the average room price of around $299 (Agoda) is higher than the average for hotels in Saga ($98), guests feel it offers an unparalleled luxurious experience without being prohibitively expensive. The inclusion of excellent dinner and breakfast in the room rate is often cited as contributing to its excellent value. It is considered particularly good value during the off-season.

8. Common Complaints

While reviews are overwhelmingly positive, a few minor recurring criticisms have been noted:

• Onsen Temperature Preference: While the tepid nature of the Furuyu hot spring is generally seen as a positive for prolonged soaking, some guests who prefer very hot baths found the outdoor onsen lukewarm (36-38°C) even in winter.
• Dining Environment: A few guests mentioned that the restaurant environment could be noisy and overly bright. One particular guest expressed disappointment with an entry-plan Japanese Kaiseki dinner, finding several dishes pre-prepared and lukewarm, lacking the expected excitement of a traditional kaiseki, although the Saga beef was well-received.
• Specific Room Experience: A critique was made regarding a specific detached room type (JIBOH 3), where a guest found limited relaxation space beyond the bed and small windows, resulting in less natural light.
• Accessibility from Bus Stop: One reviewer found the walk up a hill to the hotel lobby from the bus stop to be somewhat inconvenient, especially with luggage.
• Onsen Crowding: The large public bath can sometimes experience crowding with day-trip visitors on weekends.

Sources

1. agoda.com
2. trip.com
3. trip.com
4. booking.com
5. michelin.com
6. arne.media
7. michelin.com
8. michelin.com
9. tabelog.com
10. oncri.com
11. ikyu.com