Hananomai or Yufuin UBL Hotel? A Small Inn versus a Full Onsen Hotel
Compare Hananomai’s eight rooms and vacant-use private baths with UBL’s larger public bath, sauna and ten rooms with 24-hour private springs.
Checked: September 27, 2026 Hananomai and Yufuin UBL Hotel are both close to Lake Kinrin, but the stay feels different before you even get to the bath. Hananomai is an eight-room inn where guests can use shared private baths without reserving a room with its own bath. UBL is a larger hotel with a dedicated public-bath building; a private bath in the room is an option in ten special rooms.
| Hananomai | Yufuin UBL Hotel | |
|---|---|---|
| Room count | Eight rooms | 33 rooms: 23 standard Japanese rooms and 10 special rooms |
| Standard-room bathing | Shared public bath and private-use baths; the latter are used when vacant | Standard rooms use the shared bath building |
| Private in-room bath | Two detached rooms have private open-air baths; two main-house rooms have indoor baths | Ten special rooms have 24-hour spring-fed private indoor baths |
| Shared facilities | Gender-separated bath, plus private-use indoor and outdoor baths | Indoor and outdoor pools plus a sauna; the floors switch between men and women |
| Lake Kinrin | About five minutes on foot | About six minutes on foot |
Hananomai is the easier fit if you only need one private soak
The standard Japanese rooms at Hananomai do not have an in-room bath, and they are upstairs with stairs to reach them. Guests can still use the shared private-use baths, without booking ahead, when one is vacant. That arrangement can make a lower room category work for two people who want to bathe together once. It is less certain if you have a fixed time in mind, such as right after dinner.
UBL separates shared bathing from private bathing by room type. The standard rooms do not include the same in-room bath as the special rooms, but they do have access to the hotel’s larger public facilities, including an outdoor bath and sauna. The special rooms add a 24-hour, spring-fed indoor bath; the published room description does not call it an open-air bath.
The best reason to choose UBL may be the public bath
If you like a substantial public bath and plan to use it more than once, UBL’s separate bathing building gives the standard room a clear purpose. Guests who prefer to bathe alone can pay for the special room and keep the soak in their room at any hour.
Hananomai’s appeal is different: fewer rooms, a mix of room categories, and the option of using private-use baths without automatically upgrading. Station pickup is available from Yufuin Station or its bus center by arrangement; request it by the previous day. At UBL, confirm the current pickup procedure with the hotel rather than assuming a car will be waiting when you arrive.
For a broader comparison of Hoteiya and UBL’s bath arrangements, see Hoteiya vs UBL Hotel. The room-onsen upgrade guide explains what to check in a room listing before paying extra.
