Nihon no Ashitaba or Yufuin UBL Hotel? Two Very Different Private-Onsen Setups
Compare Ashitaba’s private-use bath circuit and 13 cottages with UBL Hotel’s shared bath, sauna and ten rooms with private hot springs.
Checked: September 27, 2026 “Private onsen” means something different at these two Yufuin stays. Nihon no Ashitaba has several private-use baths on its grounds, so guests can choose among different settings without needing a private bath in every cottage. UBL Hotel’s standard Japanese rooms use the public bath building; ten special rooms add a 24-hour spring-fed indoor bath of their own.
The key trade-off is movement versus certainty
Ashitaba’s 13 detached buildings sit across a roughly 4,500-tsubo property. Its baths include a large outdoor pool, a smaller bath tucked into bamboo, and six private-use baths in the Showa-style bathing area. The inn describes its hot springs as private-use throughout. That gives the stay a sense of choice: different baths have different settings, and a private soak is not reserved for one room category.
The trade-off is that the bathing happens around the grounds rather than automatically in every room. Check your cottage’s facilities before booking; room layouts and baths vary. The property is on higher ground away from the busy center, so allow for a taxi or arrange pickup. Its published pickup notice calls for advance booking by the previous day; confirm the current schedule directly before relying on it.
UBL’s split is easier to understand. The hotel has 23 standard Japanese rooms and ten special rooms with 24-hour, spring-fed private indoor baths. The bath is inside the room, not an open-air tub. In the separate public-bath building, guests can use indoor and outdoor pools and a sauna. YUFUINFO places the hotel about a six-minute walk from Lake Kinrin and notes a free station shuttle; check the current pickup arrangements with the hotel.
Pick by the way you want to spend the evening
Ashitaba works best when you like the idea of exploring a quiet property and choosing a different private bath during your stay. Its 13 cottages also vary in size and design, from compact rooms to large detached houses, so the room itself deserves a careful look. The listed access information puts the station roughly seven minutes away by car; it is not a practical walk with luggage.
UBL is simpler for guests who want to use a large shared bath, or who want a private soak without leaving their room at any hour. Just make sure you have selected one of the ten special rooms. If you are happy with public bathing, the standard room avoids paying for an in-room bath you may not need.
Compare the exact room category, meal plan and transportation before deciding. For another Ashitaba pairing, see Nihon no Ashitaba and Gettouan. The 24-hour in-room onsen comparison is useful if private bathing at any hour is your non-negotiable.
