Motoyu Ryuusenkaku sits on high ground above Arima Onsen in Kobe, with its own source of kinsen, the reddish-brown “gold spring” water Arima is known for, about 30 m from the building. The inn calls itself a ryokan where even babies can enjoy dinner in the room. Before you book, three things matter: on dinner plans you must check in by 18:00; the two bookable private baths are not hot-spring water; and you pay in cash or by card in one installment, with no coupons or gift vouchers.
Motoyu Ryuusenkaku at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 1663 Utsugidani, Arima-cho, Kita-ku, Kobe, Hyogo |
| Rooms | All Japanese-style, all non-smoking; 1 to 10 guests per room depending on type |
| Check-in / out | 15:00–18:00 (dinner plans) or 15:00–21:00 / 10:00 |
| Doors lock | Midnight |
| Baths | Gold-spring indoor and outdoor baths (men and women), 15:00–9:30 |
| Private baths | Two, 45 minutes for 2,200 yen; not hot-spring water |
| Dinner / breakfast | In your room / in the breakfast venue |
| Parking | Free, 30 cars, next to the inn |
| Payment | Cash or credit card (one installment) |
From the official site, read October 14, 2026.
Who is this Arima Onsen ryokan built for?
Families with small children. The inn says it has spent more than 20 years trying to be the kind of place where parents can enjoy a hot-spring trip with little ones, starting with lending out children’s goods; it now offers more than 50 services. There is a baby room with a microwave, sink and baby bed, open through the night, a kids’ corner with picture books and the inn’s own toys, an indoor heated pool (4 m by 10 m, 1 to 1.3 m deep) with free swimsuit loans, a summer-only forest pool, a game corner and karaoke. Baby beds are in the bath changing rooms and the baby room, but not in guest rooms.
Which rooms have their own gold-spring bath?
Four family suites, each for 2 to 6 guests on the 1st floor, have a private open-air bath filled from the inn’s own spring. The other room types are Japanese rooms of 10, 12 and 14 mats; some 14-mat rooms have a koyamaki-wood bath and take up to 7.
| Suite | Size | Open-air bath |
|---|---|---|
| Hana (2024) | 101 m² | Cherry-blossom-shaped tub |
| En (2023) | 86 m² | Round tub |
| Sora (2022) | 78 m² | Infinity tub |
| Hyotan | 73 m² | Gourd-shaped tub, one shallow side with a handrail |
The suites have no steps inside and handrails in the toilet. The inn as a whole, though, says it is not barrier-free; a simple bed and an in-house wheelchair can be arranged in limited numbers.
The gold-spring baths at Motoyu Ryuusenkaku in Arima
When are the baths open?
The indoor and outdoor baths for men and women are open from 15:00 to 9:30 the next morning. Both use kinsen from the inn’s own source, which its analysis lists as an iron-bearing sodium chloride spring; the outdoor baths, built of hinoki cypress, also have a plain-water tub and look out over the Arima mountains. The indoor baths include a low-step area for babies, and the washing spaces are partitioned.
How do the private baths work?
There are two, named Kaede (maple) and Sakura (cherry), and both are 45 minutes for 2,200 yen. Start times run on the hour from 15:00 to 22:00 and from 7:00 to 9:00. Room types with the private-bath benefit can pick a slot in advance; everyone else books an open slot on arrival. Note that the inn states the private baths are not hot-spring water; the gold spring is in the shared baths and the suites. See our onsen bathing tax guide for how the town tax works.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. Ask the inn before you book. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask. Photos and videos are banned in the shared baths and changing rooms at all times.
Meals at Motoyu Ryuusenkaku
Where are dinner and breakfast served?
Dinner is served in your room, starting between 17:30 and 18:30; you choose the time at check-in. Plans include seasonal kaiseki, Kobe beef steak or sukiyaki, Tajima beef shabu-shabu, Kyoto duck and, in winter only, wild boar hot pot. Breakfast is in the breakfast venue, which has table seating and tatami seating; you pick your time at check-in. For children there are a kids’ meal, baby meals for early and late weaning, and single dishes such as rice porridge.
Can the inn handle allergies or a special diet?
Ask when you book. The FAQ says it cannot help if you cannot eat any fish-based stock, if the allergen is in the seasonings (such as soy or wheat), if you tell them only on the day, or if you need a vegetarian meal. Low-salt meals and puréed food are not offered, though a low-salt seasoning set is. Bringing your own food or alcohol into rooms is not allowed.
Prices and rules at Motoyu Ryuusenkaku
What do children cost?
Junior high students and older count as adults, and so does an elementary-school child who has the adult dinner. An elementary-school child pays 7,700 yen on a breakfast-only plan and 5,500 yen on a room-only plan. With the kids’ dinner, the inn sets one rate all year; the official pages give different figures for it, so confirm with the inn. Preschoolers, babies included, pay a facility fee, and get breakfast free when the adults have breakfast. Children of elementary age and up pay the 150 yen bathing tax, which the City of Kobe sets per night for guests aged 7 and over.
What is the cancellation policy?
The Japanese FAQ lists 30 percent from 7 to 2 days before, 50 percent the day before, and 100 percent on the day or for a no-show; some plans set their own fees. See our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay?
Cash or a credit card in one installment; the FAQ lists Visa, American Express, JCB and Diners, among others. Coupons and gift vouchers are not accepted.
Getting to Ryuusenkaku (Ryusenkaku) in Arima Onsen
Phone the inn when you reach Arima Onsen and its car will collect you; the pick-up runs at check-in and checkout, from 15:00. A free shuttle also runs twice each evening between the inn (18:15 and 20:30) and Taikobashi bus stop (18:20 and 20:35), about 3 to 5 minutes away. The English page gives about 60 minutes from Osaka or Kyoto and 90 minutes from Kansai Airport. Drivers park free next to the inn, and the FAQ asks you to bring chains or winter tires in winter, when snow settles a few times a year. If you are comparing Arima stays, see our Nakanobo Zuien guide.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Motoyu Ryuusenkaku
- The inn takes no phone bookings; book on the official website.
- There is no early check-in, and the building closes from 11:00 to 15:00.
- Doors lock at midnight.
- Yukata are chosen at the yukata corner, with children’s sizes and jinbei.
- The whole inn is non-smoking, including outdoors, apart from the smoking room; the fine for smoking in a room is 30,000 yen per person.
Frequently asked questions
Is Motoyu Ryuusenkaku good for babies and small children?
Can I use the bath at Motoyu Ryuusenkaku with a tattoo?
What time is check-in at Motoyu Ryuusenkaku?
What is the cancellation policy at Motoyu Ryuusenkaku?
Can I book Motoyu Ryuusenkaku by phone?
Bottom line (2026): Motoyu Ryuusenkaku is a family ryokan above Arima Onsen with its own gold spring, dinner in the room and a long list of things for babies and children. Arrive by 18:00 on a dinner plan, carry cash or a card, and book on the official site.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Motoyu Ryuusenkaku’s official pages: home (Japanese), home (English), rooms, baths, gold spring, child-friendly services, dinner, breakfast, price list, FAQ (Japanese) and FAQ (English), the official booking page, and the City of Kobe bathing tax page. All were read on October 14, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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