Guest perceptions of the overall quality of any given onsen-ryokan are generally a matter of how the experience at the facility touched what is most important to the individual reviewer. 

One guest may feel that a facility was superior due to its fine selection of toiletries in the bath area, the breadth of merchandise available in the gift shop, the temperature of the bath, the magnificent view of the mountain from the roten-buro, the presence of crab legs at the dinner buffet, and the great Karaoke room.

Another guest may rank the same establishment as marginal due to the lack of a massage chair outside the bath area, the “retail” feel of the facility based upon its huge gift shop, the bath water being a little too hot, the roten-buro not being large enough, the lack of tempura at the dinner buffet, and the noisy video-game area next to the lobby.

These personal opinions may or may not be consistent with what a larger number of guests may think about the same establishment. 

The Hot or Not? Guest Rating is designed to capture a single quality rating for an onsen-ryokan establishment based upon the entirety of the experience at the facility on a per-guest basis.  There are 4 different rating levels from which a guest may choose to represent the overall opinion they hold of the onsen-ryokan.   After reading the description for each Hot or Not? Guest Rating level, guests should select the rating that most closely matches their impression of the facility.  As more and more guests rate the same facility personal preferences should blend into a reliable overall rating that can be confidently relied upon by all future guests.

Please take part in contributing to the ‘wisdom of crowds’ and helping develop valuable information for future guests by submitting a Hot or Not? Guest Rating for any onsen-ryokan establishments you have gone to in the past, or for any you visit in the future!