Hotel Village in Kusatsu: Plan Around the Shuttle and Therme Therme

Hotel Village is easier to enjoy when you plan to spend time on the grounds. Its main building has a public bath using Yubatake spring; two additional sources, Bandai-kō and Wata-no-yu, are at the separate Therme Therme pool-and-onsen complex. A room booking alone does not make every facility available on every date, and moving between the different facilities is part of the stay.

Two bathing areas, with separate schedules

The main-building bath gives you the most dependable on-site option. To use the other two springs, you need Therme Therme to be open, and any admission included with your room depends on the booking plan. Check the facility calendar and plan details before you count on swimming or visiting the extra baths.

The main bath uses Yubatake spring and is open to overnight guests from 2:30 pm to 11 am; cleaning runs from 11 am to 2:30 pm. It has a hotter tub at about 43°C and a warmer-but-gentler option around 40°C. Therme Therme is a separate complex: its usual weekday hours are roughly 11 am–8 pm, with weekends and selected days starting at 10 am; summer hours can begin earlier, and last entry is generally 7:30 pm. Wata-no-yu has gender-specific bathing periods and some time slots reserved for private use, so its presence does not mean it is open to every guest at every hour.

Admission is not automatically unlimited with every room plan. The property has a guest rate for Therme Therme, while some packages include a Resort Passport or other facility benefits. Check what your actual booking includes before adding the extra springs to the room’s value.

The 2026 activity notice lists October 20 and 21 as Therme Therme maintenance closure dates. On those days, the main-building Yubatake bath remains a separate option, but the resort’s three-source pitch does not describe what you can use that night.

Hotel Village describes its baths as kakenagashi, but also notes that water may be added while filling a tub to cool it and that outdoor baths may receive warmed water in cold weather or overnight. If your requirement is fresh spring water flowing through without recirculation, that statement is useful; if you require zero added or heated water in every bath year-round, the published wording does not establish that.

The Yubatake shuttle is not running at present

As of the hotel’s September 23, 2026 notice, the shuttle runs all day only between Hotel Village and Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal; the Yubatake service is suspended until further notice. The terminal link still helps if you arrive by bus, but do not plan on a hotel shuttle for an evening trip to the town centre. Check the notice again close to your stay, since the change is temporary and may be updated.

If walking into town is part of your plan, allow for the distance from the resort and a return trip after dinner. Travellers who want to step out to Yubatake several times a day may prefer a more central property; the car-free Kusatsu ryokan guide compares other locations.

The terminal shuttle remains a separate service and takes about five minutes. There are around 160 outdoor parking spaces, currently listed as free and not requiring a reservation. A limited JR Bus trial from June 7 to October 31, 2026 also included some direct services from Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi via the terminal; treat it as a dated trial, not a year-round timetable.

When the resort format makes sense

Hotel Village is at its best for guests who will use the on-site activities and facilities rather than treating it as a room beside Yubatake. Families and larger groups may appreciate having several activities in one property, while the separate buildings and changing facility schedules call for a little planning. For a more compact stay focused on public baths around town, start with the Kusatsu ryokan guide; for spring locations, see the six-spring bathing map.

Families can make use of the seasonal pool, bowling, table tennis, billiards, karaoke and outdoor activities such as cycling, tennis or fishing, though schedules vary by season and weather. The main bath also lists baby baths, bath chairs and children’s toiletries. That range is useful when a group will spend time on site; it adds little if everyone plans to be out in town.

Room choice affects how much walking you do around the resort. Tower maisonettes have stairs within the room; Wing Japanese-Western rooms can suit multigenerational groups; Log Houses sit apart from the main building. Chateau Jacuzzi rooms have a Jacuzzi, not a confirmed natural-spring bath.

For meals, compare the buffet with Japanese or French restaurant plans and check which are offered on your dates. Breakfast is generally served from 7–10 am, with last entry around 9:30 am. The main bath remains open after breakfast until 11 am.

Tattoos need a direct check. The hotel sells cover patches at reception and at Therme Therme, but it does not promise that any size or placement will be accepted in every bath. Ask about the specific facilities you plan to use.

Sources

- [Hotel Village: hot springs](https://www.hotelvillage.co.jp/onsen) - [Hotel Village: Therme Therme](https://www.hotelvillage.co.jp/therme) - [Hotel Village: access](https://www.hotelvillage.co.jp/access) - [Hotel Village: 2026 activity schedule and Therme closures](https://www.hotelvillage.co.jp/news/20250407) - [Hotel Village: shuttle service change, September 23, 2026](https://www.hotelvillage.co.jp/news/20260923) - Images: [Hotel Village access bus](https://www.hotelvillage.co.jp/access), [Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal](https://www.trip.com/) - Image: [Yubatake, Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E8%8D%89%E6%B4%A5%E6%B8%A9%E6%B3%89%E3%81%AE%E6%B9%AF%E7%95%9101.jpg)

Checked: September 27, 2026

Tags: Kusatsu Onsen, Hotel Village, Therme Therme, shuttle bus, resort stay