Overall, this was a pleasant first-time ryokan experience. I was very impressed with the attention and care provided to my needs, to my luggage, and to the time the staff spent on communicating the offerings of the ryokan. The amount of access to the on-premises hot springs was decent, the dinner meal provided was more than enough for two grown men to handle, and the morning buffet of healthy breakfast items and some local Beppu dishes were great.
With the exception of the surprise bathing bill that I had to unexpectedly pay on checkout (maybe I missed it during the check-in explanation), I was overall very impressed.