kusatsu: ryokan vs hotel

hi, I am a solo traveller and will be visiting Kusatsu for onsen experience and planning to have a night stay. I want your reccomendation for better accomodation with the tight budget coz I want to keep the budget for lower than 10.000yen (if I can). Is it still be worth it if I stay at ryokan without having a meal ?
coz I've learn that hotel offer the same japanese style room but with buffet meal and with lower room rate (they even have karaoke room). But the onsen choices is much more better in ryokan I think.
Please give me some advice ^^;

Is it still be worth it if I stay at ryokan without having a meal ?

I personally think that the meal is an integral part of a ryokan stay. So, I would not want to miss it. But it ultimately comes down to personal preference. Some ryokan's dinners are not very good (I personally don't like buffet style dinners), in which case it may be more enjoyable to have dinner in town, instead. Kusatsu does have some - although not many - dining-out options.

But the onsen choices is much more better in ryokan I think.

Some of the best baths in Kusatsu are the public baths:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7402.html

I would also pay attention to the accommodation's location. A location close to the town center is highly recommended for full enjoyment of the town.

My last stay in Kusatsu Onsen was at the Hotel Ichii near the yubatake in the center of town. It was a japanese style room with no meals for around 5500 yen. There's many restaurants and izakaya for dinner and a 7-11 nearby for breakfast type foods. I would stay there again because the onsen was really nice.

Thanks for your reply Uji-san ^^
For my note when I say that the onsen choices is much more better in ryokan, it is refers to ryokan n hotel, not the public bath ^^;
Do you know Kiyoshigekan ryokan? it offer accomodation without meal in a good rate, but meal can be added for extra fee

thank you mk for sharing your review for the hotel ^^

I want to stay at ryokan coz they offer their onsen for private use in case there is no gender separated onsen in public bath (city center), ryokan have a quite nice outdoor onsen.

Do you know if public onsen in Kusatsu are gender separated?

Kiyoshigekan ryokan looks like a nice place. It is a bit far from the center of Kusatsu though.

I think all of the public onsen in Kusatsu are gender separated.

Is the hotel prepair yukata for the guest? Like in ryokan?

yukata will be available. hotels are similar to ryokan but will have lower level of service such as no maid to pour tea for you and usually no meals served in room. Also you usually can wear shoes in hotel up to your room.

You may be confused.
The major basic defference between ryokan & hotel is shared toilet or in room except in the high end.
All shared onsens are gender separated unless private or room attached(rare exceptions in remote areas).
Also, ryokans take 2 min.not a solo except a few.
Stay at a hotel and visit one or more public onsens.

The major basic defference between ryokan & hotel is shared toilet or in room except in the high end.

The vast majority of ryokan have toilets in the room, except some old or cheap ones.

thank you for all the respons ^^
Everyone is very helpfull