Romantic Hotels in Oita Prefecture, Japan

"Super convenient with 3 min walk to Beppu station. Around 1km to the seashore. The staffs are very nice and helpful. We are impressed they have a written Beppu guide map in Thai. Recommend for anyone who is going to visit this city!"

"We went to Fukuoka for Chinese New Year, and since my husband loves hot springs, we decided to stay two nights in Yufuin. The inn's location was superb, close to Lake Kinrin, and very quiet. Just a short walk away was Yufuin main street. We booked late, so our only option was a Japanese-Western style room without a private hot spring, which was a pity and a bit disappointing for my husband. Our 'one-night, two-meals' plan was incredibly filling, featuring what seemed like kaiseki cuisine plus either wagyu barbecue or wagyu shabu-shabu. I'm not really an expert on kaiseki, but I could definitely tell the food was exquisite and fresh. Since we don't speak Japanese, the inn assigned a young, English-speaking waitress to attend to us throughout our stay, which was very thoughtful. As I mentioned, the food portions had many courses, and we were quite full by the end. When the waitress asked if we wanted rice and we replied 'just a little,' she seemed genuinely concerned, thinking perhaps we didn't like the food 😅. I wanted to tell her we were simply already full. As for the downsides, my husband found the toilet a bit far from the sink, especially in the private toilet within the bedroom. The inn also didn't offer laundry service; staff advised us to use the laundromat on the main market street if we needed to wash clothes. In the end, we decided against it and waited until we returned to Fukuoka to do our laundry at the hotel there. Also, I imagine the inn is a traditional Japanese establishment, and the staff are quite principled. We were late arriving due to unfamiliarity with the transport, so dinner was pushed back to around 7:30 PM. They seemed a little displeased but remained composed. On our way back, as our preferred train/bus tickets were sold out, we had to leave earlier. The inn was accommodating with our breakfast time. We initially asked them to reduce the portion for the child and just serve scrambled eggs, but they insisted on serving the full original portions, telling us to eat as much as we could. Their reasoning was that since we had paid, we should receive the full amount we ordered, which we respected. We simply didn't want to waste food. Overall, we were satisfied and really appreciated the Japanese culture and traditional decor in all aspects."

"The hotel's location is excellent; you can see it right from the JR station platform. After exiting the station, it's just a two-minute walk across the street. There's a Lawson convenience store right outside the hotel to the left. Upon entering the hotel, you're required to remove your shoes (they can be stored in lockers), and the entire hotel is shoeless and very clean. The room isn't large but is perfectly adequate. The bed is small, and the pillow is firm but very comfortable. The bathroom has a separate wet and dry area, which is great for families as it allows for simultaneous use without disturbance. On the 13th floor, there's a hot spring bath with both indoor and outdoor options, as well as private baths. No reservations are needed; you just go directly. If it's busy, you queue and wait; each person gets about 45 minutes. After soaking in the hot spring, there's free ramen and cold drinks available on the first floor at 10 PM. I really love the atmosphere of this hotel! The breakfast is plentiful and delicious, and the service is excellent. There's also a bus stop right outside the hotel where you can catch bus route 24 to Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell) without having to walk back to the JR station."

"I booked this hotel specifically for the private onsen in the room. When I first turned on the water, there was a strange smell, and I noticed some floating particles, which was quite off-putting. However, I later realized it was the natural sulfur smell of the hot spring, and the particles were inherent to the onsen water itself (as explained in the brochure), which put my mind at ease. The hotel environment is fantastic. The breakfast and dinner menus were different each of the two nights, which was wonderful. The food alone made it worth the price; it's the best value-for-money onsen hotel I've ever stayed at. It was my favorite part of the entire Kyushu trip! I definitely want to come back again in the winter."

"A pleasant and especially cosy stay at Yufuin Besso Shikisai Hotel, made even more welcoming on a rainy day. The room was spacious, with an equally generous and super comfortable bed. Check-in was straightforward, and I really enjoyed their onsen - both the public bath and private bath had lovely water that felt great on the skin. The private bath is allocated by time slot, so be sure to reserve yours at the counter early as the slots fill up quickly. Their breakfast was another highlight, making for a very satisfying start to the day. One small letdown was the lack of umbrellas for guests to use. We only had one folding umbrella with us, so I went to the hotel to ask for a larger one for my husband and our luggage, but unfortunately they didn’t have any available. This would have been especially helpful given the rainy weather. That aside, we had a comfortable and relaxing stay and really enjoyed the onsen experience."

"Pros: ”I booked a room with a stone bathtub, but in the end, I didn't use it because I went to the communal onsen instead, which was absolutely wonderful. I also really liked the drinking water dispenser provided in the room, allowing me to get refills throughout the day. The food was delicious, and the staff provided excellent service.” Cons: ”The only area I would like to suggest for improvement is the breakfast. There was no coffee served, and I didn't quite understand why guests need to pay extra just to have coffee. I believe it would be much better if you could at least provide basic black coffee for your guests.”"

"Baien is truly the best. The private open-air bath and the large public bath are both excellent. (Note: Be sure to confirm the private open-air bath when booking your ryokan stay.) The ryokan is spacious, so walks around the property are lovely. Both breakfast and dinner (kaiseki) are also superb. However, there's no entertainment nearby, so if your sole purpose is to enjoy the hot springs, you definitely won't regret it. I'd love to visit again in winter."