Hotel Hot Springs di Oita Prefecture, Japan

The hotel's location is a bit out of the way. The ocean view from the room was okay, I guess. You're required to take off your shoes when entering the hotel, but they don't even provide disposable slippers, so the service is pretty mediocre. The front desk staff also had a very unenthusiastic attitude during check-in. The hotel tries to project an image of being very clean and upscale, but honestly, the cleanliness of the guest rooms was just average; the toilet wasn't even wiped clean and had stains.

Great location, but the hotel doesn't have its own dedicated parking. You have to park next door, and the entrance to that parking lot is a bit hidden. There aren't many convenience stores nearby; there's one within walking distance. However, the hotel staff's service attitude is excellent.

This was my second time at Hoshino, and I went with friends. Everything was excellent, from the service and facilities to the environment, cleanliness, and food. The entire building faces Beppu Bay, with a minimalist design that still feels warm. The abundant use of white space, wood, and natural light makes it feel like living in a breathing art museum. The public spaces are very quiet, even when the hotel is full, maintaining the consistent understated elegance of the ”Kai” series.

What a blast I had here!!! I only stayed for one night and now I wish I had stayed longer. It was a Friday so Rio, the owner, organizes a night of games at the public gymnasium for teenagers (who although growing up already have the strength of super-powered samurais) and whoever else wants to participate. I haven't run and wake up with so many bruises since high school! It was really cool how everyone is quick to set the props for each game, we played 4 or 5 games in one hour!!!! It felt like a much longer time, everyone gave their best presence and participation all the time! It seems the other nights he takes everyone for a walk to see the stars, and Tuesdays there's also volleyball. Anyways, he is pretty proactive and creative , so I'm sure there's many variations and possibilities! The living room is very pretty, the sofas super comfortable and the view gorgeous! The bed was very hard :/ this was the only big issue for me. The onsen is so cozy, the water super smooth and instrumental music playing. Delicious! The conditioner smells great! I was a bit worried that they had too many rules, because when I contacted they informed about the need to leave the house everyday from 10 until 16. And that the eating time was very specific: 7:20 in the morning and 7 at night... So I was worried they would be too strict...but there's no need to join the food. I had breakfast and it felt like it would be at the communal dinning of beauxbatons, everyone sitting closeby with identical very beautifully presented meals that come in many quantity but small portions. It is not my jam, but for sure it is special! Some informations could be a bit more clear because they are a bit slow responding. For example they have a pick up time in front of the army at 6pm. I asked info for an amazing lady at the Art Center inside the station, Chika, and she called them. She ended up taking me herself and was the best company I could have found! She is an artist, we went to the supermarket and had great conversation! I recommend going to the art center to say hi to Chika! Lots of love, thank youuu Mountain Mamas!!!

The location is fantastic, right next to the JR station and the bus terminal. I've stayed at this hotel chain before in Hokkaido, and they consistently offer complimentary late-night noodles from 9:30 PM to 11:00 PM. The hotel also has its own hot spring on the top floor and even provides various flavored ice creams, which the kids absolutely loved. The room was quite spacious with a great wet/dry bathroom separation. Highly recommend!

The overall stay experience was excellent, and I would especially like to commend Li-Ying Wu (also known as Go Reiei) from Taiwan. From the very beginning of the check-in process, she demonstrated a professional attitude by thoroughly explaining all the hotel's facilities and services. She always wore a warm and welcoming smile, which truly reflected her dedication to her work and her respect for the guests. During my stay, my family had quite a few demanding and complicated requests, requiring frequent assistance from the staff. Throughout it all, Li-Ying patiently addressed every single question without showing any sign of impatience.

This hotel has seven private hot springs, and I made sure to try each one. When I went, there were initially two empty ones, and after I used those, I moved on to the others until I had experienced all seven. There's also an eighth large hot spring, which felt like I had it all to myself – completely empty! So I enjoyed another soak there. They offer several types of shampoo, but the original one they provide is actually the best. The hotel also has seven hot spring pools, all modeled after natural springs. Plus, there are plenty of dining options nearby. They even post the sunrise times, and you can go up to watch it, though I missed it this morning. And they have Yakult! Anyway, everything was really great.

Celebrated 520 (May 20th) by booking a more upscale meal that day, and the experience was great ❤️. The location is fantastic! It's a 5-minute walk to Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell), so we went straight there after breakfast when it was less crowded. Regarding service, I have to say: it was the rainy season, and there were many staff members standing at the entrance, but they only bowed. It felt awkward watching adults and children run into the hotel in the rain to check in, and checking out involved carrying our own luggage in the rain too.

I was very impressed with this ryokan stay. We chose a Family Room, which comfortably accommodated four of us. The room had two air conditioners, keeping it pleasantly cool throughout our stay. The overall atmosphere was warm and peaceful, truly ideal for a relaxing getaway. The service was also very impressive, especially from the elderly gentleman and the male staff member who gave excellent advice. They were attentive and friendly. The other female staff were also lovely and provided equally great service. The ryokan also has an onsen for a relaxing soak, and the location is convenient, with easy access to a nearby mall close to Beppu Tower. Overall, it was a very memorable ryokan experience, and it's a place I'd love to visit again.

We checked in on 15 Jan, 2026 and planned to stay at the hotel for a nite. When we arrived the railway station , we walked around for a while and got a taxi outside the railway station to the hotel without paying the fare. Probably the hotel had arranged with the taxi drivers in that area that they will pay the fare directly. The check-in procedure is easy and comfy. 2 staff lead us to our room 小樓球。It’s a very nice room with 2 private onsen. The spring water is nice and made our skin very smooth. The hotel had arranged enough drinks for us, 3 alcoholic and 3 nonalcoholic. We had our dinner at ard 7pm. The presentation of the good is very good & eye catching. However, the quality of the sashimi was not very fresh. Taste of the tuna was a bit fishy and it’s wet and found bloody water after picked it up from the dish😓. I don’t eat beef and the hotel changed the 5 pcs of wagu to 3pcs of eel which didn’t taste very well. Not sure whether they grill it or not. Also they changed the beef that served with rice to miso and I didn’t think it’s fair enough. The breakfast on the next morning was up to standard. Bread was fresh and hot. Egg and sausage were quite good. Overall, service is good but the standard of dinner made me disappointed as I had informed the hotel at least one week before check-in and I think they have ample of time to adjust the menu for me. I’ve been to some other hotspring hotels with same request of not eating beef. They had changed my menu to chicken, pork or seafood like fish or shrimp and provide the equivalent size of meat for replacement.