Accommodation in Abundance & Variety

Oita has long been a popular destination for Japanese visitors and, as a consequence, the choice of accommodation found around the prefecture is plentiful and varied. These include some of the most exclusive ryokan inns and hotels found in Japan, through increasingly moderately-priced inns to budget friendly business hotels, minpaku homestays and camp sites. The following provides a taste of what is available and any online booking site will provide a comprehensive list of what is available. The greatest concentration are in Beppu, Yufuin and Oita City but are found throughout Oita and at many onsen hot springs.

Fashionably rural Yufuin has a plethora of accommodation, mostly ryokan but also a few larger hotels and small pensions. These include the top-rated ryokan inns Kamenoi Besso, Tama-no-yu and Murata Sanso. Other top picks include Hinoharu Ryokan, Yama-no-hotel Musouen, Bettei Itsuki, Lamp no Yado, Hanayoshi and Yawaragi-no-Sato. All told, Yufuin has more than 70 other establishments providing a variety of accommodation to suit all budgets. At nearby Yunohira Onsen, a quaint onsen village, accommodation is much less plentiful but includes such plush ryokan as Takasho, Hana-akari, Izumoya, Kami-yanagiya and Migimaru. More budget friendly establishments include Takaoso, Kikusui, Daikichi, Kyounso and Yamashiroya. 

In common with Yufuin, Beppu has many places to stay at although the emphasis is more on Japanese-style hotels and business hotels. Amane Resort Gahama began a trend in the city for upmarket accommodation, helping to revive the fortunes of the city. In recent years it has been joined by the ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort & Spa, and Hoshino Kai Beppu. Oedo Onsen Beppu Seifu is another recent addition as is Galleria Midobaru, a beautiful concept hotel combining contemporary art and architecture. A longstanding institution is the Suginoi Hotel, a very large establishment that has an emphasis on families and entertainment including an infinite pool, karaoke rooms, bowling alley, gym, aqua garden and much more. Amanek Beppu Yura-Re is one of the city's newest hotels and features a roof-top infinity pool providing grandstand views across Beppu and the Seto Inland Sea. Other more traditional ryokan-style establishments include Kannawaen and Hana Beppu and a long-time stalwart is Beppu Kamenoi. Budget friendly hotels include Nishitetsu Resort Inn Beppu, Sea Wave Hotel, Grand Base Iolani, Guest House Sunline, Hotel Aile and Beppu Rikyu.

The accommodation in Oita City, which is at the commercial heart of Oita Prefecture, is focused on hotels. Some are conveniently clustered around Oita Station but many are on the edge of Miyako-machi, the city’s nightlife district. The Blossom Hotel sits atop the station and nearby is the hip but inexpensive Hotel 910. Also nearby are hotels from the Toyoko Inn, Hotel Route Inn, and Domi Inn nationwide hotel chains. The Hotel Nikko Oita Oasis Tower is adjacent to OPAM art museum, while a short distance away aside Miyako-machi are the locally-owned Hotel Zaaz, which is joined by hotels from the Art, Mystays, Rembrandt, Hokke, Daiwa Roynet and Forza chains. In Oita City’s eastern suburbs are the twin Business Resort Sourin and Business Resort Kyuan, which take the business hotel concept to another level of comfort and interest.

Beyond, accommodation in the surrounding cities, towns and countryside is spread well. Hotels and business hotels, tend to cluster in city centres and around Oita Airport, while establishments with onsen and minpaku home-stays tend to be found in rural areas. In Kunisaki and Usa, Japanese-style accommodation with onsen include Akane-no-Sato, Kaze-no-Sato, Baien-no-Sato, Spa Land Matama, Good Stay Mizuho and Keisen. Locally-run hotels include Hotel Bay Grande Kunisaki, Hotel Villa Kunisaki and Usa Hotel Riverside. Family-run establishments includes simple but comfortable Midoriso and Ecology Kitsuki, while Mikuniya and Shioji add fabulous gourmet experiences. On Himeshima are some simply delightful accommodation including Yachiyokan, Anzai Inn and Pension Nojigiku, all of which provide sumptuous meals composed of fish, shellfish and octopus caught in the surrounding rich seas and shrimp raised in ponds on the island.

In Hita, Nakatsu and Kusu onsen accommodation begins with such top-rated establishments as Ume-hibiki, Kaya-usagi and Kogane Onsen. On the Kuma River in Hita’s city centre are the seasoned Kizantei and Mikuma onsen hotels. In Amagase onsen resort towns, the top ryokan include respectively Sanso Tensui and Ukiha. An unusual but fun environment is provided at Kisya Popo, a railway-themed boutique hotel in Nakatsu’s city centre. Glamping is available at Snow Peak’s Oku-Hita site deep in the western mountains of Oita Prefecture.

Much of the accommodation found throughout Taketa and Kokonoe have onsen and include many top establishments such as Hoshino Kai Aso, The Kingfisher Resort, Kuoritei, Spa Greeness, Resonarte Club Kuju, Flugel Kuju, Kannojigoku, Yamanoiro and Hatago Sakura. A Ma Facon is a very upmarket and classic French-style hotel. At Sujiyu Onsen, one of Oita’s wonderful onsen villages, are a variety of ryokan including Nanakamado, Yunomoto-so and Kiyasuya, and at Nagayu Onsen, another lovely onsen village, are Daimaru, BBC Nagayu, Koyokan, and Kur Park Nagayu, an intriguing health spa designed by Shigeru Ban. Nishinokubo is an excellent example of minshuku home-stay style accommodation.

Accommodation is more limited in Oita’s southern districts of Bungo-Ono, Usuki, Tsukumi and Saeki. Onsen are few but accommodation that make the most of the rich fishing in the seas here include Shukoen and Hisaraku in Usuki, and Matsuura and Maruni-Maru in Saeki. Hotel Kura, an Italian-themed hotel, is also located in Usuki. Lodge Kiyokawa in Bungo-Ono is composed of tree-house like cabins on stilts providing a glamping-style experience. Otherwise, reasonably priced business hotels, both local and chain establishments, predominate in the main centres of population. Island stays are available on Onyu-jima at Hanamizuki, and on Yakata-jima at Yakata-jima Guest House.