Best hotels in Beppu

Perched above Beppu, Japan's undisputed hot spring capital, the sleek ANA Intercontinental was the first international luxury hotel to open in the region and it makes the most of its extraordinary setting. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame astonishing views of the bay, as well as the city's famous steam plumes and surrounding mountains. With beautifully designed onsen fed by Beppu's mineral-rich waters, a French-inspired chef's counter restaurant and local artisan touches woven throughout, this is a seriously polished base from which to explore Kyushu's geothermal heartland.

Tucked into the forests above Beppu, Japan's undisputed onsen capital, Showaen is a near-century-old ryokan with a backstory as rich as its mineral-laden waters. The site was once a thriving Edo-era gold mine, and when the diggers struck hot spring water instead of ore, a rather wonderful Plan B was born. Today, nine standalone villas are scattered across a sprawling 6,000-tsubo estate of manicured Japanese gardens, each with its own private onsen fed directly from the old gold veins below. Seasonal kaiseki dinners are served course by course in your room by a dedicated attendant, and the quiet is so complete you'll hear nothing but birdsong and trickling water.

Oita Prefecture pumps out more hot spring water than anywhere else in Japan — and handily, the Hokke Club is right in the centre of it. An eight-minute stroll from Oita Station and slap-bang in the Miyakomachi entertainment district, it's a practical springboard for soaking your way through Beppu's famous onsen (twenty minutes by train) and the gentler ryokan town of Yufuin. The rooms won't win design awards, but the Simmons beds are genuinely comfortable, and the top-floor bathhouse has views across the city. And then there's the breakfast buffet, laden with Oita's regional specialities and a treat every morning!

From the outside, the building is admittedly unremarkable - all concrete and main road. But step through the doors and something rather magical happens. The lobby opens up to a wall of glass and suddenly there it is: the vast, shimmering expanse of Beppu Bay, stretching out so far that sky and sea seem to merge into one. Perched right on the coastline of Japan's undisputed onsen capital, this is a contemporary resort that takes the region's 1,300-year bathing heritage and gives it a decidedly modern twist.

Every room has its own private open-air hot spring bath overlooking the water, the communal onsen on the ground floor sits so close to the ocean it's been nicknamed the "zero-metres-above-sea-level bath", and there are three distinct restaurants championing Oita Prefecture's exceptional produce. It's not a traditional ryokan in the tatami-and-futon sense, but the spirit of omotenashi runs deep, and the staff set the tone from the moment they hand you a welcome drink on the waterfront terrace.

This hilltop inn is an exercise in modern restraint: clean lines, warm wood, contemporary art on the walls, and not a single fussy detail in sight. And yet the classical virtues of Japanese hospitality are very much intact, from the sulfur-rich spring water piped into every room to the creative kaiseki dinners that showcase Oita Prefecture's remarkable larder. The real showstopper, though, is the position. Set high above the town with unobstructed views across Beppu Bay and the city's famously steaming streets below, it feels a world away from the tourist bustle of the "hells" - even though they're just a 15-minute drive down the hill.