Suginoi Hotel (ORIX Hotels & Resorts)

Rooms and decor

Suginoi Hotel is a landmark onsen resort on the Kankaiji hillside that pulls a combined review score of about 8.7/10 from real guests. It runs as three white-and-beige wings — Honkan, Hananokan, and the newer Sora-kan — set high enough to look straight out over Beppu Bay, with sea air and steam from the Tanayu baths drifting across the grounds. The Twin rooms in Sora-kan, the wing that opened in 2023, run 42 sq m from around $223 a night with the kaiseki buffet and breakfast included. They're done in minimalist cream and pale wood, with a Sealy King bed (200×200 cm) that genuinely earns its 5-star billing. Best of all, Sora-kan guests get a private Sky Onsen on the 24th floor at 250 metres above sea level, and guests describe soaking there at sunset as the city lights flicker on and the bay shifts from blue to orange.

Food and amenities

The heart of the place is Tanayu, a tanada rice-paddy-style bath across 5 levels — 1 indoor, 1 semi-open, and 3 outdoor pools stepping down an infinity edge toward the bay. The water is a clear sulphate-chloride spring at 40 to 42°C; regulars suggest starting in the upper indoor pool and working down, ending at the bottom bath with its small waterfall and fragrant Hinoki cypress barrel. For families, the draw is Aqua Beat, the indoor water park that's free for guests and open 10:00 to 22:00 — a wave pool, lazy river, and 8-metre slide in a hall held at 32°C. Dinner at Shosenkan is an 80-plus-dish kaiseki buffet: chilled king crab, tender Bungo-gyu beef, fresh sushi, Oita-style toriten, and Beppu reimen, at about $43 a head with kids half price.

Location and getting there

Suginoi sits up on the Kankaiji Onsen hill, roughly 10 minutes by car above central Beppu. The easiest way up is the free shuttle from the JR Beppu West Exit, which runs every 30 minutes from 08:30 to 21:00 and takes about 15 minutes; a taxi is around $10 if you miss it. From here the 7 Hells of Beppu in Kannawa are about 5 km off, and Oita Airport is roughly 70 minutes by airport bus, which makes the resort a strong base for a next-day Jigoku tour.

Things to know before booking

The hillside setting means you commit to the shuttle or a taxi — there's no casual stroll into town. At 554 rooms across three wings, the resort is large enough that first-timers lose their bearings finding the baths and restaurants. Aqua Beat gets crowded during Japanese school holidays, so the slides and wave pool feel packed in peak family season. And the headline Sky Onsen is locked to Sora-kan guests only — if that view is the reason you're coming, book that wing specifically rather than the cheaper rooms.

Our take

Suginoi is the most complete onsen resort in Beppu: the 5-tier Tanayu with sea views, the year-round Aqua Beat water park, the Sora-kan Sky Onsen, and an 80-dish kaiseki buffet, all on one site so you never have to leave. The 8.7/10 score across more than 8,000 reviews backs it up, and rates start near $165 a night. It's the clear pick for families with kids and for couples who want to sample every onsen type in one stay — and the best base in town for tackling the 7 Hells the next morning.