Calm House Kitahama

These apartments are handy for local and highway buses at kitahama, and they're close to the famous sand bath. Go early if you want to avoid the queues. You get to the apartments by stairs up to the 3rd and 4th floors, above a steak eatery, and cooking smells seep into the rooms. It was a bit cold in winter, though it might be nicer in warmer weather.

Cheap, cheerful, and basic. There's a bedroom plus a living and dining room with a futon you can use. The sofa bed would suit children or very, very short people. The kitchen has one hob and a fridge, and the bathroom has the usual Japanese shower and bath setup, with a separate toilet and its familiar buttons. Good value for the price. There's a rooftop area to hang out in, which is great unless your room is on the top floor beside it and someone is having a party.

The apartment is around a 10-15 minute walk from Beppu station, near Youme Town and restaurants. It's a pretty good location, and the room and bed are spacious, but the toilet and bathroom are tiny. The bathroom wasn't very clean either. Since these are rental apartments, there's no hotel-style room cleaning. There's also no elevator, and we were on the 4th floor. In winter the hallway and room were too cold, even with the heater on. One plus is that laundry is free on the third floor.

The room is spacious and the location is handy, near restaurants and about a 5-minute walk from Beppu station. Reception is on the 3rd floor, and there's no elevator, so it isn't a good fit for families with children or elderly guests.