ISHINOYA Beppu

That sand spa was the best part for me. Being covered in warm mineral sand felt therapeutic, curative, and incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating. After the treatment, the bath was wonderful too, and an hour and a half there left me feeling renewed. The staff took very good care of us, and the restaurant served delicious food in generous portions. The resort itself is breathtaking, right on the beachfront amid Ishinoya Garden. The cabin-style rooms are spacious and luxuriously furnished, with spa water bath tubs, comfortable beds, a good-sized dining table and a sofa facing the ocean. The panoramic bay view through the picture windows is stunning, especially at sunrise. Blinds are handy when you want privacy. It’s a lovely place to relax, whether on a family holiday, a romantic getaway or a business trip. I’d recommend it.

We booked this hotel mainly for the sand bath and were really looking forward to it, but couldn’t use it. We were told there were no walk-ins that day. Nobody on staff had told me the facility required a reservation, which was very disappointing. The service felt unhelpful, especially considering how much we’d paid for the stay. I reserved a three-bed room for two people. When we arrived as a group of three, they charged us another 15,840 yen per night on the spot, plus the onsen taxes. I checked the walk-in prices for breakfast, onsen and sand bath, and the extra charge seemed ridiculously high for those services, given the room already had three beds. For two nights, the bill came to about 1028 USD. The hotel’s unhelpful service made that feel like a ridiculous amount.

The room was spacious, right by the sea, and had a private indoor onsen tub. We also tried the sand spa, which was a fun new experience, especially for my two boys.

We had a relaxing, luxurious-feeling Beppu trip and would come back. My wife and I stayed two nights in a spacious room overlooking the ocean, with huge windows and blinds for sitting on the couch and watching the water. There were two onsen baths, and we made one cold and one hot, which was lovely. The onsen room had a small window with an ocean view too. The beds were comfortable, and the shower between the onsen room and bathroom worked well. On the weekend the hotel ran an affordable beer garden with different food, including ramen, churros and pork sandwiches. It’s a few minutes’ walk from the train station, and there’s an airport bus that picks up and drops off at the hotel. I only wish the windows were one-way glass. Sometimes I felt people walking along the beach could see into the room, though it didn’t bother me much. Thanks for the stay.