ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort & Spa by IHG

InterContinental Hotels balances global reach with a commitment to local immersion, drawing guests into the rhythms and flavours of each destination through curated cultural programming. This property anchors itself in Beppu, a hot spring city on Kyushu's eastern coast where volcanic energy courses beneath the streets and steam rises from manholes in residential neighbourhoods. The city claims more geothermal springs than anywhere else in Japan, and the tradition of bathing in mineral-rich waters has shaped daily life here for over a millennium.

The Ogura district sits just inland from Beppu Bay, where the coastal plain meets forested hills that exhale clouds of sulphurous vapour. Tsurumi Hell, a cobalt-blue geothermal pond fringed with subtropical vegetation, lies four kilometres to the northwest, one of several jigoku (hells) where boiling water and mud bubble to the surface. The waterfront stretches northward to Beppu Kitahama, where yacht harbours and sand beaches trace the curve of the bay.

Oita Airport sits 31 kilometres south, connected by express bus in under an hour. The city itself moves at a slower cadence than Tokyo or Osaka, its streets lined with onsen bathhouses, izakaya, and family-run shops selling kamadobuta (wooden steamer lids) and other tools of the local hot spring culture.

The property's proximity to Beppu's geothermal landscape opens a route into one of Japan's most distinctive bathing cultures. Venture to Tsurumi Hell to witness water the colour of lapis lazuli steaming in a volcanic crater, or follow forest trails to Otobara Falls, where cold mountain streams cascade just beyond the city's thermal zone. Jissoji Park Golf Course lies under three kilometres away for those seeking manicured greens, while Mochigahama Seaside Park offers a stretch of sand facing the bay, sheltered and calm even in summer.

The dining scene in Beppu tilts toward kaiseki ryori and onsen cuisine, dishes like jigoku-mushi (steamed over geothermal vents) and toriten, a lightly fried chicken unique to Oita Prefecture. Book a table at a local ryokan to experience multi-course meals that shift with the seasons, featuring seafood pulled from the Seto Inland Sea that morning. Don't miss exploring the covered arcades near Beppu Station, where yatai stalls grill skewers over charcoal and sake bars pour locally brewed nihonshu late into the evening.

Winter arrives dry and bright, with daytime temperatures hovering near seven degrees and nights dipping just below freezing. Steam from the onsen hangs heavier in the cold air, and the contrast between chilled skin and scalding mineral water feels sharpest from December through February.

Spring unfolds slowly, cherry blossoms arriving in early April as temperatures climb into the mid-teens. May brings warmer days and the first hint of humidity, though rainfall remains manageable. June through September defines the rainy and typhoon season, with dense humidity and frequent downpours that drench the hillsides and swell the waterfalls.

Autumn offers the most balanced conditions. October sees temperatures fall back into the high teens, the air clearing and the forests above the city shifting to rust and amber. November through early December remains mild and dry, ideal for hiking the volcanic slopes and soaking in open-air rotenburo beneath starlit skies.