Kannawaen Beppu: Book Your Stay

Name: Kannawaen
Address: Kannawa 345, Beppu, 日本

Kannawaen Beppu: Book Your Stay - Ask Fortrip

At a glance: 4-star · Since 2016

Near: Kamado Jigoku · 1 min walk

Sanso Kannawaen spreads across a vast 45,000-square-meter site, with the main building, annex, detached building, and Sorakan scattered over the grounds. Perched on a hill in Beppu City, it offers sweeping views, and some rooms look out over the city and Beppu Bay. Room types range from Japanese-Western style to Western style, so the property suits a variety of occasions. Every room comes with its own hot spring bath, filled with 100% natural spring water that takes on a mysterious blue tint, and guests can soak whenever they like during their stay.

The top-floor public bath, renovated in August 2024 and reserved for guests only, includes indoor baths, open-air baths, box steam baths, cypress baths, and ceramic baths. From the open-air bath, the panorama of Beppu unfolds below, making for a memorable soak. The blue water’s color can shift from day to day.

Dinner is a choice between Japanese kaiseki and teppanyaki, with each chef preparing meals from carefully selected ingredients, served in the restaurant.

The grounds hold a Japanese garden and a Noh theater, and traditional Japanese aesthetics appear throughout. Antiques and modern paintings are displayed inside the building, adding a sense of stepping away from the everyday.

Beppu’s famous hells are close by, with Kamado Jigoku a minute’s walk away, Beppu Jigoku and Oniyama Jigoku two minutes, Oniishi Bozu Jigoku also two minutes, and Umi Jigoku three minutes, making the hotel a handy base for sightseeing. Luggage storage is available before check-in and after check-out, so guests can explore freely. A shuttle from Beppu Station runs with advance reservation, and parking is free. All rooms are non-smoking, though a smoking area exists on the premises.

You might want to ask

Good to know

Check-in requirements: The main guest checking in must be at least 13 years old.
Children: Children can stay in some rooms of this hotel. Additional fees may be charged for children using existing beds. Add the number of children to get a more accurate price.

Amenities

Property amenities

Spa
Smoking area

Room types

Suites
Rooms with a view

Guest reviews

4.4Very good(825)

Excellent538
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Reviews from

K Clemente

5/5

Google· 5 months ago

We stayed at “Fukurou” room for 6 nights which includes a private outdoor onsen. The accommodations were excellent and relaxing, and the outdoor onsen felt wonderful! The staff were also very professional and friendly, especially when helping us with any of our needs. The food was also delicious with excellent presentation, and the staff was great with switching up our nightly dinner menu to account for our longer stay. The location of the ryokan is also excellent, being walking distance from Umi Jigoku and other of the Beppu Hells. They also provide a shuttle service to pick up and drop off on Beppu station, which is very convenient during the check in and check out process. If you ever visit Beppu, I would recommend staying at Kannawaen ryokan!

Bridgett O'Grady

5/5

Google· 4 months ago

We stayed in a room with a private hot spring and had breakfast and dinner included. I have never stayed in a ryokan before and don’t stay in a lot of super high end hotels so to me the service and quality of the rooms and food blew me away. When we arrived on the free shuttle from the train station we were immediately greeted outside and had our luggage taken to our room. That kind of attentive service continued the whole time. The room itself was amazing and we really enjoyed using our private hot spring. The food, especially the wagyu steak dinner, was one of the best we’ve had in Japan. This perspective is coming from someone who has no frame of reference for ryokans but I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a city getaway. It was also within 5 minute walking distance to a few of the Hells of Beppu hot springs which were really cool to see. The pictures are of the food, one of the walkway areas, and the amazing view of Beppu from the top floor by the public bath.

Trip.com Member

5/5

Trip.com· 5 months ago

Stayed at Sanso Kannawaen during a family trip in Beppu and it was truly one of the most luxurious Japanese-style ryokan experiences. The atmosphere was peaceful and elegant, combining traditional Japanese design with premium comfort and hospitality. The private onsen in the room was excellent, offering a relaxing experience with beautiful views, while the public onsen facilities were also very impressive. The teppanyaki dinner was a highlight of the stay, with high-quality ingredients and excellent presentation. Rooms were spacious, clean, and beautifully designed, making it perfect for a relaxing family getaway. Highly recommended for anyone looking for an authentic luxury onsen experience in Beppu.

M9464WSbrettb

5/5

Tripadvisor· a year ago

We booked here for 2 nights (which turned out had to be extended to 3 because of the cyclone which shut down the southern half of Japan). An absolutely beautiful ryokan and the staff simply cannot do enough for you. They moved us from the upper levels where we had booked to a more secure room (in case the cyclone hit and caused damage we would be safer) which I believe ended up being an upgraded room. The outdoor onsen tub was delightful in our own private courtyard and I definitely took advantage of that many times while we were here (we couldn't do much else as everything was closed and most of the town was sandbagged). The staff still literally went out of their way to make our stay so pleasant. I can't remember the name of the main fellow we dealt with - an absolute gentleman. We enjoyed the teppanyaki dinner one night (sensational - expensive but most definitely worth it - quite theatrical and the service is next level good!). The Japanese breakfast was also throughly enjoyable - but 2 things - come hungry (it's big) and if you're not a big seafood eater you probably should go for the western option. The beds are king singles - a lot of places in Japan we found were like this - odd... Good hot shower in onsen style. Amazing washroom. Great TV and the internet was super fast and worked right through the worst of the cyclone when it hit. There was a great little Indian buffet restaurant across the road too, which was really well priced - so good we ate there twice (being a month in Japan it's nice to have something different from time to time - just like we do at home). The strangest thing though - the bar doesn't open until 8pm and "happy hour" is for tea. I even tried to order a drink before dinner and was met with puzzled looks and told that they would only serve alcohol when the bar opened at 8pm - after dinner at 7pm... That was really weird...

Ryven Sonic

1/5

Google· Edited 7 months ago

A bit disappointed with our 2 night stay here. We stayed in the main building in a room with a private onsen. The room was large, the tatami and onsen part was great but the bedroom and bathroom part was not. The bedroom was dark, the furniture were old. The bathroom smelled really really bad, like there’s sewage stuck somewhere. The service was mediocre. The communication between their staff was lacking. They messed up our message appointment and almost messed up our luggage shipment before we asked when we checked out. Most staff didn’t go out of their way to provide an unforgettable experience, one you would expect when paying 150,000 yen per night. The food was overall average. The first night we had the kaiseki in the main dining room. For the prices we paid, we would expect a private or semi private dining space. Not a communal cafeteria style restaurant that’s connected to the lobby. The food there felt below average. The sashimi wasn’t super fresh and the meal lacked effort. The tepenyaki was decent on the other hand. Offering fresh seafood and high quality beef paired with good service. But overall, we felt like the meals at Kannawaen was average at best. The onsen was nice, the outdoor area is large however the changing room did not have the amenities restocked on time. The message service was very good and fairly priced. Overall we felt like the shortcomings of the room and food outweighs the pros of this ryokan. I unfortunately can not recommend this place.

Trip.com Member

5/5

Trip.com· 6 months ago

Our stay has been nothing short of amazing! We were grateful for hotel shuttle service to the hotel as it saves us the trouble of climbing up slopes with our luggages. When we arrived, we were greeted by the warm welcome of the staff with free drinks provided at the lounge. The Sora Room is well equipped with amenities and comes with the private onsen, for you to enjoy any time. Recommend to get the ice (outside room) for a cool ice coke after onsen. Definitely have to give the Japanese breakfast and Kaiseiki dinner a try. Every single dish is so delicious and palatable. The hotel is located at Kanawa, within walking distances to the popular attractions such as Hells of Beppu and Onsen Museum. Will definitely recommend this hotel to anyone who visits Beppu!

Lei Chai

5/5

Google· 3 months ago

My daughter and I stayed for 2 nights in the Bitokuan room which is Japanese style and has a private outdoor onsen. We had a fabulous experience with everything. Definitely one of my favorite experiences among our three trips to Japan. Hope I can return in the future.

Trip.com Member

4.2/5

Trip.com· 6 months ago

The location was fantastic close to attraction and very convenient for exploring the area. One of the highlights of our stay was the teppanyaki dinner, which was an amazing experience. The in-room onsen was absolutely the best part, offering a private and relaxing soak anytime we wanted. Do note that the public onsen is located in a separate building, but overall, everything about the stay was wonderful.

Where can I eat near Kannawaen?

The hotel has its own restaurant serving Japanese and Western dishes, plus a lounge bar for a drink or light bite. Just outside, Restaurant Mitsuboshi, a 6-minute walk away, offers European cuisine. In the Kannawa district, small stalls sell onsen tamago, hot spring eggs, a local snack you can enjoy while strolling between the nearby jigoku sights. For more options, the Kannawa area has ramen shops and casual eateries, and central Beppu's restaurant clusters are a short bus or taxi ride away.

What is the area around Kannawaen like?

Kannawaen sits in the heart of Beppu's Kannawa hot spring district, surrounded by the famous Hells of Beppu. Kamado Jigoku is a 1-minute walk away, and Beppu Jigoku, Oniyama Jigoku, and Oniishi Bozu Jigoku are each a 2-minute walk. Umi Jigoku and Shiraike Jigoku are just a 3-minute stroll, so you can easily explore several steaming sights on foot. The area is known for its onsen atmosphere, with local stalls selling onsen tamago and public bathhouses nearby. For a broader view, the Yukemuri Observation Deck is a 16-minute walk, and Chinoike Jigoku is 17 minutes away. It's a quiet, geothermal neighborhood, with the Kannawaguchi bus stop about a 5-minute walk for getting into central Beppu.

How do I get to Kannawaen from the airport or main train station?

From Oita Airport, take the airport bus toward Beppu, then transfer to a taxi or local bus for the final stretch to Kannawa. From JR Beppu Station, the hotel offers a free reserved shuttle that takes about 30 minutes, with pickups at the station's east exit. Alternatively, a taxi from the station takes roughly 20 minutes, or you can take a local bus to the Kannawaguchi stop, which is a 5-minute walk from the hotel. If driving, the Beppu Interchange is about a 5-minute drive away. The Kannawa bus terminal is also about 8 to 12 minutes on foot.

What's there to do near Kannawaen in the evening?

In the evening, the Hells of Beppu are just a 2-minute walk away, and the nearby hot spring district offers a classic onsen-town atmosphere. You can enjoy a soak at a local bathhouse or try onsen tamago from roadside stalls. For a scenic end to the day, the Yukemuri Observation Deck is a 16-minute walk, where you can see the steam rising over the town. If you want more variety, the Kannawa area has several casual restaurants and ramen shops within a short stroll.

Is Kannawaen a good base for exploring Beppu?

Kannawaen is a great base for exploring Beppu's famous hells, with Kamado Jigoku just a 1-minute walk away and Beppu Jigoku, Oniyama Jigoku, and Oniishi Bozu Jigoku each 2 minutes away. Umi Jigoku and Shiraike Jigoku are a 3-minute walk, while the Yukemuri Observation Deck is a 16-minute walk and Chinoike Jigoku a 17-minute walk. For the wider city, the Kannawaguchi bus stop is a 5-minute walk, and a free reserved shuttle connects to JR Beppu Station, about a 20-minute taxi ride away. This puts the hells right at your doorstep, while other areas like Beppu Park are a short drive or bus trip.