Okamotoya Ryokan

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dianeclincoln

3/5Tripadvisor· 7 years ago

We had a very enjoyable stay with a large group of friends. The owners and staff were welcoming and helpful at all times. They provided an excellent Japanese banquet one evening for all 30 of us. Breakfast was more Western with meat, cheese, eggs, salads, croissants etc. The rooms were traditional tatami mats and comfortable futon beds were laid out at bedtime. Most of the rooms were for families or friends so sharing was common. We had the largest room for four of us although it supposedly accommodates 7-8! We had a private small sulphur bath which was enjoyable but the bathrooms are dated and need a makeover. They were not cleaned each day although the towels were changed. Many rooms did not have showers, presumably because you can use the onsen, or public bath, one for men and one for women. |It was an enjoyable experience of traditional Japanese accommodation but it is not what you have in a modern hotel.

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Crystal

5/5Google· 10 years ago

Okamotoya Ryokan is the first ryokan we've stayed at. However, I would highly recommend staying here! This Ryokan is a 25 minute bus ride from Beppu Station and then a 1 minute walk from the bus stop. The bus stop location is convenient for seeing the 7 Hells of Beppu and accessing the city of Beppu. We were greeted warmly by the staff and set up in our traditional room. It is like a little piece of heaven when you stay here. The view from our room looks over Beppu City and the ocean, it's amazing. The room was spotless when we arrived. We also got yukata's to wear as we pleased. We were lucky enough to have Rachel there who spoke great English and could help us to get acquainted with the ryokan (the other staff also speak a bit of English). The dinner and breakfast included in the boarding fee are spectacular. So many traditional Japanese dishes to fill you right up! And some of the food is cooked with the onsen steam! Dinner is a fun 1.5hr affair. The onsen are also amazing. There are no family or private onsen, they are all gender specific. For each gender there are 2 smaller baths inside, and 1 large bath outside. The water is a wonderful cloudy white colour (from what I could see in the dark evening). The inside baths are hotter (as they are smaller). They are all pleasant to have a relaxing soak in. If you come to Beppu, I would recommend to stay here!!

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ckuo21

5/5Tripadvisor· 8 years ago

We took bus from Beppu train station to Okamotoya which is pretty outskirt of the city center. Since we didn't have a car, there's no where else to go except visiting the Yunohana-goya that is 5 minutes uphill from the ryokan. We received coupon for free entrance and free hot-spring eggs, so it was a pleasant and relaxing short walk while enjoying the view. As there are only a limited number of rooms, chances of enjoying hot spring bath by only one person is extremely high. Though I really love that fact, taking the outdoor hot spring bath alone at night is scarier than I thought. I wish they could convert it to family bath so that at least we can enjoy the outdoor bath as a family. The view from our room is beautiful and peaceful. Both our dinner and breakfast were delicious. I was told that they do not accept credit card, so had to withdraw enough cash for the payment ahead of time. Travelling in Japan for so many times, this is the first place we encountered that does not accept credit card. Not a big deal, but can be a bummer for some. After checking out, friendly staff lead us back to the bus stop. The wait was about 15 minutes to go back to train station.

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takamidayon

5/5Tripadvisor· 10 years ago

Located in Myoban, one of the well-known hot springs locations within Beppu area, their hot springs water benefits rheumatism, shoulder & back pain, muscle fatigue and also known for the healing qualities for people who suffer from skin problems. Traditional "ryokan" where you sleep on the floor in a futon with an old rustic feel but you can tell they've kept it up well. We chose a room with a private bath but of course you can't miss the spacious public ones (men and women are separated) to stretch out a bit as well as their outdoor one. It was raining when we stayed so we had to be careful of the slippery rocks walking down the few steps to the outdoor bath. For dinner, which was served in their dining area, we chose their seasonal sashimi set - I can't remember how many courses there were, they look small and so innocent but we were so full we could barely finish the final rice and miso soup which we asked for just enough for 1 bite. The course also included a cute little single portion of beef shabushabu per person. The dessert was their famous "hell-steamed" custard pudding which we enjoyed in our room, after our delicious meal settled in. Breakfast was a traditional Japanese style, also served in the dining room, which had a nice view and jazz music playing softly - we loved this contrast.

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christine_2323

5/5Tripadvisor· 9 years ago

As we were driving, we have no problem in reaching the hotel. We parked our car in the reserved parking for hotel guests right next to the hotel. The space is not big but good enough. Once we entered the entrance of the hotel at the ground floor, there is no body inside and we need to ring the bell to let the staff upstairs noticed our arrival. Not too long, the staff came down and lead us up to the stairs to the hotel place. After they read my reservation, they explained a bit for what we have booked and then gave us our key. We then take some steps to the 2nd floor (in Japan this is called 3rd floor). We booked the normal room but with a view. Once we entered the room, we are pleased to see the beautiful view in front of us. We actually stand there to enjoy the view for a while before unpacking. We then have a little walk inside the hotel but not to the onsen because we just have another onsen visit in the afternoon. The hotel is not very big but in this area it is a big one with quite a number of rooms. Then we went to the dining area on time and we have a little table at the corner, there were some other guests already having their meals. Me and my husband enjoyed a lot the food and everything suits our taste. After 1 hour, we went to the onsen and the outdoor one is very nice but the lighting is dime and you need to take some steps to reach the outdoor onsen. So please make sure you hold the handrail. Once you sit down there, you feel so comfortable and you can enjoy the calmness of the nature. We again, enjoyed the beautiful view from our room and we love the romantic feeling from the light of the bridge. The next morning we bought some of the onsen powder before we left. This hotel is specialized in making this onsen powder in a traditional way for a long long time. We will go back again when we visit Beppu. Thank you! (Tried many times to upload pictures but failed)

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Hotabouthotspring

4/5Tripadvisor· 10 years ago

Stayed in biggest room with a nice view of bridge. Indoor onsen a bit dated in need of refurbishment but good quality. Comfortable futons. Nearby sister restaurant across onsen hot spring salt huts is short walk away but food is not great. Has a very big humongous St. Bernard which is worth visiting cafe just to see this cute pet of the owner.

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eunsiln

5/5Tripadvisor· 12 years ago

I might be the first person who leave the review in English. Before you read my review, just be informed I could speak very basic Japanese and my listening is capable to understand more than what I can speak. Route: Fukuoka airport -> Beppu Bus Center (you can purchase bus ticket in Fukuoka International aiport, I bought 2 tickets at once for one way ride and it costed less than 6000 yen for two ppl, 4 tickes at once is cheaper indeed if you plan to take this bus again) and enjoy 2h10m ride-> Walk to Beppu Station (takes 7min walk from Beppu Bus Center) and find bus stands at Beppu Station Nishiguchi ('Nishiguchi'=South Gate) -> Get on bus No.5 @ No.2 bus stand (there are three bus stands in Beppu Station Nishiguchi and bus fare was about 320yen per person by Myoban bus stand) -> Get off at Myoban bus stand, it is only 2 mins walk to Okamotoya!! The spa was absolutely great. Since we arrived at 7 pm, we could enjoy night bath outside. The sky-blue colored water was fantastic and the air was cold enough to cool down the hit of hot spring.(It open til 10 or 11pm and charge you separately 150yen per each person for respective trip). The skin feels amaizingly soft because of sulfur in the water!!! And at the same time, my silver neklace tarmished into gold then black color :( Don't wear any accessories in this hot spring! Before we went for soaking, the staff guided us to the room and advised some instruction about facility. And then the dinner course began in the restaurant. We didn't eat dinner in the room but restaurant, and it was neat and chic venue. The dinner course menu was nutritiously balanced and had variety choice!!! My mum and I could have dinner watching bridge over this Myoban area (you can find this bridge from some pictures of Okamotoya). The dessert that night was Okamotoya's specialty 'Jikoku Pudding' !! Yum!! -- We booked '21days prior plan' through Okayama website, which includes dinner and next morning breakfast at econimical rate. If your booking plan does not include meals, you should pay them separately. The problem is this booking system is all written in Japanese only, I wish that they open English version as well... If you walk along the back street of Okamotoya, you can find the famous "Yunohana" huts, where locals grow bath powder. After you find few huts, then you can also find 'Okamotoya' shop, where sells Jikoku Pudding and steamed food! Those are all in 2 mins walking distance from this ryokan. Moreover, it costs you less than 200yen to go down to Jikoku meguri within 10mins bus drive! Hyoudo Land is also very close! I highly recommend this ryokan if you want to find a peace of your mind, away from hustle and bustle downtown. This is the perfect place to relax yourself.

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RevvRav

5/5Google· 8 years ago

Took a bus from Beppu station which took around 15 minutes. Stayed solo for one night during my travels in Japan, had a spacious, clean room with a great view of the Myoban bridge. Onsens was very relaxing and well kept, I luckily had it all to myself. As I did not speak Japanese they had a English speaking member of staff explain all details. Food was very nice, and plentyful with a nice selection of sake for optional extra. All in all a very pleasant stay and I'd definitely recommend if you want a relaxing break from busy travels and have an Onsen experience.