Kyūshū
In a word: gorgeous. Also: rambling and minimalist, with 100-year-old woodwork, a pine garden and Karatsu-yaki pottery for your in-room seafood meals. Koi…
Must-see hotels in Kyūshū
Fukuoka
It's anyone's guess what the name means, but 'style' is indeed the byword at this sleek designer hotel. You could easily imagine yourself poolside in…
Kyūshū
Visiting dignitaries might stay in the sumptuous, 40-room Rikyū wing, but those of more modest means can splurge on the less expensive of Hakusuikan's 164…
Kyūshū
Deep in the gorge, this romantic riverside ryokan is worth the 1.5km trip from the town centre for peace and pampering. Seven atmospheric common baths (in…
Beppu
In a former Meiji-period curative spa, this intimate, dark-wood ryokan makes great use of Beppu's healing waters. Rooms (some with beds, others with…
Kyūshū
This lovely, family-run traditional ryokan is nestled among cypress and bamboo. A variety of onsen make it a lovely spot for dippers, and one of the…
Beppu
In-room onsen with water views, gorgeous common baths, savvy contemporary design, excellent restaurants and oodles of personal service make this Beppu's…
Kyūshū
This cheerful, busy resort is the place to stay, especially with kids in tow. English-speaking staff are welcoming, and there's a large family-friendly…
Kyūshū
Gracious and friendly, this modern minshuku is a one-stop shop: a place to stay, a (guests-only) bar, a lunchtime cafe and a surf-rental outlet (boards…
Kyūshū
This friendly onsen hotel boasts some excellent facilities, including mountain-view rooms (mostly Japanese style), coin laundry, and English-speaking…
Kyūshū
Crisp, comfy and contemporary, this stylish new hotel sits behind a black-box facade. Most of its 68 rooms are Western style (twin-bed rooms are…
Fukuoka
The 3m-tall sculpture of a cat in a diving suit standing guard outside is your first clue that this place is not like the others. Spanking-new, 164-bed,…
Kyūshū
There's atmosphere aplenty in these dozen thatched-roof huts with Japanese rooms, sink and toilet surrounding a beautiful rotemburo. The antique-filled,…
Nagasaki
This magnificent old-school ryokan has been in business since 1894. Offering shippoku-ryōri (Nagasaki-style kaiseki) and personalised service, Sakamoto-ya…
Beppu
This sprawling, family-run 1930s inn has wonderfully preserved Japanese rooms and well-chosen art and furnishings evoking periods from art deco to today…
Kyūshū
Fukudaya is a hip, stylish onsen hotel mixing Western and Japanese decor. The rooms with private rotemburo are gorgeous, with milky water and decks…
Aoshima Fisherman's Beachside Hostel & Spa
Kyūshū
If this spanking-new, oceanfront hostel is the way things are going, that's an excellent sign. Built of Miyazaki cedar, its modern campus offers two dorms…
Kagoshima
Just outside Tenmonkan and across from a park, this family-owned inn traces its history to 1904, though the current building has a mid-20th-century feel,…
Nagasaki
This commendably friendly 28-bed hostel sets the standard, with bright, clean Japanese-style rooms with Western-style bedding and bathrooms, uber-helpful…
Fukuoka
This charmingly creaky, unpretentious Taishō-era ryokan is a historic landmark, pleasantly faded and focused on a small garden with a stone lantern. All…
Kyūshū
Unzen's jigoku make a dramatic backdrop for this eye-popping, ultra-luxe 'mountain resort', renovated in 2018 in the centre of the village. Behind the…
Kumamoto
Pride of place goes to this upmarket hotel overlooking the castle, with professional, friendly service, a beamed lobby ceiling inspired by its namesake,…
Kyūshū
The lobby is ageing, but the 53 well-maintained rooms (mostly Japanese style, with private facilities) are a great deal. The rotemburo (outdoor bath) is…
ANA Holiday Inn Resort Miyazaki
Kyūshū
This shiny white, semi-cylindrical, beachfront tower with glass elevators has ocean-view rooms and onsen above the treetops (day use ¥1050). Low-season…
Kyūshū
This towering hotel has two buildings: the west wing, and the more recently remodelled east wing (with room prices ¥2000 to ¥3000 more per person). Even…
Fukuoka
Its rates aren't the cheapest in town and its rooms are pretty cramped, but that doesn't tell the whole story. The Dormy Inn has a natural onsen (hot…
Kyūshū
The exquisite 2nd- and 9th-floor rotemburo of this upmarket beachfront ryokan have expansive views and a lovely relaxation garden. There's a broad range…
Kagoshima
Clean and compact, this five-storey hostel is very convenient to the ferry docks, which is useful if you're planning a trip to Sakurajima. Separate-gender…
Kyūshū
Cheap it isn't, but how often can you stay in a samurai house? This large (100 sq metre) former castle guard house has been renovated in Japanese…
Kyūshū
Choose a colourful yukata (cotton kimono) at check-in to wander this giant, recently renovated resort hotel with expansive indoor and outdoor onsen. A few…
Yufuin Country Road Youth Hostel
Kyūshū
John Denver fans will love staying here on a forested hillside overlooking the town. Especially pretty at night, this first-rate 25-bed hostel has its own…
Fukuoka
Don't be put off by the windowless, colonnaded facade of burnt-orange stone and copper-green rebar. The lobby is as glossy as black lipstick, and the 62…
Beppu
There's new-wave decor at this hostel, which is spread over two buildings about a two-minute walk from each other. There's an English-speaking staff, a…
Kagoshima
At this hotel in Tenmonkan, rooms are business-hotel-size but futuristic in style and amenities, with custom-designed beds, fluffy white duvets, massage…
Kyūshū
For the no-holds-barred Yufuin splurge, look no further. From Kinrin-ko, enter the kayabuki (thatched-roof) gate to this campus of craftsman-style wooden…
Kyūshū
The designers of this 1935 luxury hotel clearly had a Swiss chalet in mind. A destination in itself, with lots of history on the walls, this landmark…
Kyūshū
Opened in 2017 by a friendly former Tokyoite, this humble guesthouse across the street from Hirado's ferry port shows its Taishō-era roots in quirky…
Kyūshū
Less than 500m from Aso Station, this lovely, rustic ryokan in a 300-year-old samurai house has modern touches and a tree-lined setting. Its 12 rooms have…
Fukuoka
Location, location and location are reasons enough to stay here in trendy Daimyō, and this hotel gives you easy access from business-hotel-size rooms that…
Fukuoka
The Life has a super-central location between Hakata Station and Canal City (and a soon-to-open subway stop), making this 130-bed hostel an easy base for…
