Must-see hotels in 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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

In-room onsen with water views, gorgeous common baths, savvy contemporary design, excellent restaurants and oodles of personal service make this Beppu's…

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…

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…

This friendly onsen hotel boasts some excellent facilities, including mountain-view rooms (mostly Japanese style), coin laundry, and English-speaking…

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…

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,…

There's atmosphere aplenty in these dozen thatched-roof huts with Japanese rooms, sink and toilet surrounding a beautiful rotemburo. The antique-filled,…

This magnificent old-school ryokan has been in business since 1894. Offering shippoku-ryōri (Nagasaki-style kaiseki) and personalised service, Sakamoto-ya…

This sprawling, family-run 1930s inn has wonderfully preserved Japanese rooms and well-chosen art and furnishings evoking periods from art deco to today…

Fukudaya is a hip, stylish onsen hotel mixing Western and Japanese decor. The rooms with private rotemburo are gorgeous, with milky water and decks…

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…

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,…

This commendably friendly 28-bed hostel sets the standard, with bright, clean Japanese-style rooms with Western-style bedding and bathrooms, uber-helpful…

This charmingly creaky, unpretentious Taishō-era ryokan is a historic landmark, pleasantly faded and focused on a small garden with a stone lantern. All…