If you love hot springs and traditional ryokan, I highly recommend Suginoi Hotel’s Sorakan wing in Beppu. It combines modern facilities with Japan’s hot spring culture and pairs perfectly with Fukuoka for a three-day trip. Here’s a look at the rooms, baths, meals and an efficient Fukuoka-Beppu itinerary.
From Fukuoka to Beppu: A Suginoi Hotel Hot Spring Trip
- Beppu if you want real hot springs
- Suginoi Hotel if you want both a ryokan feel and a resort
- A perfect add-on to a Fukuoka trip
Suginoi Hotel is one of Japan’s largest hot spring hotels, with the charm of a ryokan and the conveniences of a modern resort. The Sorakan wing in particular has superb views, and some rooms have private baths, making it popular with couples and families.
Staying at Suginoi Hotel Sorakan
1. Booking and Check-In
Things to know when booking:
- Direct booking: reserve through the hotel’s official website or Japanese booking sites. It’s very popular and often full in peak season, so book early.
- Air-and-hotel packages: bundles with flights and accommodation are convenient and can save money.
Check-in and check-out:
- Check-in: from 3 p.m.
- Check-out: by 11 a.m.
- Luggage storage: available before check-in and after check-out.
2. Sorakan Room Types and Views
We looked at each of the Sorakan room types.
This is the basic standard room, clean and modern with all the essentials. It’s a double, yet it felt quite spacious.
This ocean-view room is big enough for three or four people. Rooms at Suginoi Hotel are generally spacious. Staff told us room assignments can vary depending on availability.
Here’s what the Sorakan ocean view looks like.
Amenities are provided in the room, and you can pick up more on the first floor.
This is the family room, clearly larger.
The ocean-view family room is roomy and comfortable, and large families usually stay here. Yukata in various sizes are provided, so we wore them throughout our stay.
The vanity is large, there’s a bathtub and the toilet is separate.
Sorakan is the newest building at Suginoi Hotel, which is why its rooms are especially nice.
Sorakan rooms overlook Beppu city and the sea, with sweeping ocean views from the upper floors. Interiors are modern, with comfortable beds and spacious bathrooms.
Yans changed into a yukata too, with his swimsuit underneath since we were heading to the pool.
3. Hot Springs and the Aqua Garden
The hot springs at Suginoi Hotel are truly the best, and Beppu is one of Japan’s top hot spring areas. I’ve traveled Japan a lot and stayed at many ryokan, but for hot springs this is my number one.
If you have kids, don’t miss the Aqua Garden.
Aqua Garden:
- Hours: 3 to 10 p.m.
- Tip: swimsuits are required and can be rented at the hotel. Evening laser shows and other events are worth timing your visit for.
We visited around Christmas in the dead of winter, yet the water was about 40 degrees Celsius. The entire pool is sulfur hot spring water. It was so warm I didn’t want to get out, and Yans loved it.
See the steam rising off the water?
Tanayu Grand Bath:
- Hours: roughly 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., so check before you go
- Features: open-air baths overlooking Beppu Bay, with spacious facilities and many kinds of baths
It’s huge, with many types of baths and even private ones. I chatted with some elderly ladies in the bath who were thrilled with it, and I thought my parents would love it here.
There’s also Sorayu, exclusively for Sorakan guests.
Sorayu open-air bath:
- Hours: 6 a.m. to midnight
- Features: a rooftop bath for Sorakan guests only, with panoramic views over Beppu and the sea
Soaking under the stars at night was spectacular. For a truly unique hot spring experience, try Sorayu at Sorakan.
4. Breakfast and Dinner Buffets
The breakfast and dinner at Sorakan were the best I’ve had at any hotel in Japan, on par with five-star hotels. Let’s start with breakfast.
Breakfast buffet:
- Hours: 7 to 10 a.m.
- Menu: a wide range of Japanese and Western dishes made with fresh ingredients
- Japanese set meal: rice, miso soup, grilled fish
- Western: bread, omelets, bacon
- Light options too
Many dishes are made to order, and true to Japan’s love of seafood, they grill fish fresh for you. Delicious.
There’s a kids’ corner and a huge variety of food. It’s a very popular hotel, so it gets crowded if you go late.
Even so, breakfast is top-notch. Next up is the highlight: the dinner buffet, also served at the first-floor restaurant in Sorakan.
If you want all the sashimi, sushi, beef steak, lamb and LA galbi you can eat, or unlimited beer, highballs, whisky and wine, Suginoi Hotel is the answer.
Dinner buffet:
- Hours: 5 to 9:30 p.m., last entry at 8 p.m.
- Menu: sushi, tempura, steak and more, plus an excellent dessert corner
Recommended:
- Sushi corner: fresh sashimi and sushi
- Steak corner: tender, flavorful steak grilled to order
I couldn’t have been happier, and I was sad my stomach is so small. The sashimi and sushi were incredibly fresh and thick. A family of big eaters could easily get their money’s worth from dinner alone.
Drinks are unlimited too: beer, highballs, whisky and wine, as much as you like, all included with dinner.
Compared with dinner for three at a famous Seoul hotel, a stay with dinner included here feels like a bargain.
At breakfast, the Japanese grilled fish and warm miso soup were excellent. At dinner the sushi corner was the most popular, but my personal favorite was the steak grilled to order.
5. Suginoi Hotel Facilities
With shows and great indoor facilities, Suginoi Hotel is perfect for families.
There’s a well-equipped game area for kids.
The walking paths are lovely for an after-dinner stroll.
There are activities like body painting, drawing and doctor fish, and Yans enjoyed them all.
Don’t miss the free laser show in front of the cafe and the fountain show at the Aqua Garden, held at set times.
Cotton candy making was free too, so we made our own.
There’s a convenience store right outside the hotel and plenty of vending machines inside for drinks and snacks.
With a bowling alley, table tennis and more, we were never bored and ran around the whole stay.
A 3-Day Fukuoka and Beppu Itinerary
Getting from Fukuoka to Beppu:
- Train: about 2 hours on the Limited Express Sonic, fast and convenient
- Bus: about 2 hours 30 minutes, cheaper
Take the west exit at Beppu Station for the hotel shuttle bus, or rent a car.
Suggested itinerary:
- Day 1: Fukuoka sightseeing and Nakasu yatai food stalls
- Day 2: Travel to Beppu, African Safari, the Hells of Beppu, check in at Suginoi Hotel, hot springs and the Aqua Garden
- Day 3: Yufuin, then fly home from Fukuoka Airport
Make Suginoi Hotel part of your Fukuoka and Beppu trip. Visit the baths early in the morning or late at night for a more relaxed soak, and remember swimsuits are required in the Aqua Garden, though you can rent one at the hotel.
Prices, hours and details in this post are from our visit in February 2025 and may have changed, so check the latest information before you go.