I Looked Into Oniyama Hotel

On this blog, I've been running an ongoing series looking into inns and campsites that even someone like me—an indoorsy type who doesn't drive—might be able to visit.

This time, I looked into Oniyama Hotel, located in Kannawa Onsen in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture. I was drawn in by the phrases "hell-steamed cuisine" and "source-fed hot spring water," so I found myself opening up the official website.

My Impression: A Hot Spring Hotel Built Around the Waters of Oniyama Jigoku

Oniyama Hotel appears to be located in Kannawa Onsen, the area known for the "Beppu Jigoku Meguri" (hell circuit tour), a classic Beppu tourist attraction. According to the official website, it's just a one-minute walk from popular spots on the hell circuit, which struck me as a great location for anyone who wants to enjoy both sightseeing and hot springs.

In terms of access, it's said to be about 5 minutes by car from Beppu IC, or about 15 minutes by taxi from JR Beppu Station if traveling by train. I couldn't find any specific mention of shuttle buses or public bus routes on the official website.

The indoor and outdoor communal baths, called Oniyama-no-yu and Kuberi-no-yu, are apparently fed directly and continuously from the Oniyama Jigoku hot spring source. It's a chloride spring said to contain 423mg of metasilicic acid, which is well above the 100mg threshold often used to define a so-called "beauty bath," suggesting water quality that could help with warmth retention and moisturizing. The baths are open from 3:00 PM to midnight, and again from 5:00 AM to 10:00 AM.

• Reservations: Bookings can be made through the reservation system on the official website. Phone reservations also appear to be available.
• Pricing: I couldn't find any specific figures on the official site itself—it only mentioned that booking directly guarantees the "official lowest price."
• Check-in/check-out times: I wasn't able to confirm specific times on the official website.

Komorin

While looking into this, seeing 423mg of metasilicic acid made me think, "wait, isn't that a pretty impressive number?" I won't know how it actually feels after a soak until I go, but it definitely raises my expectations.

Private Baths Have Ended, but In-Room Baths Seem to Be Expanding Instead

Some of the information I'd come across beforehand described the hotel as having "plenty of private baths," but when I checked the FAQ page on the official website, it clearly stated that the family baths and private baths, along with the panoramic open-air bath called Sora-no-yu, ended service at the end of March 2024. It seems only the communal indoor and outdoor baths are available now, so that's something to keep in mind if you're considering this hotel specifically for its private baths.

I don't think it's meant as a direct replacement, but it does seem like rooms with their own private baths are increasing. The room type called Yura, completed in 2024, is 55 square meters and designed as a universally accessible room that wheelchair users can enter without any steps. It comes with a hot-spring bath fed directly from the source, available 24 hours a day, and two of these rooms reportedly have electric beds. The Modern Premium Room (47 square meters), completed in 2025, is also introduced as a new room type.

The signature hell-steamed kaiseki course is prepared using steam from the Oniyama Jigoku vents, and it can apparently be served in-room for up to 6 people. With 8 banquet halls reportedly available, I got the impression this is a hotel that can accommodate everything from family trips to somewhat larger group gatherings. In February 2025, the lobby was also renovated into a bright space decorated with paintings by Seiji Togo.

• Communal indoor/outdoor baths: Fed directly from the source. Private and family baths ended in March 2024.
• Yura: A room with its own source-fed bath, designed to be barrier-free.
• Modern Premium Room: A room type completed in 2025.
• Hell-steamed kaiseki course: Available for in-room dining, up to 6 people.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

As a Rakuten Mobile user myself, I'm always curious about the signal conditions at a place. I tried checking the location of this hotel using the official "My Area Network Simulation" tool, but no simulation result came up—instead I just got a message saying something like "currently undergoing temporary maintenance."

Because of that, I wasn't able to put together a rating like "good" or "unstable" for the signal conditions this time. It seems this kind of message can appear when there isn't enough address data for a location, but I haven't been able to confirm the actual situation on the ground.

Komorin

This isn't the first time I've run into a case where no result comes up, and I think situations like this really call for checking things out in person. Since I don't drive, if I ever go, it'll probably be by train and taxi.

Wrapping Up

To sum up, my overall impression is that Oniyama Hotel is a hotel in Kannawa Onsen where you can enjoy hot springs fed directly from the Oniyama Jigoku source, along with a signature hell-steamed kaiseki course. The private and family baths that were reportedly once a highlight ended service in March 2024, and only the communal indoor and outdoor baths are available now—that felt like an important point to keep in mind beforehand. At the same time, I'm also intrigued by the newer room types that have appeared, like Yura, which comes with its own source-fed bath.

As for the Rakuten Mobile signal conditions, the official tool showed a maintenance notice when I tried checking, so I wasn't able to get a result. If this matters to you, it might be worth checking with the official Rakuten Mobile tool yourself for peace of mind.

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Related Links

• Official Site