Amane Resort GAHAMA — Hotel in Beppu

We were a bit hesitant ourselves about this ryokan - we've been spoiled in staying at some of the very top ryokans throughout the country, and while Amane Resort Gahama is highly rated and understood this property to be kid-friendly, we weren't sure if it would meet our own high bar. Thankfully, our concerns were completely unfounded. It deftly balances the needs for discerning adults while at the same time doing a wonderful job catering to the needs of young families.||||This was part of a multi-generation trip, with four families (two of them with two young children each) and four total rooms as part of our booking. While Amane Resort Gahama (and its sister property, Amane Resort Seikai) is located along a bustling street in a nondescript area of Beppu (and next to KFC as well as Nitori, a large home furniture store), once we stepped inside we were ushered into a different world. Namely, the panoramic view of the ocean gave the ryokan an air of tranquility.||||We booked four rooms - all in the tower (there are separate Villas on site, but we wanted the view.) All of the rooms were Japanese-Western style with a generous 90 square meters of space. Two of the rooms were on the third floor, one was on the fifth floor, and one was a "special room" on the top floor (10F.) Of the four, I'd say that the fifth floor room was my preference, in that it allowed unobstructed views (the Villa rooftops were visible when peering out of the balcony of the 3F rooms) that were not too far off from the 10F room, and it had a bedroom that was separate from the living room, whereas the 10F special room was an open, junior suite style. Somehow, it also seemed that the top floor room was a bit tighter in space, despite the specifications.||||All rooms offered both indoor and outdoor Onsen (hot springs) baths, and that's what we were after. Of course, the children wanted to enjoy the larger communal baths. Unfortunately, it's located in Seikai, meaning you'd either have to walk outdoors for 5 minutes (through the Nitori parking lot) or take a complimentary shuttle - a bit of a hassle, yes, although we wound up bouncing between both properties for some of our meals (more on that later.)||||Gahama catered nicely to families with young children. They offered child-sized slippers as well as Yukata and Samue robes that were small enough to even fit a 2-year old. Our meals (for 11 total people) on both nights were served in a private room. And they offered very nice children's meals for both breakfast and dinner - they loved all of the food offerings at this property.||||At the same time, this ryokan would be equally suitable for adult couples... service is polished and attentive, while both the kaiseki dinner meal and French dinner course (the latter is at Amane Resort Seikai) were sophisticated and beautifully presented. And that's one of the benefits of either of the Amane ryokans - the multiple dining options allowed us to enjoy a diversity of top-notch servings. In the morning, we had a Japanese breakfast one morning while trekking to Seikai for a wonderful and varied buffet breakfast the following day.||||One drawback of both Amane properties is that it's somewhat removed from the main tourist areas of Beppu, including the "Beppu Hells" hot spring pools that are scattered throughout the city. Sanso Kannawaen, where we previously stayed, is far more centrally situated for tourism purposes. However, if you're looking to simply relax, unwind and enjoy Onsen with a view, then Amane would be a solid (if not the only) choice in the area.||||In terms of choosing between Seikai or Gahama, that's a tough question to answer, especially given that we only stayed at the latter. Seikai offers buffet breakfast and a French restaurant (Gahama guests have access privileges, but need to go to Seikai), and the communal Onsen baths are also only in Seikai. Seikai is a slightly larger property with more rooms, giving it a more hotel-like atmosphere compared to Gahama, which is a bit more intimate. Gahama rooms are modern Japan contemporary; by comparison, Seikai seems to have some Bali influence in the room decor (i.e. it's a bit darker in its use of colors, including the furnishings.) I don't think the differences are stark enough to make a huge difference.||||In a country where many top luxury ryokans do not allow children, or otherwise do not have child-friendly ethos, Amane Resort Gahama is a fresh air for families with kids looking for a top-notch Onsen ryokan...

We were a bit hesitant ourselves about this ryokan - we've been spoiled in staying at some of the very top ryokans throughout the country, and while Amane Resort Gahama is highly rated and understood this property to be kid-friendly, we weren't sure if it would meet our own high bar. Thankfully, our concerns were completely unfounded. It deftly balances the needs for discerning adults while at the same time doing a wonderful job catering to the needs of young families.||||This was part of a multi-generation trip, with four families (two of them with two young children each) and four total rooms as part of our booking. While Amane Resort Gahama (and its sister property, Amane Resort Seikai) is located along a bustling street in a nondescript area of Beppu (and next to KFC as well as Nitori, a large home furniture store), once we stepped inside we were ushered into a different world. Namely, the panoramic view of the ocean gave the ryokan an air of tranquility.||||We booked four rooms - all in the tower (there are separate Villas on site, but we wanted the view.) All of the rooms were Japanese-Western style with a generous 90 square meters of space. Two of the rooms were on the third floor, one was on the fifth floor, and one was a "special room" on the top floor (10F.) Of the four, I'd say that the fifth floor room was my preference, in that it allowed unobstructed views (the Villa rooftops were visible when peering out of the balcony of the 3F rooms) that were not too far off from the 10F room, and it had a bedroom that was separate from the living room, whereas the 10F special room was an open, junior suite style. Somehow, it also seemed that the top floor room was a bit tighter in space, despite the specifications.||||All rooms offered both indoor and outdoor Onsen (hot springs) baths, and that's what we were after. Of course, the children wanted to enjoy the larger communal baths. Unfortunately, it's located in Seikai, meaning you'd either have to walk outdoors for 5 minutes (through the Nitori parking lot) or take a complimentary shuttle - a bit of a hassle, yes, although we wound up bouncing between both properties for some of our meals (more on that later.)||||Gahama catered nicely to families with young children. They offered child-sized slippers as well as Yukata and Samue robes that were small enough to even fit a 2-year old. Our meals (for 11 total people) on both nights were served in a private room. And they offered very nice children's meals for both breakfast and dinner - they loved all of the food offerings at this property.||||At the same time, this ryokan would be equally suitable for adult couples... service is polished and attentive, while both the kaiseki dinner meal and French dinner course (the latter is at Amane Resort Seikai) were sophisticated and beautifully presented. And that's one of the benefits of either of the Amane ryokans - the multiple dining options allowed us to enjoy a diversity of top-notch servings. In the morning, we had a Japanese breakfast one morning while trekking to Seikai for a wonderful and varied buffet breakfast the following day.||||One drawback of both Amane properties is that it's somewhat removed from the main tourist areas of Beppu, including the "Beppu Hells" hot spring pools that are scattered throughout the city. Sanso Kannawaen, where we previously stayed, is far more centrally situated for tourism purposes. However, if you're looking to simply relax, unwind and enjoy Onsen with a view, then Amane would be a solid (if not the only) choice in the area.||||In terms of choosing between Seikai or Gahama, that's a tough question to answer, especially given that we only stayed at the latter. Seikai offers buffet breakfast and a French restaurant (Gahama guests have access privileges, but need to go to Seikai), and the communal Onsen baths are also only in Seikai. Seikai is a slightly larger property with more rooms, giving it a more hotel-like atmosphere compared to Gahama, which is a bit more intimate. Gahama rooms are modern Japan contemporary; by comparison, Seikai seems to have some Bali influence in the room decor (i.e. it's a bit darker in its use of colors, including the furnishings.) I don't think the differences are stark enough to make a huge difference.||||In a country where many top luxury ryokans do not allow children, or otherwise do not have child-friendly ethos, Amane Resort Gahama is a fresh air for families with kids looking for a top-notch Onsen ryokan...

Horrendous Experience! Insect Overload!||Background|We booked one night at this hotel, including a Kaiseki dinner and a Japanese-style breakfast. The total cost was 5,449 HKD (around 702 USD or 619 EUR).||Pros| • The Kaiseki dinner was delicious.||Cons||1. Rushed Dining Experience|In the email, we were informed that the last order time was 7:30 PM. We arrived promptly at 7:00 PM and were asked to dine before checking in, which was fine. The Kaiseki dinner consisted of 9 courses, served individually. However, the waitress repeatedly brought the next dish before we finished the current one. I politely asked her to slow down, but the pace didn’t change. When I asked again, she blamed us for being late, claiming the last order time was 7:00 PM. I showed her the email confirming the 7:30 PM cutoff, and she apologized, asking me to ring a bell when ready for the next dish. This rushed experience took away from the enjoyment of the meal.||2. Spiders and Insects in the Room|We booked the Seaside Maisonette, which features both indoor and outdoor hot springs separated by glass and a net panel to keep insects out. The indoor hot spring area also contains the shower-there is no other shower or bath in the room.|When I undressed to enjoy the hot spring, which was supposed to be the highlight of our trip, I was horrified to find the room infested with insects: 4 spiders, several flying insects, and many crawling on the walls! I was frightened but had no choice but to shower with insects all around me. After showering, I hesitated to enter the hot spring because there were 3 spiders there as well. When I finally stepped in, the water was scalding hot and burned me. There should definitely be a warning sign about the water temperature and instructions to test it before entering.|We called the hotel to report this, and they offered to move us to another room. My husband checked the new room first and confirmed the glass and net panels were tightly closed, with no visible insects. However, I was too traumatized to use the hot spring again during our stay.||3. Insects in the New Room|After moving, I thought we were free from insects-but I found 2 spiders in the new room: one upstairs and one downstairs. My husband caught them, but I still felt uneasy throughout the night.||4. Lack of Front Desk Response|The next day, I expected the front desk staff to acknowledge our terrible experience and offer some form of apology or care, but they said nothing about the previous night’s issues.||5. Disappointing Breakfast|The Japanese-style breakfast was bland, and the fish contained many bones, making it difficult to enjoy.||Summary|While the Kaiseki dinner was tasty, the rushed service, insect infestation, scalding hot spring water, and lack of customer care made this stay extremely disappointing. I cannot recommend this hotel based on...