Is Oniyama Hotel Worth It? Its Large Rotenburo, the Yuraku Room and What Has Closed
Oniyama Hotel’s large public baths close overnight; its family and private baths closed in 2024. Only the Yuraku room lists a 24-hour in-room onsen.
Checked: September 27, 2026
Oniyama Hotel makes the most sense if you want to stay in Kannawa, walk to the Hells, and spend time in a large source-fed public bath. It is not a good choice for a private soak together unless you book the Yuraku room: the hotel no longer has family or reservable private baths, and it has no sauna.
| What you need | What to book or expect | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Large outdoor bath | Standard guest access to the first-floor public baths | Open 3 pm–midnight and 5–10 am; closed overnight between those periods |
| A natural bath in your room | Universal-design Yuraku room, 55 m² | The hotel describes its private bath as a 24-hour source-fed onsen |
| A renovated, spacious room | Modern Premier or Relaxing Japanese Modern | Both have a bath, but the hotel does not identify those baths as hot springs |
| A room with a view | Seventh-floor Special Room | The in-room bath is not a hot spring; use the public baths instead |
| A private bath for two | Not available as a shared facility | Family and private baths closed in March 2024 |
If you are still choosing between Kannawa and central Beppu, start with the Beppu stay-area guide. For a traditional inn with private outdoor baths, compare Kunisakisou in Kannawa or Kannawaen’s room onsen.
The public baths are the main draw
Oniyama’s first-floor baths, Onizan-no-Yu and Kuberi-no-Yu, each have indoor and open-air pools. They are supplied by the spring associated with Oniyama Jigoku; the source is listed at 98°C. The water is described as a chloride spring. The hotel identifies the source-fed baths as free-flowing, but does not publish enough detail to infer every treatment step or the temperature at each tub.
Bathing hours are 3 pm to midnight, then 5 am to 10 am. You can fit in a soak after dinner or before breakfast, but not during the midnight-to-5 am closure. There is no sauna.
One outdated detail still appears in older pages: the hotel’s family and private baths, along with the former rooftop Sora-no-Yu, closed in March 2024. The current facilities are the public indoor and outdoor baths. If being able to bathe together is essential, book a room with its own onsen or choose another property.
Choose the room by the bath, not the word “bathroom”
Yuraku is the clearest room choice if you need private natural water. The 55 m² universal-design room has an automatic entry door and an in-room source-fed bath available around the clock. There are five rooms; the hotel says two have electric beds. It also lists support equipment such as a bath-use wheelchair and transfer mat. The published toilet doorway and front-clearance measurements are useful, but confirm turning space, bed setup, grab rails and the exact bathroom layout for the guest who will use them.
The 2025 renovation added more spacious room categories. Modern Premier has a sleeping area and Japanese-style sitting space; Relaxing Japanese Modern is another renovated option. Both list a bath and shower but do not identify the bath as a hot spring.
The seventh-floor Special Room has views over Beppu Bay and Kannawa’s steam, but its in-room bath is not an onsen. Standard Japanese rooms also should not be assumed to have natural spring water in the tub.
Dinner timing shapes the evening
Dinner is part of the hotel stay, with local seafood, beef and Kannawa-style steamed dishes among the offerings. Regular dinner starts are scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 pm; busy dates may limit the available time. Room dining is only included when the plan specifically says so, and it is generally arranged for up to six diners. Breakfast is served in the dining room between 7 and 9 am, with more than 50 Japanese and Western buffet items listed by the hotel.
That schedule works well if you arrive in Kannawa with time to settle in. A long day trip from Yufuin or a late arrival from Fukuoka can squeeze dinner and the evening bath, so check the plan’s last check-in and dinner conditions before choosing it. Children can stay; the hotel’s current guidance says a child may use the opposite-sex public bath only through age six. From age seven, the child must use the matching gender bath.
Getting there and knowing what is not included
Oniyama is a short walk from the Kannawa Bus Center, though the route climbs Miyuki-zaka. The express-bus stop at Kannawa-guchi is closer, with a short uphill walk. The hotel does not provide pickup on arrival from Beppu Station or the bus stop. A limited 10 am departure shuttle to Beppu Station is available after checkout with advance booking; it does not solve the arrival transfer.
Parking is charged per car, and the hotel may direct some guests to a second lot a minute or two away. If your plan depends on private bathing, tattoo permission or specific accessibility equipment, confirm directly before booking: the public information does not establish all of those policies for every facility.
For the public-bath version of the stay, choose a standard or renovated room that suits your group and use the large baths. Choose Yuraku if the private in-room spring is the reason you are coming. Avoid treating a renovated bathtub or the seventh-floor view as proof of in-room onsen access.
Sources
Oniyama Hotel official information
- [Oniyama Hotel: baths](https://www.oniyama-hotel.co.jp/spa/) - [Oniyama Hotel: frequently asked questions](https://www.oniyama-hotel.co.jp/faq/) - [Oniyama Hotel: rooms](https://www.oniyama-hotel.co.jp/room/) - [Oniyama Hotel: dining](https://www.oniyama-hotel.co.jp/cuisine/) - [Oniyama Hotel: access](https://www.oniyama-hotel.co.jp/access/) - [Oniyama Hotel 2025 leaflet](https://www.oniyama-hotel.co.jp/wp-content/themes/oniyama/images/leaflet2025.pdf) - [Oniyama outdoor bath image](https://www.oniyama-hotel.co.jp/wp-content/themes/oniyama/images/spa_bath_img05.jpg) - [Yuraku room image](https://www.oniyama-hotel.co.jp/wp-content/themes/oniyama/images/room01_img01.jpg)Tags: Oniyama Hotel, Kannawa Onsen, Beppu open-air onsen, Yuraku room, Beppu hotel with private onsen
