Galleria Midobaru 別府御堂原畫廊温泉酒店 (Beppu, JAPAN)

After spending two days in the heart of Fukuoka, it was time to pack our bags and embark on the second half of our journey to explore the rest of Fukuoka Prefecture. This requires a bit of driving (about two hours) but I have a feeling that it's going to be well worth the hassle.

Much of my research on this trip has been focused on hot spring resorts in Beppu and Yufuin. There are a ton of options in the area but since I'm not a fan of those traditional ryokans, finding one with a contemporary décor and amazing view proved to be next to impossible. But like I always say, never say never.

Opened in December 2020, Galleria Midobaru ((別府御堂原畫廊温泉酒店) is a designer hotel located on the base of Mount Tsurumi overlooking Beppu Bay with a private hot spring bath in every one of their guest rooms. The hotel is just a comfortable 10-minute drive from Beppu's city centre and it is very easily assessible via a number of highways.

Once we arrived at the hotel lobby, we were immediately greeted by the jaw-dropping view of Beppu Bay right from the ceiling-to-floor windows (Little one didn't look impressed though as he was more focused with his smartphone 😉).

After going through a maze of contemporary arts, we finally arrived in front of our room on the third floor.

If not for the extra bed that they have mistakenly arranged for us, the room was more than enough for the three of us.

Of course, the first thing I wanted to do was to go out to the balcony and take a deep breath of the fresh air from Beppu Bay!

I could sit here all day and admire this view. It was so peaceful around here. 

Another highlight of our stay was the onsen bath right in the bathroom area. It had the same bay view as the balcony although a little obstructed.

After removing the wooden cover from the onsen bath, I started off the pump and in about 15 minutes, the tub was already filled with hot spring water. 

Little nugget just couldn't wait to get started and he was the first to jump into the piping hot spring bath. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our two-night stay at Galleria Midobaru, which was nearly perfect. However, we did encounter a few design deficiencies in our room that slightly affected our overall experience. Firstly, the location of the toilet right next to the doorway could have been more thoughtfully planned for convenience and privacy. We also noticed the absence of some well-covered blinds which have compromised the light control in the room, especially in early morning (how could we not after waking up by the sunrise at 6 every morning!). For you light sleepers, don't forget to bring your sleep mask! 

But despite these minor issues, our stay at Galleria Midobaru was fantastic.

Rating: ❤❤❤❤

Price: ￥￥￥￥

Address: 6 Kumi Horita, Beppu, Oita, 874-0831, Japan

Tel: +81 (0)977-76-5303

Website: https://beppu-galleria-midobaru.jp/en/