Hotel Sun Valley Annex

Stayed overnight. I used the shuttle service from Beppu Station. A van bearing the hotel's name stopped in front of the Business Hotel Hayashi in front of Beppu Station. Check-in was smooth, thanks to the automatic check-in machine. The welcome drink was just a bottle of Yakult and a coffee machine. The first room I was shown seemed to be adjacent to the elevator, so I could hear the elevator going up and down and the vibrations. It seemed like I wouldn't be able to sleep. I asked for a room change, and they gladly accommodated. The bath was indoors, but the water temperature was just right (it seemed to be a natural hot spring, but I haven't confirmed this). The bathtub was not very large considering the hotel's capacity, so depending on the time of day, it was sometimes full. My plan included breakfast only, no dinner. It seemed like dinner was available at the Japanese and Italian restaurants in the hotel, but when I asked, they asked me to inquire about it directly. It became too much of a hassle, so I decided to eat out. Breakfast was a buffet, including local dishes, which was quite enjoyable (although other reviews have mentioned that the dishes were mostly dark in color, but that's understandable since local cuisine is often dark in color to begin with). The table arrangement didn't take into consideration the flow of traffic in the aisles to get to the buffet, so I frequently ended up walking behind people sitting down. For those using public transportation, there's a bus stop right in front of the hotel, which can take you to Beppu Station, Kannawa, and Myoban. While the hotel isn't particularly outstanding in any way, I think it's well-balanced overall.

A group of tourists from the Canxing Travel Agency passed through our room. When we checked in, the hotel staff gave us the wrong key. Another group of tourists ran into our room to throw out the trash and use the toilet before returning the key to us.

While the building and facilities are undeniably old, the food and staff were excellent. The banquet menu featured Oita's finest delicacies. The Seki mackerel, Seki horse mackerel, princess octopus, and Usuki pufferfish were all fresh! The Oita beef steak was tender and juicy, and the dago soup was unique and delicious. They even arranged special dishes from famous Beppu restaurants for us. The dishes included Toyoken Toriten, the birthplace of chicken tempura; Rokusei Reimen; Majiagou Borsch; and Tomonaga Anpan, all of which were incredibly rare and delicious. I wondered why they were having borsch in Beppu, but it was the first time I'd ever tasted such deliciousness. I was surprised by Tomonaga Anpan! How could I possibly eat anpan with so much food?! But it was a fluffy, chewy bun unlike anything I'd ever tasted before, with a subtly sweet filling. It's easy to see why it's a favorite of the world's home run king, Mr. Oh. I was very satisfied with the delicious Oita shochu, the food, and the thoughtfulness of the staff. Thank you very much for your hospitality.