IHG Hotels & Resorts operates 19 hotel brands with more than 6,500 hotels in more than 100 countries. In Japan, the company currently operates about 47 hotels under seven brands from Hokkaido to Okinawa (as of September 2024). For this interview, we asked Davide Zanardi, general manager of the ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort & Spa, about the hotel’s surrounding area.
Facility name: ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort & Spa
Location: 499-18 Kannawa, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture
–How did you come to work at the ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort & Spa?
I was involved in the launch of the ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort & Spa while working at the InterContinental Hotel Osaka as the Assistant Director of the Food & Beverage Department. I then joined the hotel’s team in 2019 as Manager of the Food & Beverage Department. It has been a valuable career development opportunity. The wonderful Beppu environment is a major reason why my family and I decided to move here.
–What kind of hotel is it?
A luxury resort offering a sophisticated and high quality relaxation experience. In addition to wellness-focused facilities such as hot springs and a spa, the resort offers luxurious spaces where guests can enjoy the beautiful scenery. The resort offers a wide variety of cuisine featuring local delicacies, as well as a variety of traditional bamboo crafts on display in the hotel, allowing guests to experience Oita’s unique history and culture.
–What is the unique experience of the ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort & Spa?
ANA InterContinental Beppu Resort & Spa offers the ultimate relaxation experience with natural hot springs, the award-winning HARNN Heritage Spa, and an infinity pool where you can swim while overlooking a spectacular view. In addition, a gastronomic experience using an abundance of local ingredients and a stay in an extraordinary space will provide you with a one-of-a-kind resort escape.
–please let me know if you have any personal favorites tourist spots or restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel.
The spots I recommend are “Umi-Jigoku,” one of the hell tour routes, and “Kannawa Onsen,” which retains the atmosphere unique to hot spring resorts. In this area, you will find many attractive spots, including remnants of Beppu’s historic hot-spring cure culture. A stroll in Beppu Park is also very pleasant, and you can enjoy seasonal flowers such as cherry blossoms.
–What restaurant menu do you recommend?
Atelier, the hotel’s signature restaurant, offers a sumptuous course menu featuring Oita’s finest ingredients, and offers “Oita French” cuisine that combines French techniques with seasonal, local ingredients.
In the vicinity of the hotel, we recommend “Otto e Sette Oita,” a Hell’s Italian restaurant created using jigoku steaming (a cooking method using steam from hot springs).
–What souvenirs do you recommend?
Beppu’s traditional bamboo crafts are highly recommended. How about finding your favorite piece of Beppu bamboo craftwork, which has long been loved as an art form and a tool for daily life?
In the vicinity of the hotel is the natural bath salt “yunohana” produced at “Myoban Yunosato” in Myoban Onsen (明礬温泉). The production process at the yunohana hut, which has remained unchanged since ancient times and is designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset of Japan, is a memorable experience unique to Beppu Onsen.
© Source travel watch
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