Best hotels in Shikoku Island

Takamatsu is one of Japan's best-kept secrets — a laid-back port city on Shikoku's northern coast that serves as the gateway to the extraordinary art islands of the Seto Inland Sea. Naoshima, Shodoshima and Megijima are all a short ferry ride away, and back on the mainland, Ritsurin Garden (arguably Japan's finest) and Kagawa's legendary sanuki udon scene await. The hotel itself is a full-service city property, polished rather than boutique, but its position couldn't be better: one minute's walk from JR Takamatsu Station and directly opposite the ferry terminal. For exploring this corner of Japan, it's hard to beat as a base.

In the pilgrimage town of Kotohira, just at the foot of the forested Mount Zozu in a quiet, unhurried corner of Shikoku, sits a ryokan that's been welcoming travellers since 1627. Originally an inn for pilgrims visiting the revered Konpirasan shrine, Kotohira Kadan has hosted Japan's literary greats, imperial family members and countless souls who arrive to climb the famous 1,368 stone steps to pray. Today, it's a layered property that sprawls across hillside gardens with heritage cottages, renovated guest wings and Konpira Onsen's skin-softening hot spring water known locally as 'The Great Beauty's Bath'.

The vast temple grounds, covering a total area of about 45,000 square meters, are divided into two parts: the East Wing, called the Garan, and the West Wing, called the Tanjōin. The Garan, where the Kondo, the five-storied pagoda, and other buildings stand, has been part of the temple since the temple's foundation. The Tanjōin, with the Mieido at the center, is the site of the Saeki family's former residence, where Kobo Daishi was born. Together, they show Zentsūji’s connections with Kobo Daishi’s birth and family life.

Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando has a gift for making concrete feel spiritual, and this extraordinary seven-suite retreat - perched on a mountaintop in Ehime Prefecture with the island-dotted Seto Inland Sea unfurling below - might be his most quietly thrilling project yet. Originally built as a private guesthouse, then used as a small modern art museum, the building was reimagined as a hotel under Ando's watchful eye, and his signature smooth-as-silk concrete walls, vast floor-to-ceiling windows and profoundly empty stretches of space create something closer to a meditative experience than a conventional stay. With museum-quality artwork throughout (Frank Stella in the dining room, calligrapher Rieko Kawabe in the corridors), a 30-metre infinity pool that appears to spill into the sea, and a staff whose attentiveness borders on telepathic, it's the kind of place where the frenetic activity of the mind begins to slow. The Michelin Guide awarded it a Key, and it's not hard to understand why.

Matsuyama, the laid-back capital of Shikoku, is a literary and bathing city that most never reach – and that's exactly why you should go. Perched on a hillside above the 3,000-year-old Dogo Onsen district, Dogo-Kan is the work of the late Kisho Kurokawa, one of Japan's most celebrated architects, who poured his philosophy of 'symbiosis' into every detail. The result is a ryokan that is both centuries old in tradition yet contemporary in spirit, with an Edo-inspired lobby, communal baths fed by pure Dogo spring water, and kaiseki dinners built around the seasonal catch of the Setouchi coast. All in all, a thoroughly Japanese experience in a town that feels worlds away from anything familiar.

Matsuyama is Shikoku's largest city, but at it's heart, it's an old-fashioned tram town with a hilltop fortress, Japan's oldest hot springs and a literary heritage that inspired some of the country's finest haiku. Slotted right into the heart of it, the dependable Crowne Plaza puts the castle ropeway and buzzing Okaido shopping arcade on your doorstep, with Dogo Onsen just a ten-minute tram ride away. It's a chain hotel (and there's no two ways about it!), but the 14th-floor Sky Lounge with its panoramic views of Matsuyama Castle and the handsome French Renaissance-style Bansuisou Villa, elevates morning coffee into something really quite special.

The setting for Auberge Tosayama is Tosayama, the inner sanctum of Kochi City, on the island of Shikoku. With a backdrop of Kenmin no Mori Mt. Kuishi, and blessed with the abundantly flowing headwaters of the Kagami River, this place is laden with the graces of nature. Escape the hustle and bustle in only 30 minutes. Since first opening its doors in this beautiful village, Auberge Tosayama has continued to walk forward with the surrounding area. It exists as a bridge builder, taking action at home together with the next generation, and sending that energy outward.

A charming 4-star hotel nestled in the heart of Kochi, Japan. With its rich history and traditional architecture, this hotel offers a unique blend of comfort and cultural immersion. Built in 1968 and last renovated in 1994, Hotel Jyoseikan seamlessly combines modern amenities with a touch of old-world charm. Step into our hotel and be transported back in time. The well-preserved traditional architecture and decor create an atmosphere of elegance and tranquility.

Everyone needs a place to lay their weary head. For travellers visiting Tonosho-cho, Shodoshima International Hotel is an excellent choice for rest and rejuvenation. Well-known for its family-friendly environment and proximity to great restaurants An offbeat island in the Seto Inland Sea, Shodoshima is famous for its olive groves, 400-year-old soy sauce breweries and a Mediterranean climate you really wouldn't expect in Japan. The Kokusai Hotel is on the western coast, a stone's throw from Angel Road, the photogenic sandbar that appears and disappears with the tides. It's a classic Japanese seaside resort and water is the star of the show: every room faces the ocean, the natural onsen gazes straight out to sea, and the dining is all about just-landed Seto Inland Sea seafood seasoned with the island's own olive oil and soy sauce.and attractions, Shodoshima International Hotel makes it easy to enjoy the best of Tonosho-cho.