Best Hotels & Lodges

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.

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.

Tucked into the foothills of the Swartberg Mountains, Buffelsdrift is a convenient safari pitstop on the Garden Route that delivers proper bushveld atmosphere without the malaria tablets. The lodge hugs a five-hectare waterhole where hippos grunt and terrapins paddle, while giraffe, zebra and buffalo graze the opposite banks. It's more accessible glamping than remote wilderness – just ten minutes from Oudtshoorn and the famous Cango Caves – but that proximity to civilisation is part of its charm. Dawn meerkat safaris, night drives in search of the elusive 'shy five', and encounters with rescued elephants add genuine wildlife credentials, whilst the restaurant dishes up hearty Karoo fare alongside award-winning Route 62 wines. A solid choice for families or anyone wanting to dip their toes into safari life.

Hotel New Nagasaki is adjacent to JR Nagasaki Station and easily accessible from Nagasaki Airport. The Nagasaki Ekimae tram stop is also nearby, making it an ideal location for sightseeing in Nagasaki city, including the World Heritage sites of Glover Garden and Dejima. You are offerred a comfortable stay in Nagasaki, as well as for use as a restaurant, for weddings, banquets, and meetings.

Some places take a while to reveal themselves. This is not one of them. From the moment you're greeted at the entrance by kimono-clad staff and your shoes are swapped for slippers, you're transported into a world of refined and unhurried Japanese ritual.

Tucked into the foothills of sacred Mt. Mifune in the rural hot spring town of Takeo, this intimate ryokan occupies a rather extraordinary position - woven into the fabric of Mifuneyama Rakuen, an Edo-period garden of such beauty it holds status as a Registered Monument of Japan. With just 11 rooms across a vast, forested estate, the sense of seclusion is absolute. The Michelin Guide clearly agrees, having awarded its highest honour of five red pavilions. Even the Japanese Imperial Family have checked in on multiple occasions, which tells you everything you need to know.

Ureshino Yadoya is a hot spring inn where you can harmonize your mind and body with tea and hot springs. Ureshino tea is Ureshino's greatest specialty. The tea that is prepared is served by the tea farmers themselves every day so you can fully experience the charm of Ureshino tea. Ureshino Onsen is one of Japan's three major hot springs for beautiful skin.

All 36 rooms are equipped with 100% natural hot spring water. The large public bath has a tea-scented Loÿly sauna and a tea-scented dry sauna. You can train your body to your heart's content. Saga's food, crafts, climate, etc. are all centered around Ureshino.

Japan's first designer hotel, Il Palazzo opened in Fukuoka in 1989 as a genuine architectural statement — the work of Pritzker Prize-winning Italian architect Aldo Rossi, with interiors by celebrated Japanese designer Shigeru Uchida. The building is bold, theatrical, and unmistakably European in spirit, which makes it all the more interesting sitting in the heart of one of Japan's most vibrant cities. A minute's walk from Nakasu's famous yatai street food stalls, it puts you right in the thick of Fukuoka's nocturnal energy — a city that, frankly, doesn't get nearly enough credit on the Japan trail.

A sleek, adults-only newcomer that opened in April 2025 on the upper floors of the Hulic Square building in Tenjin — Fukuoka's shopping and dining heart. An elevator runs from Tenjin Station's Exit 5 straight up to the 19th-floor lobby, where a terrace looks out over the city. Rooms are contemporary and comfortably sized for Japan, with Simmons beds and Nespresso machines as standard. A guest-only lounge on the 18th floor serves complimentary drinks and snacks. Best suited to couples and solo travellers wanting polish and a fuss-free urban base.

Hotel Nikko Fukuoka, only three minutes’ walk from Hakata Station, the gateway to Fukuoka and the rest of Kyushu. With magnificent restaurants serving the season’s finest flavors, and meticulous service for all who enter.

Hotel Nikko Fukuoka is furnished with many restaurants, tea lounges, and bars providing food and drink in many different styles. There are restaurants that serve Japanese cuisine, such as sushi, tempura, and wagyu teppanyaki, as well as Chinese, French, and buffet restaurants; and all have menus that feature seasonal delicacies.

Situated in the heart of downtown in the main tower of the Fukuoka Daimyo Garden City complex, The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka is a sophisticated retreat with views across Hakata Bay. This luxury hotel in Fukuoka, Japan, features six dining venues that complement the city’s renown as a lively food capital, and playful references to the local textile art throughout its spaces.

From the outside, the building is admittedly unremarkable - all concrete and main road. But step through the doors and something rather magical happens. The lobby opens up to a wall of glass and suddenly there it is: the vast, shimmering expanse of Beppu Bay, stretching out so far that sky and sea seem to merge into one. Perched right on the coastline of Japan's undisputed onsen capital, this is a contemporary resort that takes the region's 1,300-year bathing heritage and gives it a decidedly modern twist.

Every room has its own private open-air hot spring bath overlooking the water, the communal onsen on the ground floor sits so close to the ocean it's been nicknamed the "zero-metres-above-sea-level bath", and there are three distinct restaurants championing Oita Prefecture's exceptional produce. It's not a traditional ryokan in the tatami-and-futon sense, but the spirit of omotenashi runs deep, and the staff set the tone from the moment they hand you a welcome drink on the waterfront terrace.

This hilltop inn is an exercise in modern restraint: clean lines, warm wood, contemporary art on the walls, and not a single fussy detail in sight. And yet the classical virtues of Japanese hospitality are very much intact, from the sulfur-rich spring water piped into every room to the creative kaiseki dinners that showcase Oita Prefecture's remarkable larder. The real showstopper, though, is the position. Set high above the town with unobstructed views across Beppu Bay and the city's famously steaming streets below, it feels a world away from the tourist bustle of the "hells" - even though they're just a 15-minute drive down the hill.

Located in the mountains, 200 meters above sea level, there is a village lined with thatched-roof temple lodgings. Welcome to Awai Togakushi Hotel. This hotel is a decentralized retreat rooted in the local culture of Togakushi. A place where people and nature coexist.

Takei Ryokan is a former Buddhist temple lodging in Nagano's sacred Togakushi highlands — well off the beaten track. The thatched-roof main building dates back to 1745 and is a protected historic structure, with original Buddhist carvings still visible in the beams. Just two guest rooms mean genuine intimacy, with private baths and seasonal Shinshu cuisine served in the ancient main house. No spa, no polish — just the rare privilege of sleeping inside a living piece of Japanese history.

The Saihokukan is Nagano City's grand old dame — a heritage hotel dating to 1890 that has hosted Japanese emperors, legendary shogi title matches, and cultural icons from novelist Natsume Soseki to painter Okamoto Taro. During the 1998 Winter Olympics, its ballroom hosted the Imperial tea reception — a first for any private venue in Japan. The hotel's own tagline is disarmingly honest: "not everything is exquisite, but it's a comfortable hotel." A characterful, historically rich base for exploring Nagano City and nearby Zenko-ji temple.

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.

Meandering, tree-covered paths in Kumbakonam lead you to Mantra Koodam. Tucked away in a quiet corner of Veppathur village, it’s an ode to the region’s rich legacy. Where historical, cultural and spiritual experiences blend, to take you on a journey through time, designed around the Tamil Panniyar and Brahmin way of life and crafted by nature’s own wonders.