Escape to tranquility with these stunning onsen hotels, blending traditional Japanese wellness with modern architectural design.
Festivals pack the summer social calendar, but once the mercury drops, the communal onsen (hot spring) tradition comes to the fore. A cornerstone of Japanese wellness rituals, the geothermal bathing activity is rooted in ancient times and is believed to cure illness and imbalances in the body. Here's the Wallpaper* edit of the best design-led onsen hotels in Japan to check into, so you can feel the stress of the year melt away.
A cornerstone of Japanese wellness rituals, the geothermal bathing activity is rooted in ancient times and is believed to cure illness and imbalances in the body. Here’s the Wallpaper* edit of the best design-led onsen hotels in Japan to check into, so you can feel the stress of the year melt away.The Aman Kyoto resort does it with panache. Set amidst lush woodland, a moss-dominated plot that was once slated to become a private textile museum now offers a tasteful and elegant architectural response to the cultural richness of its host city. Kerry Hill Architects, a long-time Aman collaborator, deftly incorporated local influences, surroundings, and culture into the design identity; the property’s homage to native tradition and craft is encapsulated in the choice of materials and handmade decorative items. Alcoves are preserved. In the Aman Spa, luxurious indoor and outdoor onsens await, the perfect precursor to a transformative spa treatment featuring natural apothecary.The international hospitality group could not have chosen a better location: the Higashiyama outpost neighbours the venerated Kiyomizu-dera temple, and sweeping views of the city are part and parcel of its hilltop perch. The team behind the project mapped the architectural vision for this 2024 addition to Kyoto’s onsen resort scene, harmoniously blending the property’s bamboo-forest surroundings with traditional building techniques and open spaces to underscore the tranquil nature of the hotel. Fufu Kyoto — meaning ‘mysterious beauty’ — into elegantly minimalist interiors, elevated by clean lines, natural materials, and soft earth tones. Private onsen baths, drawn from natural hot springs, are found in the upper-tier rooms; communal facilities are available on-site as well. Save time for a traditional dance-drama theatrical performance at the Noh stage and a Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.Part of the growing Fufu boutique hotel group – with sister properties in Nara, Hakone, and Karuizawa, among others – Fufu Kyoto’s idiosyncratic charm stems from its dedication to the Japanese hospitality concept of Omotenashi (meaning ‘mysterious beauty’) experience with modern infusions. Hidden in plain sight, this modest retreat follows a natural-palette-driven aesthetic blueprinted by Saiun Design, allowing subtle detailing like the choice of delicate indigo textiles and carefully curated bonsai collections to elevate the overall atmosphere. Fufu Kyoto channels simple alkaline hot-spring water from the Nose Art Lake onsen source to the 40 Hinoki cypress bathtubs across the hotel, one for each room. Luxuriate in your private onsen(Image credit: Courtesy of Hoshino Resorts)Japanese onsen inns typically evoke imagery of serene sanctuaries, nestled in the depths of the great outdoors, off the beaten track, serenaded by the whisper of nature. Hoshinoya Tokyo turns that notion completely on its head. Located in Otemachi, in the heart of the capital, the 84-key hotel brings hospitality into the cosmopolitan modern age. Designed by Rie Azuma of Azuma Architect & Associates – whose signature can be found on many a Hoshinoya resort – the property’s old-meets-new essence is impressed upon all available surfaces.Warm wood tones, natural stone accents, and traditional Japanese textiles are mingled with sleek modern furnishings, creating a harmonious blend of old and new. Tatami mat flooring is standard across the rooms; walls in the shared spaces are elegantly textured and carved. An outdoor bath on the top floor provides a unique view of the sky through a skylight. Water is piped up from the Otemachi onsen, a subterranean hot spring with high salt content and seaweed minerals with healing properties to help alleviate fatigue and retain heat in the body.Burrowed within the northern Japanese Alps, Kai Okuhida adds striking contemporary flair to the Okuhida-Onsengo villages in the Gifu prefecture, celebrating the region’s long-standing onsen heritage. Developed by the Sakakura Building Research Institute and Kanade Design Office, the timber-and-stone resort, centred around a courtyard, is landscaped to emulate the meandering paths and alleyways of traditional onsen towns. Hida artisanry is at the heart of the interior design; details like handcrafted ceramic tableware and locally sourced wood furniture add a touch of regional authenticity. Of the 49 guestrooms, 28 are furnished with private outdoor baths, fed from the flow of the restorative Hirayu onsen. Communal facilities, including a footbath and a hot-spring river, are dotted across the property, backed by lush mountainscapes and changing foliage. Post-thermal relaxation, head to the restaurant: One of the most famous exports of the area, Hida beef, is heavily featured on the seasonal menu.In the upper reaches of Tochigi Prefecture’s mountainous landscape sits Ritz-Carlton, Nikko, a stoic nature retreat engulfed by swathes of forests, the imposing shadow of the next-door Nantai stratovolcano, and the scenic Chuzenji lake
JAPANESE ONSEN TRAVEL LUXURY HOTELS DESIGN HOTELS ARCHITECTURE WELLNESS
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