Best Luxury Hotels in Japan

Osaka’s answer to the Champs Elysées, the solubrious Midosuji is the setting for the St Regis property. Each of its 160 bedrooms features Japanese-style bathtubs, Remède bath products, a curated selection of art and ceramics, Kyoto silks and headboards crafted from Kawashima silk. Guests staying here receive the hallmark brand butler service and can experience French flair in a Japanese city – the hotel has a boulangerie and two French restaurants, along with an Italian eatery and a teppanyaki grill. And when it comes to the first meal of the day, you can opt for an American spread, or a traditional Japanese breakfast.

Following The Ritz-Carlton’s British heritage, this hotel has a distinctly Western feel. Pass the doormen wearing top hats and tails and you’ll enter a world of art (over 450 original pieces can be toured inside), cigar and whisky lounges, live piano music and centuries old antiques. Book a bedroom with views of the ocean, tatami mats or futons and an Italian marble bathroom and dine on award winning French, Italian, Chinese, or Japanese cuisine at one of its four restaurants. Its spa offers a range of detox and relaxation treatments, as well as a heated indoor pool, jacuzzis and outdoor hot tubs, steam rooms and saunas.

A highlight of this establishment are the onsen baths, filled with natural saltwater from hot springs that lie deep beneath its surface. Here you can soak in minerals as the warmth eases your muscles — both male and female bathing areas are provided, as well as yukata (robes). This is a 39 bedroom ryokan (typically Japanese) hotel, where guests can sleep either on beds or on traditional futons amongst minimalist surroundings. Additionally, there’s a full-service spa, a pretty garden, a terrace and the in-house restaurant, Mametanuki. Miyajima Kinsuikan is a top choice if you’d like to experience an authentic slice of Japanese life.