Design-Led
Contemporary architecture or interiors that reviewers single out.
4 ryokan
Kaga OnsenPremium
Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga, Ishikawa
4 sources
Beniya Mukayu
べにや無何有
A calm, design-led ryokan with an onsen on every terrace and a kitchen that wins Japanese critics over — the layout is where it stumbles
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Destination Dining
KyotoLuxury
Arashiyama, Kyoto — reached by private boat
4 sources
Hoshinoya Kyoto
星のや京都
Reached only by boat, with no TV and no onsen by design — a stay built around stillness, with a few service slips
- Secluded Retreats
- Design-Led
HokkaidoLuxury
Hanazono, Kutchan (Niseko area), Hokkaido
5 sources
Zaborin
坐忘林
Every room has its own source-fed onsen — the service is where Japanese guests hesitate
- Private Onsen Rooms
- Secluded Retreats
Ginzan OnsenPremium
Ginzan Onsen, Obanazawa, Yamagata
6 sources
Ginzan Onsen Fujiya
銀山温泉 藤屋
Kengo Kuma's eight-room inn in the heart of Ginzan — five private onsen baths, and a design that sometimes forgets practicality
- Design-Led