The best small luxury hotels in Japan

The Tokyo Station Hotel, Tokyo

The Tokyo Station Hotel building has been a part of the city’s skyline for more than 100 years and it epitomises the golden age of travel.  The domed, red-hued property was once a bustling transportation hub; today it is home to one of Tokyo’s most glamorous hotels. With period features, vaulted ceilings and polished floors, the hotel’s plush rooms and suites perfectly blend Japanese hospitality with 21st-century luxury. The seven restaurants are considered some of the best in the city and they offer a range of traditional Japanese cuisine as well as French fine dining, Cantonese delicacies and other international favourites. With its central location, the hotel is perfectly positioned for exploring the best of Tokyo; the Imperial Palace Gardens and the luxury boutiques of Ginza are a short walk away.

The Tokyo Station Hotel, 1-9-1 Marunouchi Chiyoda, Tokyo 100-0005, +81 (0)3 5220 1111, thetokyostationhotel.jp

The Terrace Club at Busena, Okinawa

The Terrace Club at Busena on Okinawa Island is the perfect place for relaxing both body and mind. It is renowned for its stunning sea views from each bedroom or suite and for its tailor-made spa treatments and hydrotherapy facilities of warm pools filled with water from Cape Busena. The focus on wellness extends to the hotel’s two restaurants where guests can enjoy a blend of Japanese and European food based on the mineral-rich local produce. When the mood calls, head to the poolside bar, which serves an array of cocktails. Enjoy one while watching the sun set over the East China Sea.  

The Terrace Club At Busena, 1750 Kise, Nago, Okinawa 905-0026, +81 (0)980 511113, terrace.co.jp/en/clubatbusena

Shigira Bayside Suite Allamanda, Okinawa

A luxury beach resort is perhaps not what immediately springs to mind when you think of Japanese hotels, but the Shigira Bayside Suite Allamanda in the Okinawa archipelago offers tropical white sands and supremely stylish accommodation. Set on Miyako Island where it overlooks the beautifully clear Philippine Sea, this chic all-suite hotel is the epitome of waterfront luxury. Many of its 86 suites have their own private pool and a spacious terrace or balcony with breathtaking ocean views. The hotel’s range of restaurants caters for all tastes, offering authentic Japanese dishes as well as international favorites. Guests should be sure to take advantage of the island’s world-class dive sites among the coral reefs, or they can simply relax at one of the nearby natural hot springs.

Shigira Bayside Suite Allamanda, 926-25 Shinzato Ueno, Miyako Island, Okinawa 906-0202, +81 (0)9807 47100, nanseirakuen.com/en/allamanda

Hotel La Suite Kobe Harborland, Kobe

Chic sophistication meets total relaxation at Hotel La Suite Kobe Harborland. It is set against a lush green backdrop of the Rokkō mountains and has a dazzling outlook over Kobe Harbour and Osaka Bay. Each of the hotel’s 70 stylish rooms and suites has a balcony with a stunning sea view. Each bedroom also has its own large hot tub with television, providing the ultimate in-room relaxation. With an exclusive women-only spa with mist sauna and water therapies, as well as two popular restaurants serving the best in authentic Japanese cuisine and international dishes, the hotel is a firm favourite in Kobe. It is one of the most luxurious places to stay in Japan.

Hotel La Suite Kobe Harborland, 7-2 Hatoba-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0042, + 81 (0)78 371 1111, l-s.jp

Abba Resorts Izu, Shizoka

Surrounded by a serene forest, Abba Resorts Izu is Japan at its most relaxing. The hotel is designed in the style of a traditional Japanese inn and has peaceful gardens, some with open-air baths, as well as an art gallery displaying rare Japanese antiquities. Its three restaurants serve the best of French and Japanese cuisine, and its world-class spa offers a wide selection of beauty and aromatherapy treatments. The hotel’s bedrooms and suites are designed to embrace the natural world and are furnished with woven tatami mats. In addition, the suites have private bamboo gardens and pools, enhancing the relaxing mood that makes the resort one of the best in Japan.

Abba Resorts Izu, 1741 Yawatano, Ito-shi, Shizuoka 413-0232, +81 (0)557 531170, zagyosoh.com

L’Hôtel du Lac, Nagahama City

Set on the shores of Lake Biwa, L’Hôtel du Lac has been designed to give guests an unparalleled feeling of space and tranquillity. With pristine lawns stretching towards the blue of the lake and hills providing a lush green backdrop, the setting is stunning ‒ it would be hard to find a hotel with a more idyllic location. Featuring an indoor natural mountain spring pool, an outdoor pool, spa, tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course and a range of water sports and activities, there are plenty of leisure and recreation opportunities to keep guests busy. The hotel’s restaurant, Le Paysage, offers fine dining that combines local produce with modern French cuisine, making it one not to miss for food lovers.  

L’Hôtel du Lac, 2064 Oura, Nishiazai-cho, Nagahama City 529-0721, +81 (0)749 891888, lhotel-du-lac.com

Kasara Niseko Village Townhouse, Higashiyama-onsen, Hokkaido

Set at the base of the Niseko mountains, Kasara Niseko Village Townhouse is one of Japan’s best luxury ski resorts. A small collection of spacious residences, the resort is more like a village than a hotel, as its name suggests. Each townhouse has its own heated ski storage and garage along with three luxurious guestrooms, dining and lounge areas and a chic kitchen where guests can make their own meals or have a caterer create a memorable dining experience. Attracting skiers from around the world, the townhouses are close to the powder snow of Hokkaido’s mountain ranges and ski runs ‒ which are renowned for their world-class snow sport opportunities. The spa presents an array of treatments that are perfect for relaxing after a day on the slopes.

Kasara Niseko Village Townhouse, Higashiyama-onsen, Niseko-cho, Hokkaido 048-1592, kasara.com/nisekovillage