Sponsored by SETOUCHI Tourism Authority.
Take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sit back and listen to the sounds of nature as you enjoy the combination of tradition and modernity. This is what makes the hotels and ryokans of the Setouchi region, located around the Seto Inland Sea and the coastal areas of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu – three of the four main islands of Japan – so special.
We have summarized the six most beautiful resorts with sea views here for you:
Relax at Setouchi Aonagi
One of those places of relaxation is the Setouchi Aonagi, located in the mountains of Matsuyama, in Ehime Prefecture, offering you – what they call themselves – minimalistic luxury in just seven rooms. Each of the rooms occupies a complete floor, creating space for privacy and the opportunity to immerse yourself in a world of your own, while allowing your gaze to wander over the Seto Inland Sea.
In addition to a luxurious spa and two swimming pools, guest rooms in the annex are equipped with their own thermal baths, where you can relax before enjoying the two-hour à la carte “Kaiseki” menu prepared with local ingredients. For guests staying longer than one night, the menu changes daily.
A Romantic Trip to Moana Coast
The resort hotel “Moana Coast” with its annex, the Villa Bel Tramonto, also joins the list of the 6th top resorts with sea views. Located in Naruto, in Tokushima Prefecture, the hotel offers the perfect setting for a romantic get-away or for a moment’s escape from everyday life.
The “Moana Coast” is especially famous for its numerous Sakura trees, because where else can you experience the pink splendor as close to the Seto inland sea as here?
So, it is not surprising that if you want to enjoy this spectacle you have to book a room well in advance. Visitors can also enjoy the Italian-inspired food in the hotel’s own restaurant without booking a room.
Take a Rest at Nishi- Nagato Resort
Located in the northwest of Yamaguchi Prefecture, with direct access to the sea, is the hotel Nishi Nagato Resort. As the only hotel in our list, this is right on the sea and attracts – especially in the summer – to families with small children, as hotel manager Takeshi Akimoto tells me.
Some of the rooms at the forty-year-old resort are Western-style, while the highlight is the Japanese-style rooms. Soak up the traditional atmosphere of the rooms as you wear one of the hotel’s provided Yutaka and enjoy a breathtaking view of the ocean and the 1,780-meter Tsunoshima Bridge, which connects the island of Tsunoshima with the mainland, over a cup of otcha. This picture of the Japanese Sea and the Tsunoshima Bridge can be seen from all rooms and runs like a red thread through the hotel. Whether you are in your room, lobby, restaurant, or onsen, the captivating view of the ocean will take you anywhere in the Nishi Nagato Resort.
Another highlight of the hotel is the onsen area with outdoor facilities. Relax there and let your soul dangle, while in front of you the wide sea extends with its mighty power whipping the waves against the rocks. The onsen area of women and men changes every day, as the outdoor facilities are slightly different, one of them is covered with a roof, while the other is not.
Before retiring for the night, make sure to enjoy dinner at the on-site Japanese restaurant, centered with a small pond with carp and lobsters.
The Kinsuikan at Miyajima Island
The next hotel on our list is located on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, famous for its floating torii gate. A few minutes’ walk from the ferry terminal and the Itsukushima Shrine, the Kinsuikan is perfectly located, from where you can enjoy either the views of the Miyajima forests or the views of the Seto inland sea. The rooms, decorated in traditional Japanese style, exude a simple elegance that allows guests to indulge in tranquility, while some of the rooms even afford a view of the famous Torii Gate of Itsukushima Shrine.
In addition to a book café, where you can relax and enjoy your favorite work with a cup of tea and soft music in the background, the “Kinsuikan” also offers a glazed terrace, which also offers a view of the Seto Inland Sea.
With a coffee and the soft guitar playing of another guest, I can not only see the torii gate and the spectacle of the tides from here but also one of the numerous deers that live on the island and which got lost on the street in front of the terrace “Kinsuikan”, from where it quietly watches the passing visitors.
The manager of the “Kinsuikan” – Tomohiro Takeuchi – advises me to wait at least an hour until I should go to the spectacle at Itsukushima Shrine, since the water should have gone back so far that you can actually walk through the gate. The remaining time you can spend wonderfully in the restaurant of the “Kinsuikan”, which releases the view of a small pond and thus creates a wonderfully comfortable atmosphere.
Luxus at La Suite Kobe Harborland
The rooms of the hotel La Suite Kobe Harborland, which is located in Hyogo Prefecture, contrast with their stately size of more than 70m², each room is equipped with a private jacuzzi and a terrace which does not only overlook the port city of Kobe, but also allows a view to the sea.
In the five-star restaurant “La Suite”, which belongs to the hotel, you can enjoy dishes made from the finest ingredients, including local delicacies such as Kobe beef.
Be delighted not only by the dinner, because the breakfast, which according to a national survey was named Best Breakfast 2015, is characterized by fresh bakery products made in the hotel’s own bakery.
The comfort and luxury of the hotel “La Suite Kobe Harborland” will make you forget everyday life!
Greek Flair at Hotel Limani
The last hotel on our list is located in Okayama Prefecture and has been voted to one of the “100 Best Sunset Squares in Japan.” The Hotel Limani, in its blue and white Greek style, is reminiscent of a small Mediterranean dream, located directly on the Japanese Seto Inland Sea and where it is not even necessary to ask for a room with sea view, since all rooms are facing the sea.
Employees from 14 different nations offer guests from all over the world the opportunity to be greeted in their native language and give visitors to Japan their own sense of home. Anyone who longs for European flair and Greek cuisine, made from local Japanese products, is in good hands in the Hotel Limani! Because this combination of Greek serenity, coupled with the beauty of the Seto Inland Sea – you can enjoy it nowhere else in the world.
Further information:
1. Setouchi Aonagi
Setouchi Trip: http://setouchitrip.com/relaxing-stay/1629
Official: http://setouchi-aonagi.jp/en/
2. Moana Coast
Setouchi Trip: http://setouchitrip.com/relaxing-stay/760
Official: http://www.moana.co.jp/eng/
3. Hotel Nishi- Nagato Resort
Official: http://www.kgh.ne.jp/10/ (Only in Japanese)
4. Kinsuikan
Setouchi Trip: http://setouchitrip.com/relaxing-stay/6817
Official: http://www.kinsuikan.jp/ (Only in Japanese)
5. La Suite Kobe Harborland
Setouchi Trip: http://setouchitrip.com/relaxing-stay/6735
Official: http://global.l-s.jp/
6. Hotel Limani
Setouchi Trip: http://setouchitrip.com/relaxing-stay/688
Official: http://www.limani.jp/
There are also other attractive accommodations available.
Official Website: SETOUCHI REFLECTION TRIP RELAXING STAY
