Benesse House Park — Hotel in Naoshima

What a lovely place this is.Incredidible helpfull staff good service with busses to alle the museums at the hotel ground, harbour en Homera city projects. The rooms with seaside view are very affordable too. The art around you as guest is an wonderful addition. But i wonder why you cannot rent bikes at the hotel? For guests everything would be more easy!. All those busses driving around is that sustainable? The restaurants they offer are of good quality but i think there is simple room for improvement. The French cuisine restaurant is to safe, and Japanse influences should be added. For me the abbolonedish was an example to prove that. The winelist is too short, the pairing to simple [it lacks every effort by the present sommelier to make it a memorable evening] because you have to make your own choices. The present dessert is also fantastisc but no effort is made to give me an extra glass of wine etc. The beer list has a local beer, but as a beersommelier i’m sure the wine sommelier has no knowledge about beerstyles and pairing. The presented beer was not in style, and had no addition to the menu whatsoever. In the Japanese restaurant the drinkspairing is not there at all. What a missed oppertunity to make it an selling point of the venue. The cuisine was in my opinion excellent. But chefs, and sommeliers should be more present in modern times at the tabe. Signed menu’s when you leave make a great and simple contribution to the experience of an evening. In both restaurants the tempo of serving was in my opinion too fast. But the stars of the hotel are in the bar/lounge. The cocktailmenu is exceptional, creative, and even affordable. Try the Negroni, the espresso Martini or ask for the Bennese Sazarac! The hosts are open for a true conversation, and for a professional like me very...

Google labels this a 2-star hotel, which I suppose could technically be true based on somewhat spartan rooms and minimal on site amenities, but is also maybe the most hilarious undersell of any hotel I've ever stayed at (which include plenty of Relais and Chateaux and similar the world over). Benesse is a work of art and is pure, unrivaled beauty at every turn.

Also, just to be clear, it isn't as if you have to live like a monk here. I stayed at the Park (which I recommend based on amenities and location) and found the French restaurant to be nearly of Michelin star caliber. Thus I would book with included meals. They also offer massage treatments and the staff is superb.

A few general notes that might be of use. Most of the Art locations on Naoshima are closed on Monday, although hotel guests have access to the Benesse sites which is a nice perk. Teshima Island is however open Monday and worth a visit (closed Tuesdays).

Most importantly, make a reservation for the Chichu and Teshima Art Museums well in advance. Whether you know it yet or not, they are why you are here. For the latter I would reserve in the morning based on the ferry schedules.

I stayed two nights and they were the most magical of my trip to Japan. If you need a tall feather bed, a pool, and a gym, maybe this experience isn't for you. For everyone else, know that Naoshima is magic and Benesse is the...

Style. Tadao Ando designed hotel, with several options in various buildings to choose from

Setting. 3000 islands of the Seto Inland Sea, 400 km long body of water separating Honshu from Kyushu and Shikoku

Explore. Naoshima Art Island

Rooms. Room 1204 ( Benesse House Park, the most affordable of the various options ) was nothing to write home about, even though the view of the park and sea was stunning. Room is dated in general, and the bathtub was not inviting

@ the hotel. Favorite experiences were being able to wander around the hotel grounds pre breakfast and post dinner, to look at all the amazing art and just enjoy the peace, and gorgeous coastline. The shuttle bus that runs most of the day was really handy as well

Food & drinks. Was surprised at the cheap quality of the 8 course kaiseki dinner at Issen. I don’t remember the last time I was served cheap iceberg lettuce in Japan, the wasabi quaity was not good and the peach dessert tasted like it came out of a can! I was here at 6 pm and by 7:14 pm they already brought the check to me even though I did not ask for it

Prices. 90640 yen /USD 614 half board

Rating: Overall 4/5 Location 5/5 Room 4/5 (4 for the...