69 Best Hotels in Japan

Tucked away in the hills not far from the Golden Pavilion, Aman Kyoto is one of the city's finest establishments, surrounded by an expansive forest garden of green moss-covered lawns and cobbled stone footpaths. The 26 rooms at this secretive, luxurious retreat have a tasteful Japanese aesthetic and include large hinoki wood bathtubs. Service is personal but never overbearing, and the two on-site restaurants, spa, and hot springs all exude top-end luxury.

Come for luxury, impeccable service, and stunning views across the hotel's pools and gardens to Maesato Beach and the azure waters beyond. If you're looking for a quiet island getaway with plenty of pampered R&R, you'll be well taken care of. Start the day with sunrise yoga, then treatments at the Spa Agarosa. The adjoining nine-hole par-27 golf course is a good option in winter when mainland Japan is covered in snow.  The Bay Wing and the Club Wing were both opened in 2020. The Club Intercontinental takes luxury and exclusivity to a new level with spacious suites and delightful afternoon tea and evening cocktails. 

In the revitalized Toranomon district, this Hyatt boutique property occupies the top six floors of one of the city's tallest towers and offers chic guest rooms, considerate service, an airy spa, and views, views, views. The spacious accommodations have walnut-wood furnishings, floor-to-ceiling windows that frame incredible views, and large bathrooms with deep, circular tugs. English-speaking staffers are always at hand to be of assistance. The spa has all sorts of indulgent options, and the Rooftop Bar is an excellent, if pricey, choice for cocktails and champagne.

This luxurious, all-inclusive ski-in ski-out resort caters to international guests with fine dining and exceptional service, besides being in one of the best ski areas in Japan. Kiroro Peak (unlike Kiroro Grand) is for adult and teenage guests only, and until the evening entertainment it has a relaxed, mellow vibe with giant windows looking out to the ski runs. The all-inclusive packages include meals, après-ski nibbles, an open bar, ski passes, and excellent ski/snowboard lessons with English-speaking instructors. The top ski/snowboard groups will get you exploring the deep powder and trees that Kiroro is famous for. In summer, enjoy hiking, mountain biking, and yoga in verdant natural splendor. Club Med offers value packages that include international flights and transfers, making a one-week ski holiday in Japan about the same price for U.S. visitors as a similar package in Aspen or Vail, Colorado. 

A new addition to Osaka’s five-star hotel scene, the Four Seasons features a beautiful mix of Japanese and Western aesthetics and also offers spacious rooms with expansive city views, a choice of excellent restaurants, and the highest level of service.

With wonderful views of Mt. Yotei and the slopes of Mt. Niseko Annupuri, this hotel has a ski-in ski-out location beside the Niseko gondola—it's a nine-minute ride to powder heaven. In summer there's golf, horseback riding, and other activities. From the deep, plushy sofas surrounding a hanging gas fireplace in the lobby to the comfortably furnished rooms and the on-site hot-spring baths and spa, this hotel is a class act. The distance from the bustle of central Hirafu helps with the tranquil atmosphere.

If you love art, then this hotel should be your lodestar, as everything—from the ornate entryway and the koi pond to the chapel (the property was a wedding complex in the 1920s) and the Chinese restaurant—features elements seemingly plucked from a renowned art museum. Tours are even available to appreciate the hotel's gestalt. The grounds are tranquil thanks to a leafy location close to the Meguro River, one of the city's prime cherry blossom viewing sites. When you've finished sightseeing for the day, head to the eight-floor OUKA lounge for tea or cocktails and some light bites.

This rustic alpine lodge is owned by Tokyo's legendary Imperial Hotel, and the service is so exemplary because the staff are borrowed from that establishment for the summer. In the lounge, low wooden beams support the beautifully crafted ceiling, while a central hearth adds a warm glow. Guest rooms have sofas and gorgeous woodwork, and some have balconies. Western and Japanese restaurants are on the premises. You can see the red-tiled, gabled roof of the hotel from Kamikochi's bus terminal in the center of town.

Since it opened in 2013, the InterContinental Osaka has been regarded as one of the city's top luxury hotels, with a Michelin-starred restaurant and another more casual dining option in addition to those found in the conveniently attached Grand Front Osaka. Beyond the excellent service that you'd expect, the hotel offers beautiful nighttime views of the city skyline from rooms on the 20th to 32nd floors. Bose speakers, flat-screen TVs, and automatic blinds are among the high-tech touches in rooms that blend classic furnishings and sleek modern design.

Occupying the top nine floors of the glistening Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, this modern hotel has harmonious rooms, tastefully decorated in shades of brown and featuring such touches as down bedding, luxury linens, in-room newspaper delivery, and large picture windows with city-lights panoramas. Corner rooms have sunken marble tubs that allow you to gaze out windows while soaking. The spa, with its signature body scrubs and massages, and the gym are top-of-the-line. The award-winning restaurants offer modern or traditional cuisine, but if you're suffering extravagance overload (and the accompanying prices) you can take a short stroll toward Tokyo Station, with its variety of tiny watering holes and izakaya (Japanese pubs).

This small, sedate ryokan sits quietly on the edge of a peninsula called Oku-Matsushima, offering a place for you to relax, enjoy nature, and soak in the onsen, as it is not easily accessible from other sights in Matsushima. Many regulars stay several nights because of its sublime dinners, perfect privacy, and breathtaking views. If you come in winter, take advantage of the package deals. The snow-capped pine trees add to the serenity.

One of Okinawa's finest resorts, the Miyakojima Tokyu Resort delivers everything you could want from a tropical vacation. Rooms are spacious and beautiful, and most have superb views over the Yonaha Maehama Beach. In high season, don't miss the performances of Okinawan dance and music in the evenings. Consider visiting during late May or June, when prices are half of what they are in August.

Situated amongst the trees beside a river, Myoken Ishiharaso is the perfect rural escape. Most of the rooms are new and modern and overlook the river, so you can always hear the rushing waters. There is a rotemburo (outdoor hot spring) for mixed bathing that sits on the edge of the river and another private outdoor hot-spring pool that you can book in advance—both are wonderful. After bathing, enjoy an incredible multicourse Japanese dinner that along with breakfast is included in the room rate. The ingredients in both meals are fresh, seasonal, and cooked to the highest standards. Vegetarian and vegan options are available. This hotel can get very expensive during Japanese holidays.

This hotel's handsome, refined look sets the stage for a luxury experience that starts in the lobby—a long expanse of white marble lit with oversize drum chandeliers and sunlight pouring in from floor-to-ceiling windows—and continues in spacious guest rooms that are tastefully done in neutral tones with pops of chartreuse. Some Deluxe Rooms have balconies with views of the Marunouchi skyline and nearby greenery. The 19th-floor Club Lounge serves breakfast and evening cocktails to Club Floor guests. The Grand Kitchen offers an array of cuisines with subtle Japanese touches, and the Royal Bar is stocked with a large selection of whiskey brands and cigars. Amenities also include a 24-hour gym, Japan's first Evian Spa, and a pool. Tokyo's most popular jogging course—a  5-km (3.1-mile) loop around the palace—is just outside the door. The hotel also rents bicycles.

Along the scenic Kamo River with views of the Eastern Mountains, the Ritz-Carlton provides world-class luxury in a Japanese milieu, with subtle lighting, artistic ornamentation, and a renovated century-old estate used for dining. The rooms are spacious and well appointed in the upscale chain's grand tradition. Some suites even have private gardens. The restaurants include ones serving Western and Japanese cuisine.

More intimate than the city's other luxury hotels, the Ritz-Carlton combines a homey atmosphere and European elegance. King-size beds with goose-down pillows and dark-wood furnishings grace the guest rooms, and the bathrooms have plush robes and fluffy towels. All rooms have a flat-screen TV with plug-in panels where you can attach your electronic gadgets. A rarity in Japan, the rates include use of the pool, hot tub, and fitness room.

Installed in the top floors of the 53-story Midtown Tower, the Ritz-Carlton provides some of Tokyo's most luxurious accommodations squarely in the middle of the city. High-end indulgences like Frette linens and down pillows are standard in the guest rooms, but it's the simple pleasure of gazing at the Tokyo skyline from a perfectly positioned chair that gives the strongest impression of luxury. The spacious marble bathrooms are equipped with double sinks, at least 17-inch plasma TVs, and deep tubs. Guests staying on the Club Level (two top floors) are presented with complimentary snacks and beverages. The spa on the 46th floor has a 20-meter pool, nine treatment rooms, and a hot tub overlooking the city. The Heritage by Kei Kobayashi French restaurant and the Hinokizaki seafood restaurant provide views of Mt. Fuji (on a clear day) and Tokyo Tower.

If you're going to splurge for a luxury ryokan, this is the place. Housed in a cluster of traditional houses (the oldest was built nearly 300 years ago), Ryokan Kurashiki elegantly blends the feel and service of traditional Japanese inns with the modern comforts of high-end hotels. Each of the ryokan's suites is housed in its own building, complete with Western-style beds and tatami-mat rooms tastefully decorated with art and antiques.

Shinsen is the best ryokan in Takachiho and one of Kyushu's finest (it's also quite expensive), since more than half the rooms have an open-air bath. The elaborate Japanese kaiseki dinner and breakfast included in the price are well worth the expense. If you have any dietary requests, just let them know in advance and they can be catered to. The entire staff are devoted to welcoming their guests. From Shinsen it is a short walk to Takachiho Shrine.

It's as if a traditional ryokan has been transported from rural Japan and delicately placed into this otherwise unremarkable hotel tower, where, after you snake through the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa, you come to the Takanawa Hanakohro, with its Japanese-style suites and a staff that greets you with the utmost omotenashi, or mindful, unobtrusive hospitality. A stay here includes full access to all the lounges at neighboring Prince properties, as well as exclusive access to the Oh-Sai lounge, where you can have breakfast or an evening cocktail and participate in a matcha-making demonstration. Amid the four Prince hotels is a well-manicured garden that has a pond and is a quaint place for a short stroll.

Founded by the Okazaki family more than 300 years ago and now run by the 11th generation, this hotel is justly celebrated for its hospitality, sumptuous but subdued decor, impeccable service, and splendid gardens. Dignitaries, presidents, and royalty have all been guests here. Every room is unique, furnished with superb antiques from the family collection and equipped with a fragrant cedar bath. Other amenities include a library and an elegant gift shop. The kaiseki ryori meals are prepared with skill and style.

This elegant spa resort is the last thing you'd expect to find in the rough-and-tumble fishing town of Muroto Cape; spacious guest rooms all have ocean views, both from the windows and from the in-room tubs. The restaurant specializes in "Kuroshio Italian" cuisine, using fresh Kochi vegetables and fish brought in from the Pacific Ocean. The spa offers a range of treatments using seawater drawn from around the cape. The staff speak some English and provides flawless service. This is definitely a splurge, and there's not much to see or do around the resort, but if you're looking for complete relaxation, you can't do better than here. If you book three days in advance, someone on staff can pick you up at Kochi Airport.

Visible for miles around—it looks like a giant cruise ship perched on the rim of the Toya Volcano—the Windsor is Hokkaido's best hotel for location and service. This is where world leaders infamously dined on a luxurious eight-course meal after discussing the global food crisis during the 2008 G8 Summit. The blue rooms have views of the lake and Toyako Onsen town's volcanic activity, while the rust-color rooms look out to the sea. It's a vast hotel, but the bars and restaurants are personal in scale. The hotel's onsen will allow you to soak your troubles away as you gaze out over the gardens. The staff speak English, French, and Japanese.

This midcentury yet traditional inn is within walking distance of the downtown shopping area and has authentic sukiya-zukuri style (teahouse architecture): the rooms have views of the landscaped garden. Each tastefully decorated room has a cypress-wood bath. As at most ryokan, the room rate includes two excellent meals. Guests are served kaiseki ryori, including the specialty tempura, in their rooms. Custom meals are available for vegetarians and vegans.

On of the most luxurious lodging options in Hokkaido, Hinanoza has just 25 suites, and while not all of them have views out over the lake, they are all beautifully designed with natural tones, mixing Japanese and western design. All rooms have their own rotemburo (private bath). The price includes dinner, breakfast, and most drinks. The hotel is also able to cater for dietary needs if contacted in advance.