Azumi Setoda

一個沒有可挑剔但沒啥可驚喜的平淡奢華酒店？

Beautiful boutique Ryokan, we loved our stay here. Everyone was so friendly, we were met off the ferry, it’s literally 5 min walk in this beautiful small town. We loved every aspect of the design and our room. The onsen was also lovely I used it every night very relaxing. But the outstanding part of the stay was the food, all seasonal it was delicious, the chef comes out and greets the guests we can’t recommend this place enough and would definitely stay again.

We visited in April 2024 as a family as part of our cycling trip across Shimanami route from Imabari to Onomichi. The place is originally a local salt merchant’s house, which is beautifully renovated to create a space which preserves the traditional Japanese aesthetic but it’s stunning. Chef Akita prepared the French style course dinner using local ingredients, which was both exquisite and healthy. While this place is clearly targeting an upscale clientele, the wonderful thing about it is that you can just relax in the home wear provided by the hotel and go for breakfasts and dinners straight after bath. That means that cyclists don’t have to carry fancy wear and simply relax! While we primarily communicated in Japanese, staff seem proficient in English as well (and Chef Akita also proficient in French). We recommend this place very highly.

Japan seaside hotel 3 1/2 hours drive from Osaka Kansai airport. Azumi Setoda is a block from the Western edge of the Ikuchi island, in a meticulously converted house that belonged to a saltpan owner Horiuchi 140 years ago. The hotel is a tribute to Japanese craftsmenship, I loved everything, even the little wooden hooks in the bathroom. Food is fresh & locally sourced and served on Horiuchi family’s tableware. Azumi is in a neighborhood with cute shops & cafes, temples & caves, & the Ikuo Hirayama museum. The hotel is manned by a team that is used to dealing with international travelers, including the GM that used to work at Aman hotels, but I love how Azumi and the shops next door, SOIL Setoda as well as Overview coffee, are part of the town’s effort to revive the community that has been slowly hallowing out. The Azumi bathhouse, Yubune, is opened to the community, and guests from Azumi are given a map to encourage visits to the shops nearby. This was my first visit to the Setouchi region, and Azumi was the perfect ambassador.

There was nothing I did not love about this hotel. I suggest you come to Japan just so you can experience the Azumi Setoda. I am actually perplexed as to how there could be any negative reviews of this hotel at all. From the moment we arrived, we were graciously greeted by the hotel general manager, Yoshi. (We travelled to the Azumi Setoda by bicycle on the Shimanami Kaido bike path, which is also a wonderful experience. ) The hotel main building is the former home of a wealthy Japanese salt merchant and it has been painstakingly restored. The suites are impeccable, all in light coloured wood, with a large low bed, a huge bathroom and shower area with an exquisite wooden tub, and sliding screens that can open the area to make one large room. The bathroom and bedroom both have sliding doors that open onto a private, tiny, self-watering garden (for rooms on the main floor). It is all incredibly peaceful, with a feeling of subtle, clean, understated luxury. The spa, restored by Azumi, across the quiet street from the hotel, is the perfect place to unwind, with hot and cold tubs, sauna and steam room. Guests are encouraged to dine in the very comfortable thick cotton hotel T-shirts and pyjama pants. The hotel food is all traditional Japanese, a set menu, and served by smiling staff. It was entirely delightful. After dinner we were served tea in a gorgeous little tea room . After breakfast we took our coffee in a second floor lounge with garden views. Style and sophistication is the name of the game at Azumi Setoda. This is a perfect Japanese hotel in a lovely quiet town. Make sure you experience it!

可哀相だから今まで書き込みしなかったが、人生でこんなに後悔した宿の宿泊をしたことが無い。 これ以上最悪な宿は存在しないと思う。 チェックインの際に、大型バスでやっ来た団体に驚いた。 追い討ちかける様に驚愕させられたのは、今日は団体客が居るので夕食の時間をずらして欲しいとの申し出が有って、心底驚いた。 名前差し控えるが、傲岸不遜なオナゴはんがいらっしゃる。 偉そうにする訳じゃ無いが、某大手旅行社とそこそこ名の通ったカード会社のダブルで手配してあの対応じゃ、他の客は推して知るべしだろう。 訪れて後悔しる人が少なくなる様に、敢えて書き込みをした。 此処は、旅館なのか？ホテルなのか？実に中途半端な宿だ。 地産の新鮮な魚料理も提供されないのも残念。 此処に10万以上支払う事は、スリや詐欺に遭った以上に悔いる事になる。 唯一救いだったのは、ディナーのメニュー伺って居て、連泊予定だったのを一泊に変更した事だった。 近くに五分の一の料金で素晴らしい旅館が有った(部屋にもお風呂にもレモンが沢山) お金に糸目をつけないお方でも、お試しに滞在する事は高い授業料になる。