In pictures: Luxury hot springs resort in Tokyo inspired by nature and tradition

HOSHINO RESORTS INC. recently launched a new luxury ryokan – a traditional Japanese-style inn – in Tokyo’s Otemachi business district.

Despite its location in the heart of Tokyo’s business district, the hotel aims to maintain a “sense of intimacy, surprise, and the relaxed ambience offered by a traditional Japanese inn”.

Rooms are cleanly designed, minimally furnished and hint at luxury with details such as traditional Japanese futons, a deep-soaking bathtub, and a calming cyprus scent.

Architect Rie Azuma, who has designed all four Hoshinoya properties to date, is the visionary behind the hotel’s interior. To embody the atmosphere and spirit of a ryokan, she made sure that every walkable surface in the property is layered with soft tatami matting. The hotel is also outfitted with floor-level furnishings.

Meanwhile, the tower’s exterior is shrouded by metal lattice patterns usually printed on kimonos. Although the patterns are subtle and barely noticeable from a distance, they’re better revealed when guests walk a bit closer. At the hotel’s entrance, guests are also greeted by washi paper lanterns.

It’s not a ryokan without a natural hot spring pool. At Hoshinoya, Otemachi Onsen is located on the 17th floor and uses water that’s pumped up from 1,500 meters below the ground. The water is marked at 36.5 degrees Celcius and contains high levels of sodium chloride, believed to aid in muscle and joint pains.

A stay at a ryokan is also not without a multi-course kaiseki meal, a beautifully presented meal that remains faithful to the recipes and dishware traditionally used in regions around Japan to make the most of local produce. At Hoshinoya, you can experience just that at the in-house restaurant.

Here’s a glimpse of Hoshinoya Tokyo:

The tower’s exterior is shrouded by metal lattice patterns usually printed on kimonos

Walkable surfaces in the property are layered with soft tatami matting

The rooftop onsen gives guests an unobstructed view of the sky

The lounge is where guests can read a book, do some work, or grab rotating snacks and refreshments

The Kiku rooms allow in plenty of sunlight through the shoji paper sliding doors

Exquisitely plated food are served at the in-house Japanese restaurant

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Source: travelwireasia.com