Azumi Setoda

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!

This Ryokan is a former private residence that was converted in 2021 to a luxury, contemporary Ryokan. It has preserved and uses some of the former owners china and flatware. The meals are a Japanese-French fusion, flavorful and artistically presented. The public and private rooms have an elegantly simple design that create a Zen-like experience. The bedrooms feature high ceilings and a massive platform bed. No TV but ample electrical connections and USB ports. Overall it is a stylish and sophisticated combination of Japanese and western elements.