Japan’s island-filled Setouchi region will be home to three boutique Mandarin Oriental hotels between 2027 and 2030. Currently, the sole Mandarin Oriental hotel in Japan is located in Tokyo.
Mandarin Oriental Setouchi Takamatsu will be a 13-story city resort hotel with 92 guest rooms. The hotel is planned for the Sunport district just north of Takamatsu Station. In October 2022, Kyodo News reported that the hotel was scheduled to open in time for the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, but opening appears to have been delayed by a couple of years to 2027.
The second planned hotel is Mandarin Oriental Setouchi – Naoshima with 22 rooms ranging from ryokan-style suites and villas, to lodges with private terraces and gardens. This one is scheduled to open in the Honmura Port district on Naoshima Island in mid-2027 on the site of a traditional property that has been in the same family for over 800 years. Naoshima is at the center of the Setouchi Triennale and Art Setouchi festivals.
Details on the third property have yet to be officially announced, but a 50-room wellness-themed hotel is planned for another island in 2030. In a first for the luxury hotelier, guests will be able to travel between the three properties via a private yacht.
The hotels will be developed and owned by Shikoku Machizukuri & Omotenashi Planning, which was formed by investment partners including local banks such as 114 Bank, Shikoku Bank, and Iyo Bank, as well as Sankei Building, Shikoku Railway Company, Takenaka Corporation, and the Development Bank of Japan. This strong local team is likely the key reason that these hotel development sites could be secured.
With over 700 islands, the Seto Inland Sea is now a sought-after destination for luxury hoteliers, with a number of brand-name high-end ryokans, villas and hotels creating unique accommodations here. In 2017, the 19-room luxury floating hotel ‘guntû’, designed by architect Yasushi Horibe, set sail on the Seto Sea. The part-megayacht, part-ryokan accommodates up to 38 passengers. Three and four day voyages range from 1 ~ 3.15 million Yen (US$7,000 ~ $21,800), and private charters range from 25 ~ 41.25 million Yen (US$176,000 ~ $290,0000).
A Bjarke Ingels-designed co-ownership holiday rental villa is planned for a 10,000 sqm waterfront site on Sagi Island with sales to start in 2024. Construction costs are said to be around 5 billion Yen (US$35 million) for the residence.
In early 2021, Aman founder Adrian Zecha opened the Azumi Setoda ryokan on Ikuchijima Island. The 22-room hotel is in a 140-yr old restored residence with carefully crafted and contemporary touches added during the hotel conversion. Nightly rates range from ¥68,000 ~ ¥92,000 (US$480 ~ $650).
Sources:
Travel and Tour World, December 16, 2023.
Jiji Press, December 15, 2023.
114 Bank News Release, December 15, 2023.
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