
& SPA Hiroshima
Refined island ryokan. Quiet, intentional, deeply Japanese in spirit but with French-inflected food and art-forward interiors. The kind of place where slowing down is the whole point.
Book the private rental bath (Hoshi no Yu or Umi no Yu) right at check-in — slots go fast, especially on weekends
Why It Matters
Selected for Michelin Guide Hotel Selection 2025 and winner of World Luxury Hotel Awards 2024 — the only Japanese inn to claim the top prize that year. The radon hot spring sourced from 120-million-year-old Cretaceous geological strata is genuinely rare, and Eriko Horiki's washi artwork throughout the property gives it a visual identity you won't find anywhere else. Member of the prestigious 日本秘湯を守る会 (Society for the Protection of Hidden Hot Springs).
Etajimasou sits on Etajima island in the Seto Inland Sea, 30 minutes by high-speed boat from Hiroshima Port. It's a small ryokan-style inn with 32 rooms, most of them looking out over the water. The interiors feature handmade washi art by celebrated Japanese paper artist Eriko Horiki, and the hot springs draw from a radon-rich source 1,700 meters underground — one of the rarest spring types in Japan. Restaurant Locavore serves French-influenced multi-course dinners built around whatever's growing or swimming on the island that season.
Where You'll Stay
7 room types available
The Property
Eat & Drink
3 venues on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
Walk through the garden to reach Nagase Beach directly in front of the property. In summer, guests can swim; the hotel provides dedicated guest-only lockers and shower facilities for beach users.
Bikes available for guests to explore Etajima — the island is popular with cyclists and flat enough to be approachable. Good way to reach local farms, olive groves, and the Naval History Museum.
Two foot baths side by side on the outdoor Nagi Terrace, overlooking the sea. Named after the word for 'calm sea' — on flat days the water perfectly mirrors the sky. Towels, insect repellent, straw hats, and blankets are all supplied.
The lounge fireplace is lit at dusk. Good spot for evening drinks and conversation — the 'flicker effect' of an open flame is specifically cited by the hotel as having a calming, heart-rhythm-synchronizing quality.
Books curated with help from READAN DEAT, a Hiroshima bookshop. Focused on Etajima, Hiroshima, and general-interest titles. In June–July, the hotel runs 'Yomitsuki' (Reading Moon) — an intentional slow-stay program built around reading during the rainy season.
All 120 ink colors from Sailor Fountain Pens (founded nearby in Kure) plus Kumano brushes (which hold 80% of Japan's market share) are available in the lounge. Make your own postcards or bookmarks. A quiet, analog pleasure.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
Four original handmade washi artworks installed throughout the property, created by one of Japan's foremost paper artists. The centrepiece 'Sora' in the lobby lounge features a 'tatewaku' rising-steam pattern with a hidden phoenix motif.
The main lounge anchored by Eriko Horiki's signature 'Sora' (Sky) washi artwork. Houses the mini library, welcome counter with seasonal homemade sweets, sea-view sofas, and the fireplace. Shifu paper-cloth wallpaper throughout.
Dedicated guest-only lockers and showers adjacent to Nagase Beach for summer sea swimming.
Sells hotel-exclusive products: onsen salt made from the mineral spring water, 'Gyutto' bath products with Etajima olive oil, bamboo chopsticks developed with Yamachiku (Kumamoto), and the 'Kotonoha' bath powder that replicates the radon spring at home.
Staff speak English, Japanese, and Filipino.
36 spaces for hotel guests; 51 additional spaces for hot spring building visitors. No reservation required. 24-hour access.
Three-minute shuttle from the nearest ferry port. Available 5 AM–11 PM. Requires 1 day advance reservation via phone.
BUILD YOUR ETAJIMASOU HOTEL & SPA HIROSHIMA PLAN
Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
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