Setouchi Retreat Aonagi, located on a hill overlooking the Seto Inland Sea in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, is a luxurious hotel with just seven all-suite rooms.
The building, which previously served as an art museum and guesthouse, was renovated under the supervision of world-renowned architect Tadao Ando and reborn as a small luxury hotel in the winter of 2015. We explore the charm of this hotel, where you can experience the ultimate in luxury.
The inorganic concrete facade, which at first glance does not seem to be associated with a hotel, blends beautifully with the nature of the Seto Inland Sea. The interior, surrounded by art, retains the atmosphere of its former days as an art museum. The furniture that welcomes guests inside the hotel was retained from the museum, and visitors are welcomed by works by American minimalist painter Frank Stella and Japanese calligrapher Rie Kawabe, as well as a moss installation in the courtyard by Matsuyama's young gardener Yutaka Ono.
The courtyard features a moss installation by a young gardener.
There are four room types in total. The top-of-the-line Aonagi Suite is a two-story maisonette with eight-metre ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass windows offering panoramic views of the expansive blue Seto Inland Sea. Other rooms available include the Semi-Open-Air Hot Spring Suite, where you can lie down in the hot spring and gaze at the sky. Guests can enjoy elegant spaces surrounded by nature, spending blissful moments in a tranquil space where it seems as if time has stopped.
The Aonagi Suite is a maisonette-style suite with a spacious feel.
The hotel also uses carefully selected local products for its amenities. All rooms are furnished with Imabari towels, and custom-made leather sandals from Yamato Tokoroya in Matsuyama City are provided as indoor slippers. The brown rice tea from Ehime Prefecture, served in a teacup by Matsuyama-based ceramic artist Noriko Kamei, is also exceptional. The restaurant, Dining MINAGI, also offers original menus such as "Travel Kaiseki," which uses seasonal ingredients from the Seto Inland Sea and is designed to evoke a journey through the region. Some of the tableware is made from local Tobe ware, promoting the food culture of Ehime and the Setouchi region.
A dish from the "Travel Kaiseki" menu is created with the concept of traveling around the Setouchi region.
The hotel also houses "ALL THAT SPA SETOUCHI," the first resort spa in the Shikoku region. ALL THAT SPA SETOUCHI is a Japanese spa brand that uses original treatments made with natural creams and oils derived from the bounty of Japan's nature, and its unique treatment style conditions the entire body. Here, they also offer a treatment in which they warm up "herb balls" made with dried herbs such as mandarin orange peel, lemon, and lemongrass from the Seto Inland Sea and press them against the muscles to loosen up the body. All That Spa's original bath salts are used for the foot bath. You can choose the scent to your liking. This exquisite treatment in a spa space overlooking the Seto Inland Sea will leave you feeling so relaxed that both your mind and body will melt away.
One treatment involves using heated herb balls made from dried herbs such as mandarin orange peel, lemon, and lemongrass from the Seto Inland Sea, and pressing them against the muscles to loosen up the body.
Guests can spend their time at Aonagi in a variety of ways. Some people sweat it out in the jacuzzi or sauna, and relax in the spa. In the summer, they enjoy the feeling of being one with nature in the infinity pool overlooking the Seto Inland Sea. You can also play a round at the prestigious golf club next door. Refreshing your mind and body in the Seto Inland Sea's nature will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to face the coming days.
The building, which previously served as an art museum and guesthouse, was renovated under the supervision of world-renowned architect Tadao Ando and reborn as a small luxury hotel in the winter of 2015. We explore the charm of this hotel, where you can experience the ultimate in luxury.
The inorganic concrete facade, which at first glance does not seem to be associated with a hotel, blends beautifully with the nature of the Seto Inland Sea. The interior, surrounded by art, retains the atmosphere of its former days as an art museum. The furniture that welcomes guests inside the hotel was retained from the museum, and visitors are welcomed by works by American minimalist painter Frank Stella and Japanese calligrapher Rie Kawabe, as well as a moss installation in the courtyard by Matsuyama's young gardener Yutaka Ono.
The courtyard features a moss installation by a young gardener.
There are four room types in total. The top-of-the-line Aonagi Suite is a two-story maisonette with eight-metre ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass windows offering panoramic views of the expansive blue Seto Inland Sea. Other rooms available include the Semi-Open-Air Hot Spring Suite, where you can lie down in the hot spring and gaze at the sky. Guests can enjoy elegant spaces surrounded by nature, spending blissful moments in a tranquil space where it seems as if time has stopped.
The Aonagi Suite is a maisonette-style suite with a spacious feel.
The hotel also uses carefully selected local products for its amenities. All rooms are furnished with Imabari towels, and custom-made leather sandals from Yamato Tokoroya in Matsuyama City are provided as indoor slippers. The brown rice tea from Ehime Prefecture, served in a teacup by Matsuyama-based ceramic artist Noriko Kamei, is also exceptional. The restaurant, Dining MINAGI, also offers original menus such as "Travel Kaiseki," which uses seasonal ingredients from the Seto Inland Sea and is designed to evoke a journey through the region. Some of the tableware is made from local Tobe ware, promoting the food culture of Ehime and the Setouchi region.
A dish from the "Travel Kaiseki" menu is created with the concept of traveling around the Setouchi region.
The hotel also houses "ALL THAT SPA SETOUCHI," the first resort spa in the Shikoku region. ALL THAT SPA SETOUCHI is a Japanese spa brand that uses original treatments made with natural creams and oils derived from the bounty of Japan's nature, and its unique treatment style conditions the entire body. Here, they also offer a treatment in which they warm up "herb balls" made with dried herbs such as mandarin orange peel, lemon, and lemongrass from the Seto Inland Sea and press them against the muscles to loosen up the body. All That Spa's original bath salts are used for the foot bath. You can choose the scent to your liking. This exquisite treatment in a spa space overlooking the Seto Inland Sea will leave you feeling so relaxed that both your mind and body will melt away.
One treatment involves using heated herb balls made from dried herbs such as mandarin orange peel, lemon, and lemongrass from the Seto Inland Sea, and pressing them against the muscles to loosen up the body.
Guests can spend their time at Aonagi in a variety of ways. Some people sweat it out in the jacuzzi or sauna, and relax in the spa. In the summer, they enjoy the feeling of being one with nature in the infinity pool overlooking the Seto Inland Sea. You can also play a round at the prestigious golf club next door. Refreshing your mind and body in the Seto Inland Sea's nature will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to face the coming days.
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