Wallpaper* checks in at Hoshino Resorts KAI Akiu: a soothing onsen hotel

Following renovations on a pre-existing property, the Akiu location marks one of the latest additions to Hoshino Resorts’ KAI brand, which strives to update the traditional Japanese ryokan with Western-style comforts. In turn, though the property’s simple design may not wow at first glance, with doting service, outstanding cuisine, and private on-site hot springs, it lives up to the town’s noble legacy.

Wallpaper* checks in at: Hoshino Resorts KAI Akiu

What’s on your doorstep?

The thermal waters of Akiu were first discovered some 1,500 years ago, and despite being only 30 minutes from the bustle of Sendai, a city of one million, it’s reasonable to think that little has changed up here since. Akiu’s springs are the main attraction, but hikers and bikers have Rairaikyo Gorge and Otaki Falls within easy reach. Moreover, the buckwheat soba shacks alone validate the short drive into town, where Akiu Winery features (admittedly young) wines grown from volcanic terroir unique to the region and, oddly enough, Great Dane Brewing offers Wisconsin beer and cuisine popular with locals.

Who is behind the design?

Tasked with reenvisioning the guestrooms and common spaces, Shinya Kojima and Ayaka of Kooo Architects – responsible for Tokyo’s Hotel Rakuragu, among others – focus on honouring the natural setting above all. ‘We have incorporated colours that echo [Akiu’s] picturesque surroundings, light, and materials,’ they note, reflecting on a palette of cobalt blues and mossy greens accented, in part, by volcanic, variegated Akiu stone. Such features are most effectively executed in the lounge, where one can borrow a book on local design while sipping a glass of local wine, or sit with a tea in the thermal foot bath outside.

Myriad references to the town’s proud history and craft culture enliven an aesthetic that is otherwise fundamentally austere. In the lobby, a blonde wood centrepiece runs in parallel to the wide windows, displaying peridot-green Sendai glass sculptures from Koji Murayama, which also feature in each guestroom. The moon, a symbol of the daimyo, frequently recurs in lighting fixtures and custom crockery, while local kokeshi dolls are silhouetted in Shiroishi paper screens throughout and in ceramic tiles embedded in the hot spring walls. Eclectic, yes, but subtle enough not to disrupt the broader design ethos.

The room to book

The hotel features 49 ‘Japanese-style’ rooms with tatami mats, shōji doors, and mattresses on the floor in a common space; in line with Hoshino’s east-meets-west concept, rooms also include the universal basics, including a TV, desk, and overhead shower. Thematically consistent and largely egalitarian, each room includes a shared view of the river from wraparound sofas, varying mostly by size and number of beds. The lone suite, suitable for up to eight, includes a tub, a private bedroom, and recessed moon-shaped lighting meant to bring guests a bit closer to the daimyo, but smaller parties aren’t missing out.

Minibar high?

Each room features an electric kettle and a selection of teas. Alternatively, the lounge offers 24-hour access to a coffee machine and, during select times, an open bar with a collection of local snacks, including a particularly attractive ‘jewellery box’ of local daifuku sweets. The lounge never got crowded or loud enough to disturb one’s peace, and there are certainly far worse ways to end the evening than by sipping on a local gin followed by a dip in the onsen before bed.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Following the ryokan tradition, breakfast and dinner are inclusive, and this is where KAI Akiu excels. From private dining rooms in the hotel’s lone restaurant, the kaiseki-ryōri tasting menu glimmers on colourful stoneware. Accompanied by an optional wine list headlined by local sake and shōchū, courses vary nightly, per the whims of Hoshino’s executive chef, and utilise local ingredients interpreted simply yet creatively. Highlights include Sendai beef tongue stewed in shoyu demi-glace, and a thin-sliced scallop sandwiched with whitebait ‘paper,’ then deep-fried. Fancy an upgrade? Choose shabu-shabu with urchin – or oysters, in my case – and thin, wagyu-style beef.

Where to switch off

In addition to the foot bath, KAI Akiu offers three springs in total: one outdoors and two indoors varying in temperature. Hoshino left the pre-existing onsen’s appearance largely intact, making for an aesthetic that is stylish, if a touch old-school, fringed with stone or surfaced in wood. Open until 1 am each night, the gender-specific baths never felt crowded and came with a cultural orientation upon check-in, which might reassure foreign guests unaccustomed to the Japanese onsen tradition. A resort-standard menu of in-room oil treatments and massages is also available by reservation.

The service

Staff seemed to nearly outnumber the guests, but were never obtrusive. Not just accommodating and informed but versatile as well, they served meals, led morning stretches, and, in accordance with daimyo tradition, guided sake-tasting ceremonies. It should be noted that English-speaking guests seem to be a relative rarity, at least in the hotel’s inaugural year, and two particularly good-humoured anglophonic managers had little choice but to take turns serving as my personal concierge and translator, providing crucial cultural context and local recommendations amidst their many other duties, all while maintaining consistent professionalism and appearance.

The verdict

Admittedly, Akiu might take some effort to reach from Japan’s major cities that aren’t Sendai, and a car would benefit guests hoping to navigate local attractions. All in all, KAI Akiu excels where it needs to, making it a charming, rewarding option for those looking to dislodge themselves from modern stressors without sacrificing modern comforts, all while being treated like a veritable royal in a setting where nature reigns.

Hoshino Resorts KAI Akiu is located at Hirakura-1番地 Akiumachi Yumoto, Taihaku Ward, Sendai, Miyagi 982-0241, Japan; hoshinoresorts.com. Rates: from ¥31,000

Also read: The best-designed onsen hotels in Japan