Benesse House Oval

Hotel • Japan, 〒761-3110 Kagawa, Kagawa District, Naoshima, Miyanoura, ３４１９京の山3419

4.6(122 reviews)

A Paradise Island Harmonizing Contemporary Art and Nature

This article introduces the charm of "Benesse House Oval" located in Naoshima, Kagawa Prefecture. Oval is a hotel designed by the world-renowned architect Tadao Ando, where art and nature are integrated. From this highland hotel, you can enjoy the breathtaking views of the Seto Inland Sea.

Rooms Surrounded by Beautiful Landscapes

The rooms offer a panoramic view of the sea, creating an open and expansive atmosphere. Some rooms are designed without the barrier of a balcony wall, allowing for a greater sense of unity with nature. Setting off on a journey while watching the morning sun will surely create unforgettable memories.

Luxurious Space Surrounded by Art

Access to Oval is by a dedicated monorail. This space, accessible only to guests, offers an extraordinary experience as if staying in an art museum. Throughout the building, you will find works of art by the artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, including a tea room.

Stunning View Garden overlooking the Seto Inland Sea Islands

From the garden, you can have a panoramic view of the beautiful coastline of Naoshima and the surrounding islands. At night, the starry sky stretches out, and during the day, you can gaze at the blue sea of the Seto Inland Sea, allowing you to revel in the natural landscape.

Benesse House Oval is a paradise island where art and nature harmonize. Although it is said to be difficult to make reservations, this extraordinary experience will surely be a highlight of your journey. Please take it easy with a bit of humor.

Hotel Lodging Point of interest Establishment

Reviews

5(6 months ago)

JunQi Zhai

Truly a unique experience; How many times can you say you stayed overnight at a museum hotel that requires you to take a tram car up to your room with sweeping views of the island? Love the fact you get to tour the Benesse Museum after it closes when it’s quiet and devoid of all the other visitors. The staff was super kind and accommodating, and things were fully taken care of. We purchased both dinner and breakfast options, and the food was superb. We luckily had great weather conditions, and the views were amazing. We only wish we stayed an extra night as we island hopped to Teshima. Absolutely worth the price!

1(6 months ago)

Tran David

Stayed a few nights here last in Oct. Beautiful location and building. We enjoy the art at hotel and museum, however, the female staff at reception who speaks good English is not so helpful and very rude(depending on her mood) Asked about breakfast and locations but she was like rude with face expression and voice tone. It was like ah again? Or I’m tired don’t ask me face and attitude. Didn’t expect this with such a hotel service. Over all, alright. Should hire good staff with hospitality.

3(a year ago)

Michael Ting

You’re paying for exclusivity and the privilege of staying in a beautifully designed hotel. Amenities are lacking. Interiors are uninspired (3 star bathrooms). We stayed 2 nights for around $1000 per night (2 people). You need to book 6 months in advance to get a spot here (bookings open 6months in advance). Only 6 rooms available here, so you feel a world apart from everyone else. You arrive by funicular (basically a horizontal elevator). A truly unique arrival experience. The building itself is impressive. Tadao Ando shows his brilliance with the way the building is oriented and designed (see the photos). Room: 3/5. Beautiful view (we stayed in 406), but standard room. Twin room. Dated furniture. Very dated bathroom (no separate toilet and shower). No separate shower and bathtub. Shower curtains…hello 1990s. Not sure I’ve ever paid $500pp to have shower curtains before… Service and Food: 4/5. Presented very beautifully, but very impersonal service who didn’t have any expertise or interest in the food they were serving. Bell staff also quite impersonal. Our bags were brought to our room by a young gentleman and when we went down to ask for information 30 mins later, the same person asked if we were staying at the hotel… Amenities: 3/5. Lacking. Free DIY laundry, which was useful. Good Thann toiletries. There was a “free gift” of 2 x $5 half-bottles of generic red and white wine. We don’t drink so the staff arranged us a different gift—a $10 candy from the gift store. It was our honeymoon and while we don’t expect free stuff, this was pretty underwhelming. We had previously stayed at Gora Kadan before visiting Benesse House Oval and the difference in hospitality was shocking (though, admittedly Gora Kadan was slightly more expensive). Unique features: you get to visit the Benesse House Museum exhibits at night without the public crowds. Elevates the whole experience. But if you want this privilege, I’d recommend just paying for the museum price, not the oval. Value for money: 2/5. Service quality needs to be improved. Also rooms need to be updated to justify the price. I think other 5 star reviewers try to rationalize the fact they paid for the privilege of staying here.

2(a year ago)

Thonis

Because of this hotel/museum closing off the waterside road for bikes, people have to go via the mountain route. With a 11% slope going down the hill is extremely dangerous. For westerners with taller height and weight you will face a situation where the bike breaks almost start to melt. This is a bit of a crazy situation that should be resolved more fairly.

5(6 years ago)

Albert Chang

Pros: Impressive architecture, which, for the most part, can only be accessed if you're staying here. Wonderful rooftop garden with sweeping views of the Seto Inland sea. Well worth the price of admission. Cons: Hard to book, and the oval is a bit older than the Park/Beach rooms, and not as well equipped. You need to take the funicular monorail up and down the slope. The design of the rooms means that the terraces are shared between some rooms (not as private as you would think),and you can look directly into a number of rooms from the Monorail path. All in all I would stay here again in a heartbeat.

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