Naoshima Ryokan Roka

Our stay had mixed feelings. It should have been the highlight of our 3-week Japan trip. but our stay included breakfast & dinner was disappointed and was not the high amount of money worth. While the resort is really beautiful and modern authentic designed the hospitality skills of the Japanese staff was not there at all. Luckily half of their staff is not from Japan, and these staff is correct in there communication and have good hospitality skills, without this staff this resort will not survived I guess. The presentation of the food is nice but the food was tasteless and was disappointing compared to other places we visited in our 3 week trip. Our sushi dinner was managed by an unfriendly, arrogant chef, who distorted our evening. Every time we ask something it was to much for him, it was a really a unwelcome feeling. This was also the feeling from our neighbors that making big complain about allergy issues this evening. The ryokan only offered breakfast and dinner, which is surprising. Arriving back at 13 o'clock, food or even a snack not available. We were grateful for the effort of a Belgian staffs member, for her help to get some bread and jam because this resort is situated in the middle of nowhere. Regarding the room they look stylish and are nice designed but be aware a sleep mask is necessity for darkness (there are no Curtans in the bedroom) and the rooms are extremely noisy from your neighbors. The bed was a traditional thin Japanese and give me some back problems, and the pillows were small, though this is subjective. We stayed in so many nice hotels and resorts but unfortunately this was not wat we expect from the price point of view. We will not recommend to stay here.

Couldn’t fault our experience here. It was an unforgettable and very special stay. Amazing and personalised service from all the staff. The room was outstanding - with a private onsen and beautiful view looking out over vegetation and art. The atmosphere was calm and peaceful. The food was excellent and top quality. Each meal was a memorable experience. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a unique stay in Naoshima. It’s amazing value for money with the experience that we had. I don’t think you could stay anywhere better on the island. Fantastic base to explore.

Naoshima Ryokan Roka (henceforth referred to as "Roka") is a stylish new luxury ryokan that was established in 2022 April by a person whose family runs the well-renowned Kifu No Sato, a luxury Onsen ryokan in Okayama Prefecture. Roka opened to great fanfare, with a massive marketing blitz along with inclusion in the Ryokan Collection portolio of properties. It is a Japanese-style modern, artistic take on a traditional ryokan with some very nice artwork that evokes the artistic spirit of Naoshima itself. It's in a secluded area of Naoshima, and has a rock garden in front of the entrance of the main building. To the left is an outdoor hearth whose bonfire is lit-up at night, and serves as a gathering place during the warmer months. While the property grounds won't blow anyone away (especially compared to some of the famous ryokans in Japan, it does establish an air of tranquility and character to an otherwise nondescript area. Speaking of area, it's not centrally located to any main tourist site, although a 10 minute walk will get you to Honmura Village, which is home to the various Art House Projects as well as the Ando Museum. It is not, however, close to Miyanoura Port or Benesse House/Chichu Museum/Lee Ufan Museum, so you'll either need to rent a bicycle or a car to fully explore everything that Naoshima has to offer. We booked the Roka Suite, a 106m² unit and the top room at the property. It has a tatami room, a Western-style living room, a dining table with 6 chairs, a bar counter, a semi kitchen, two sinks/vanities, a bedroom and a separate shower/bath... it's very spacious for 2 guests; I'm guessing this Suite is also intended for extended-stay visitors as well as families. The one drawback of Roka has to do with the lack of an Onsen bath anywhere, which is a curious thing given that Kifu No Sato is in a world-renowned hot-spring hotspot - I would've somewhat expected that Roka would carry on the tradition of offering hot springs baths in its property. To make up for this, Roka does offer a large jar of Onsen concentrate that you add to the bath. Nice, but still not the real thing in my book. The second knock against Roka's rooms has to do with the amenities, or lack thereof. By luxury ryokan standards, Roka has a very limited repertoire of toiletries. No moisturizer, no face cream, no hand cream, no cotton swabs, no shower cap. Only a toothbrush, toner and razer (but no shaving foam/gel.) Compare that with many top properties that provide all of the above, and offered in personal travel sizes so that you can take them home with you. Service wise, everyone was friendly and accommodating; however, we felt that it was a bit too "corporate" for a ryokan with just 11 guest rooms. The uniforms were black and bland, check-in and check-out formalities are done in a lounge area that is next to the kitchen, guests are not assigned a butler and there is no private dining option. For the prices that Roka charges, I feel they can do better. Food w