Are you familiar with "RELAIS & CHATEAUX", the certification with the white fleur-de-lis emblem that is the standard used by the world's wealthy when choosing accommodations and restaurants?

Relais & Châteaux, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, currently has 65 member hotels and restaurants in 580 countries around the world, and 19 accommodations and restaurants in Japan have been selected.

World-class hotels and restaurants offering unique experiences and spaces

Current members include such prestigious names as Londra Palace (Venice, Italy), St. James (Paris, France), Myconian Korali (Mykonos, Greece), and Hotel Wailea (Hawaii), and all of them are hotels and restaurants that everyone dreams of visiting at least once.

BeforePremium JapanHowever, we interviewed Mauro Colagreco, an Argentine chef who was named the number one chef in the 2019 World's Best Restaurant awards. He is the vice president of Relais & Châteaux, and the restaurant Mirazur in Menton in the south of France where Mauro works as chef is also a member.

It has been announced that 2024 hotels and restaurants will join the network in March 3. New additions include Gmundnaa Lodge (Namibia), a lodge adjacent to a vast desert and wildlife habitat, and Hotel Vermelho (Portugal), a small luxury hotel opened by the owner of luxury shoe brand Christian Louboutin.

A complete list of participating hotels and restaurants in Japan that you'll want to visit at least once!

We will now introduce the Japanese hotels, inns, and restaurants that are members of "Relais & Chateaux." All of them are wonderful facilities that offer premium stays and time that are recognized worldwide.

Below is a list of participating hotels and restaurants in Japan.

12 hotels and inns

Asaba (Shizuoka)

This hot spring inn in Shuzenji, Izu, has been in operation for 535 years, and was the first inn in Japan to join the Relais & Chateaux association. There are 12 guest rooms built in the Sukiya style. The inn also has a Noh stage called Tsukibashiraden, where performances by leading figures in the classical arts are held.

Kanamean Nishitomi House (Kyoto)

Located in the center of Kyoto, this inn has only eight rooms. Its kaiseki cuisine, which reflects the seasons, is highly praised and has received stars in the Michelin Guide Kyoto and Osaka for 15 consecutive years.

Kobe Kitano Hotel (Kobe)

Located in a district of foreign-style houses, this 30-room urban auberge is decorated with antique British furniture. The famous French chef Bernard Loiseau has described it as having "the best breakfast in the world."

Gora Flower Bed (Kanagawa)

Located in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, this hot spring inn is in Hakone, built on the site of a former Imperial villa. The main building and annex are Japanese-modern, combining Japanese design with Western elements, and the beautiful space attracts many visitors.

The Uza Terrace Beach Club Villas (Okinawa)

Located in Yomitan Village, Okinawa, this villa takes advantage of the vast natural scenery and features a pool in every room. The spacious private space allows you to experience the extraordinary of a tropical paradise.

Sky Forest (Kagoshima)

This hot spring resort in Minami Kirishima Onsen has just five villas in an area the size of 13 Tokyo Domes. More than 90% of the ingredients used for the cuisine are self-sufficient, including pesticide-free vegetables from the restaurant's own garden and free-range Satsuma chickens.

Nishimuraya Main Building (Hyogo)

Located in Kinosaki Onsen, this traditional Japanese inn continues to carry on 150 years of tradition. The beautiful Japanese garden can be viewed from the traditional Japanese-style rooms, which are made using traditional Japanese architecture. The cuisine is multi-course meals made with local ingredients such as Tajima beef, Matsuba crab, and Stork rice.

Bettei Senjuan (Gunma)

Located at the foot of the Tanigawa mountain range, in the Tanigawa Valley, this hot spring inn has an open-air bath in every room. There are only 1000 rooms on a vast site of 18m5. There are XNUMX hot springs and an esthetic room inside the inn, where you can relax in the pristine Japanese scenery.

Beniya Mukayu (Ishikawa)

This villa-like inn is located on the heights of Mt. Yakushi and surrounded by nature, with 16 rooms, all with their own open-air baths. At the spa "Spa Entei Treatment Center" within the facility, you can receive treatments using medicinal herbs and hot springs.

Noborioji Hotel Nara (Nara)

Located in the heart of Nara's historic district, this auberge was renovated in 2022. The modern building features nine guest rooms and four suites. It also boasts French cuisine made with local ingredients.

Tobira Onsen Myojinkan (Nagano)

This hot spring inn is located in the valley of Tobira Onsen, a hidden area of ​​Shinshu. Taking advantage of the beautiful nature, you can enjoy high-quality hot springs such as a standing bath where you can enjoy a picturesque view, and a reclining bath where you can feel the sky and mountains.

The Kitano Hotel Tokyo (Tokyo)

It opened in Chiyoda Ward in 2019 and is the only Relais & Châteaux affiliated hotel in Tokyo. Chef Ken Kamo will be appointed as head chef of the main dining area in 2024, and Patrick Henriroux, the owner and chef of La Pyramide (Vienne), will be appointed as an advisor.

7 restaurants

Japanese cuisine Zeniya (Ishikawa)

The second-generation owner, Shinichiro Takagi, serves unique Japanese cuisine using locally-sourced, rich ingredients in the best possible condition. He does his best to create memorable food, a relaxing atmosphere, and hospitality for his guests.

Hikariya Nishi (Nagano)

The old storehouse was renovated into a restaurant in 2007. Chef Masahiro Tanabe, who trained in Europe, prepares "natural French" cuisine that brings out the best in the flavors of local ingredients.

La Becas (Osaka)

Chef Shibuya Yoshiki, who trained under Paul Bocuse, Joel Robuchon, and Alain Chapelle, who built the dawn of French cuisine, offers a new genre of cuisine. The sophisticated interior and innovative cuisine have surprised and impressed many guests.

L'Effervescence (Tokyo)

Chef Shinobu Ikue, who has trained at world-renowned restaurants, expresses his unique worldview that connects food, people, and nature with gratitude for nature and ingredients, and is also recognized worldwide for incorporating sustainability into his cooking.

Kashiwaya (Osaka)

Chef Hideaki Matsuo creates dishes that incorporate the traditions of Japanese cuisine with new techniques and sensibilities. In a wooden sukiya-style restaurant in Senri Hills on the outskirts of Osaka, you can enjoy the Japanese spirit and seasonal cuisine.

Restaurant Moliere (Hokkaido)

Located in a residential area of ​​Sapporo, this is a French restaurant representing Hokkaido. Chef Nakamichi Hiroshi creates traditional yet original French cuisine that makes use of Hokkaido's rich ingredients and food culture.

Otowa Restaurant (Tochigi)

Chef Kazunori Otowa, who trained in Europe, serves French cuisine that sublimates local Tochigi ingredients with French and Japanese techniques. The restaurant's chic interior, which incorporates art, is also lovely.

Only 5% of applicants pass the rigorous screening criteria.

Founded in 1954, Relais & Châteaux is an association of 580 carefully selected hotels and restaurants around the world. The membership criteria are very strict, and not everyone who wants to can join.

To become a member, you must pass a rigorous screening conducted by undercover inspectors. All touch points with customers, from the time of reservation to the actual experience, are screened against a total of more than 500 items.
Another important aspect of the judging process is whether the owner or chef has strong convictions and a desire to build heartfelt relationships with their customers.

In addition, there are many other criteria for the selection process, such as the restaurant being rooted in the local community and being the best in the area, embodying the local history, culture, and food culture, offering sustainable options from an environmental conservation perspective, having attractive and unique features (a great environment, cultural experiences, etc.), and whether the chef's personality, originality, and dedication can be sensed.

The screening process involves document screening and undercover screening, followed by a final decision by the board of directors before certification is given. Applications are submitted by around 500 hotels and restaurants from around the world through self-nomination alone, but only a handful are awarded the certification, so you can easily imagine how rigorous the screening process is.

Furthermore, even after joining, regular mystery inspections are conducted once every two years, and depending on the results of the inspection, a warning may be issued and even expulsion may occur. The fact that certification is not permanent also leads to trust.

Our internationally accredited accommodations and restaurants are sure to give you the best time and memories.
I hope this will be useful as a reference when you want to spend some special time.