Rising unexpectedly from the seashore at Shirahama, Hotel Kawakyu looks like a palace from another land. Its weighty architecture, built with the skills of master craftsmen from around the world, takes your breath away from the moment you step out of the car and look up. An elegant stay that makes you forget everyday life begins at this entrance.
Gold leaf and glass
The sea off Wakayama, where boats come and go, is dotted with small islands, and with the sea right beside the hotel, they make a superb view from this huge building.
Inside, the ceiling is lavishly covered in pure gold leaf. Delicate chandeliers and intricate mosaic floors create a space like a European palace, and with the calm sea beyond the tall arched windows, time passes wrapped in architecture of the utmost luxury.
Against the gold-leaf dome bloom chandeliers of fresh blue and clear glass. Each delicate petal and part seems to carry the breath of the craftsman who made it.
Warm light spreads through the glass, and every time we looked up, its beauty, like a work of art, drew a sigh.
The salon over the sea
Beyond the tall arched windows, a calm evening sea stretches out. With intricate Roman mosaic tiles underfoot, a line of beautiful chandeliers overhead and a high, airy ceiling all around, this is a graceful salon where you want to linger over a glass. It appears that breakfast is served here.
The whole building, with its gold leaf and fine detailing, is said to have cost some 40 billion yen. Construction began in 1989, at the height of Japan’s bubble economy, and the result is a legendary hotel built on a scale that is hard to imagine today.
A Steinway and a champagne trolley
Before a heavy, gleaming blue column stands a bespoke Steinway, said to be the only one in the world. Its exquisite marquetry, said to recreate the design of Cremona Cathedral, gives it real dignity. Standing quietly on the mosaic floor, it plays its part admirably as a grand, precious piece of furniture. We felt it would be even better if guests had a chance to play it.
A Piper-Heidsieck champagne trolley hints at a special evening to come. Deep red flutes and gold-labeled bottles add a touch of glamour to the elegant space. It seemed to be the hotel’s signature drink.
The room
A generous living area welcomes you with large, deep blue sofas. Soft natural light falls through the classical latticed windows. Surrounded by a fine carpet underfoot and warm indirect lighting, we could let go of the tiredness of the journey and relax in private.
The powder room, with its chequered marble floor, is modern and dignified. A large mirror covers the wall in a clean, white-based space. With a large towel warmer and a roomy layout extending to the bathroom at the back, it is a comfortable bathroom in which luxury reaches every detail. Mirrors that open out like a triple dressing mirror and amenities on glass shelves lift the mood, and there is a dressing table where you can sit down to get ready.
The baths
In the changing room, the powder area is carefully divided by partitions into individual booths. Warm wood and elegant marble counters gently extend the afterglow of the bath. Settled in an enveloping chair, you could enjoy your skincare in peace, undisturbed by anyone.
The bathing area has individual glass-walled shower rooms, each equipped with its own chair, a design that recalls the extravagance of the bubble era. Within the heavy stone space, these washing booths, divided by clear glass, give a sense of privacy and let you wash in comfort.
The indoor bath is a dreamlike space under a circular domed ceiling, with steam drifting over the water. Classical Chinese poems and pictures are painted on ceramic tiles across the wall, so that it feels almost like a museum.
The open-air bath is broad and airy, with a large tub set with fine stones and a pavilion of beautiful natural wood. Here you can enjoy Shirahama’s celebrated hot spring water in clear outdoor air and a pleasant breeze. Look up and you see the sky and the hotel’s massive castle-like walls, and you are freed entirely from the noise of daily life. On the wooden deck of the open-air bath, which has a distinctly Japanese feel, stands a proper barrel sauna. It is a luxurious spot, where you can cool off in the open air while gazing up at the towering, old-castle-style walls.
The barrel sauna is full of the warmth and scent of natural wood, a beautiful rounded form with soft light coming in through a small window and a real sense of privacy. Sweating it out slowly in the heat, we thought that a sauna this authentic makes the hotel a hot spot for sauna enthusiasts.
Beside the sauna area is a thoughtfully provided refreshment corner, well stocked with chilled Pocari Sweat, Oronamin C and cold water that you can help yourself to. Sauna mats are provided too, a welcome touch that lets you enjoy your sauna time to the full.
Looking out over Tanabe Bay
Outside the hotel’s windows lie the calm, emerald-green waters of Tanabe Bay and the silhouettes of its islands. Beyond the tiled roofs in the foreground, aquaculture rafts float on the water and paint a scene that stirs the traveler’s heart. Gazing at the distant line of mountains and simply letting time pass quietly is a luxury in itself. We would urge anyone who stays to take in this beautiful panorama of Shirahama’s nature from the palace-like hotel.
This review reflects a visit in December 2024. Please confirm current details directly with the hotel before visiting.
