Located in the popular hot spring town of Yufuin, Oita Prefecture, the Hoshino Resorts Kai Yufuin hotel opened in 2022 and was designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. It is the only facility in Japan to make Travel + Leisure magazine’s top 100 new hotels list for 2023.
“We incorporate regional culture and heritage into each of our properties, and several of the rooms at Kai Yufuin make use of Oita Prefecture’s traditional shichitōi tatami,” says general manager Toru Tanzawa of the premium woven flooring. “Guests are soothed by the fragrance of the tatami from the moment they enter their room.”
There are few things more quintessentially Japanese than tatami. With a springy yet firm texture that’s perfect for both sitting and sleeping, the traditional woven mats are still a feature in many Japanese homes that contain a dedicated room laid with the matting. It’s also the flooring of choice for some martial arts studios, and many international visitors are keen to experience sleeping on tatami at a ryokan (Japanese-style inn).