Some, like Franceits castles with their turrets and dovecotes, Indiapalaces with their extravagant interiors and lawned gardens or MoroccoThe secret riads of , with their tiles, fountains and inner courtyards, evoke vernacular architecture and centuries of history. Others, like Japanese ryokans, are a very different alternative to staying in a conventional hotel and a wonderful, abbreviated way to understand a complex culture first-hand. Over a breakfast of dried fish, rice and miso soup after my first night in a ryokan, our charming host, a trained Noh actor, gave us a captivating solo performance of a Japanese folk tale. traditional, with imaginary drums, pipes and choir. It was a highlight of our trip, and such an impromptu display could only have happened in a ryokan, not a modern hotel or, indeed, an Airbnb.
We tapped our team of experts to pick their favorite local hotels around the world. Stay in one of these eye-catching, instantly Instagrammable properties is imbued with something more: the soul and character of the destination in which it is located.
Ryokan
Japan
Japan may be famous for being fast and furious, but it’s also a nation that excels at slowing down. Evidence of this? It’s the legacy of traditional ryokan inns, serene havens of tatami floors, sliding paper screens, asymmetrical floral arrangements, cypress-wood baths, seasonal in-room dining, and nightly unrolled futons. . But the sense of calm isn’t limited to decor: perhaps best of all, ryokan inns are the embodiment of omotenashi, a deeply rooted sense of Japanese hospitality that eclipses five-star hotel service in his intuitive thoughtfulness.
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