Sakai, Japan
Auberge Homachi Mikuniminato
Dispersed merchant townhouses
Sakai, Japan
Opened
2024
Price
$$$
Rated for
Local Design HeritageOutside the door
The house
HomachiDispersed merchant townhouses
Guest suites occupy nine restored merchant townhouses scattered along the historic lanes of an Edo-period shipping port.
What it’s good at
Remarkable
Nine restored townhouses dispersed across the historic Kitamaebune merchant shipping port.
Notable
Sumitomo Forestry restorations using local Echizen washi paper and blue-green Shakudani stone.
Notable
Preserved Edo and Meiji merchant machiya built with regional Kagura-date roof gables.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Auberge Homachi Mikuni Minato is a collection of nine well-preserved townhouses, whose interiors have been renovated in a modern Japanese style to suit its new purpose as a luxurious and inventive small hotel.
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Streets wind past preserved merchant facades down to the Kuzuryu River mouth and the Sea of Japan.
The rooms
Two-story suites keep their original timber beams, opening onto private courtyard gardens with wooden Hinoki soaking tubs.
Restaurant
Tateru Yoshino Mikuni Minato
Chef Tateru Yoshino brings French technique to local Fukui seafood, with tables set beside an interior courtyard garden.
How it began
The name recalls Kitamaebune sailors waiting for favorable winds, when spare cargo was traded at the docks for pocket money.
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.