Kamakura, JapanKoshigoe
Hotel Ao Kamakura
Coastal soba guesthouse
Koshigoe Kamakura, Japan
Opened
2021
Price
$$$
Rated for
Design Local LuxeOutside the door
The house
HOTEL AOCoastal soba guesthouse
Stays revolve around the table, where thin-cut nihachi noodles and local sake give way to quiet nights by the sea.
What it’s good at
Notable
Kamakura soba house Matsubara-An serves handmade nihachi noodles and fresh Sashima seafood.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Its 16 rooms, each named for a particular hue of blue in Japanese, are arrayed around a serene central courtyard.
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
The Enoden train line runs right outside, and Enoshima Island is an easy stroll down the coast.
The rooms
Rooms take their names from traditional Japanese shades of blue, and deep soaking tubs wait in the bathrooms.
Restaurant
Kamakura Matsubara-An AO
The dining room sits behind indigo noren curtains, serving morning catch from Sashima Fishing Port and daily hand-cut soba.
At the table
Drinks on the roof terrace look toward Enoshima at sunset, and long timber tables downstairs sit beside an open kitchen.
How it began
The owners began in 2007 serving soba from a 1940s house in Yuigahama before opening on the Koshigoe coast.
Kamakura
More like this
Modern Ryokan kishi-ke
“Minimalist Zen hideaway”
Kamakura Cocon Hotel
“Restored Edo household”
Umito Kamakura Koshigoe
“Seaside two-suite auberge”
The app
Like this one? There are so many more.
Swipe any city’s hotels and heart the ones you love. The app gets your taste.
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.