Sankara Hotel & Spa Yakushima

We have traveled to many countries and without a doubt this is one of the most beautiful accommodation we've enjoyed throughout our travels. My husband and I were surrounded by beauty, quiet and luxury at Sankara. Everything was perfect from the staff, the room, the food, and the impeccable attention to service and detail. Look no further for comfortable beds, incredible meals, and deep relaxation in your private (very large) soaking bath. The staff go out of their way to accommodate any need. They celebrated my birthday with various small touches that warmed my heart. Thank you to all for making our stay a wonderful experience.

Pick-up from Yakushima Airport was excellent. We were greeted by Mayuri (I think this was her name!) who drove us back and gave us a really comprehensive brief on the hotel, the island and what we could get up to during our stay. Sankara is located what feels like half way up the side of the mountain so you have a majestic panorama of the sea in front of you, and a tropical mountain behind you. When it rains you can see huge waterfalls gushing down from the peaks. It's really spectacular. Check-in was welcoming and seamless. Bags already in our room when we got there. The room itself was phenomenal. It reminded me of being in Thailand - really tropical, very large, and well-equipped. Welcome snacks and a comp minibar were great. The bed was massive and comfortable - really easy to sleep well here. The bathroom was massive and had excellent Thann toiletries. The food at Sankara really makes it stand out. The breakfasts are superb and fill you up for the day. They change buffet options just enough each day to keep things interesting. Their baked options are, oh, wow... Custard tarts, curry bread, black tea melon pan... The dinners are otherworldly. The main restaurant, which was included in our price, had an excellent daily menu with phenomenal specials. We 'upgraded' to the fancier restaurant upstairs one night and had an even more elevated experience - an exquisite menu and elevated service. I also fell in love with Nanbu Bijin sake here. They have a great range of local shochus and beers too. The main lounge is open all day and they have beer/shochu on tap - as well as a great selection of snacks and baked products (which are all excellent). They also put out a full bar each evening for happy hour. They do car hire here which made exploring the island so easy (includes insurance and petrol - think I spent Y6,600 for several hours). They also rent out waterproof clothing - and hiking boots - making is SO easy to explore and trek up the island's famous mountains. There was a full-on typhoon here during one of our days but it didn't matter - just added to the atmosphere of the hotel, in which we had a snug and lazy day. The gym is simple but sufficient for anything you need - important for burning off some of the calories from all the great dining options they have. The pool is awesome - but a little cold while we were there. But it's the staff here that make it so special. They always seem to anticipate your needs - and do so in such an unobtrusive, subtle, accommodating way. I've never come across anything like it in Japan. I will definitely come back one day. There's so much more I could say but words wouldn't do it justice. You have to experience this magical place for yourself.

We stayed at the Sankara for 3 nights on part of our holiday to Japan, and it was definitely the highlight of the trip. Everything about our stay was fantastic - the staff were all amazingly welcoming (and spoke fantastic English), and nothing seemed like an imposition for them. They really went out of their way to make us feel at home and taken care of. The hotel itself was great - the rooms were huge, private and well appointed. The public areas were comfortable, with free drinks and snacks throughout the day. The pool area was beautiful with stunning views of both the sea and the mountains. The hotel even offers car rentals and hiking equipment rentals, making it incredibly easy to experience all that Yakushima has to offer. Lastly, the food was EXCELLENT. I was a bit nervous about the dining concept of French food using Japanese ingredients (as I wanted to mainly have Japanese food while in Japan) but I didn’t need to have worried. Literally everything I ate was heavenly. We ate at both restaurants during our stay and both were world-class. I didn’t want to leave, and can’t wait to return.

The staff at Sankara Hotel and Spa provided the best service I have ever had. They were always available to take us to places we wanted to go or to pick us up. Beautiful property with a great view of the ocean. Stayed in a very nice villa within walking distance of the hotel.

A wonderful hotel! We were collected from the airport by the hotel, for the 30 minutes drive. On arrival the staff were so welcoming. We had 2 villas (upstairs and downstairs). The hotel is on a very steep hill, but the staff collect you in buggies whenever you want so don’t let the hill put you off! The main building housed the lounge and restaurant - and we helped ourselves to drinks at the bar before dinner (excellent selection of drinks and snacks available throughout the day/evening). We used the hotel’s car for one day to see the island (self drive) which was so useful. We were contacted in advance of our stay to discuss our dietary requirements. Breakfast and dinner were exceptional. We stayed 3nts, and on our last we just fancied a simple meal instead so ordered from the room service menu, but still ate in the main restaurant which was lovely. The hotel has a great laundry room where you can use the washer/dryer whenever you want. We have stayed in many Small Luxury Hotels of the World - but without any doubt, this hotel had the best service and truly outstanding staff. We absolutely loved this hotel!