It takes a certain kind of traveler to experience Japan’s most traditional hotel: the ryokan. As luxurious as these small, typically family-run inns are, they are often tucked away in remote mountainous areas with natural hot springs (and communal baths), without many English-speaking staff, and with sleeping arrangements on futons rather than beds.
Now Hyatt Hotels hopes to take the ryokan concept mainstream with Atona – a new luxury boutique brand it is launching with Kyoto-based developer Kiraku. The first three locations, expected to open in 2026, are the well-trodden city of Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture, the hot springs valley area of Yufu in Oita Prefecture, and Yakushima – a remote and mountainous island in Kagoshima Prefecture.
Starting nightly rates will likely range from $800 (¥125,000) to around $1,300 — and while World of Hyatt members can use points toward their bookings, redemption rates will be on par with Hyatt’s most luxurious brands. (For context, a night at Alila Big Sur, one of Hyatt’s top-rated five-stars in California, costs about 45,000 points; Park Hyatt Maldives costs about 30,000 points. Atona hotels should fall in between.)
