Benesse House Museum

A stunning blend of hotel and art museum/ the architecture alone (by Tadao Ando) is worth the visit.  The exhibition of site-specific works amid nature and sea views makes for a peaceful, immersive experience.  Even if you go just for the setting and a walk through the sculpture park, it’s unforgettable.

A beautiful hotel in a stunning location. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The rooms vary in size and location, but even the bottom tier are very nice. We really enjoyed the Japanese dinners and breakfasts. Whereas at Terrace (their french restaurant) the food was just good enough, but the prices are Exorbitant.

Exceptional location, wonderful staff, delicious meals in a beautiful building--all in all a wonderful place to stay! IF you manage to book it, that is! One star off for the booking experience on the website, which is arcane and time consuming (even on their website it's difficult to understand and locate the 'availability slots'). It was time-consuming and stressful trying to book a room here, but in the end the 'benesse' experience (and high price) was worth it. The relaxing and communing with world-class art in a beautifully curated collection in a gorgeous location made up for the stress of booking.

I visited this property 13 years ago, I’m back now, end of September, & remembering how beautiful the setting is, the wonderful art, & how special the art island is. I’m staying in a room on the water which is the exact same as it was 13years ago. |The art is the same. The hotel is the same but the restaurant is a big disappointment. I’ve been here 3 nights, breakfast has no fiber & a buffet that is space & lacking in its selection. |The dinner was a surprise on the last night. It seemed they ran out of the lamb cutlet so they served a well done (ordered medium) 1/2 size portion that was tough. When I spoke to the manager he said it would take an additional 30mins to prepare another. I know it was 1/2 the size as my friend ordered the same & had a much larger portion that was super fatty but close to rare & she ordered pink. |It seems like the food section of the hotel has really slipped which is disappointing. |The manager did comp 1 lamb dish which helped, but still disappointing. |Guests are captive to the 1 restaurant & it seems they know it & have let the food quality slip.

Benesse House is by far one of the most beautiful hotels I have ever stayed in, and without a doubt the best place to stay in the Seto Inland Sea. Our room featured artwork by world-class artists, and just stepping outside the door, we were surrounded by even more incredible pieces. On top of that, the breakfast and dinner were both delightful and refined. Every detail of the stay was truly perfect—an unforgettable experience for anyone who loves art, nature, and comfort.

The museum and hotel look nice from outside, but really not worth the money. Hard to get there – cannot use bike up the hill, and walking in the heat is terrible. Shuttle bus comes only every 20 minutes, always full, so we wait long time, while hotel guest bus goes empty. Feels unfair. Inside the museum there is not so much to see, very small compared to the price you pay. Other museums on the island are cheaper, more friendly and better experience. Honestly, greedy and disappointing. Would not recommend.

A wonderful museum housing a modest but significant collection of modern art. A beautifully designed space gives life to the works. Don’t miss the outdoor works dotted around the site as these are all a joy. A lovely experience exploring the whole site.

High anticipation because hotel must be booked so far in advance. I note some guests mentioning a "lounge" but this is not the case. There is no welcoming lounge and not even a place to have a drink or cocktail on a Monday or Tuesday. A bleak "bar" opens on Wednesday. Totally devoid of atmosphere. Food at the "french" restaurant at Benesse House was abysmal. Issen was a little better. We went into the port on our third night and had a wonderful, interesting fish dinner. We travelled a long way with such high expectations but only the art was everything we hoped to see.

Small museum (s), nice architecture and mediocre contemporary art... not a a huge collection. No photography - I don't know why - we did it anyway... overpriced admission cost for the size. Nice nature scenes on island. Ferry runs about every 1/2 hour from Uno Port and other locations. No bicycles in the museum areas ... so you will walk until you drop up and down hills... The "free shuttles' are few and far in between. None of them run around lunch time. Public buses also only run up to the edge of the Museum area... but more often. If you want a bike you should reserve well in advance - and again, not permitted near the museum areas. A taxi is a good option - allowed onto museum roads as well.

I do love museums but am not a fan of contemporary art. I heard so much about this place and since i finally made it Naoshima, my friend and I decided to check it out. The entrance fee was a bit pricey and of course the food in the cafe were also higher than normal. The view from the cafe though was really pretty and we had a relaxing time. The art? Not impressed at all.

BOTTOM LINE: Go to IG to see pics of the amazing space and exhibits. I have mixed feelings about *all* of my museum visits on Naoshima. On the one hand, the most impressive aspect of these museums is easily the phenomenal design and vision of the spaces, all made to specifically highlight the exhibits (as such, the exhibits do NOT seem to change). Benesse House is no different. From the winding path to the entrance, the the multi-leveled spaces with cavernous rooms that play with light, sound and design, and outdoor verandas that meld into the landscape, it truly was an unforgettable experience. For me, room housing Bruce Nauman's "100 Live and Die" was the absolute highlight for me here. HOWEVER, the aggressive "no picture" policy was so incredibly disruptive that even if you weren't taking pictures, the constant piercing gazes of staff and the bee-line they made for others who did try to take picture made for an incredibly jarring experience in what should've been relaxing and zen-like. Sure, a place can set their own rules, but if you feel that art should be shared and discussed (as many world class museums seem to shaer; e.g., the Broad, MOMA, the Pompidou, Tate Modern, etc.), then this will surely be a downer.

Return me to the Benesse House, Naoshima, Japan. To a place of incommunicable beauty and serenity. Where contemporary art, architecture, and nature blend seamlessly. The grandeur of Tadao Ando's genius manifested in concrete, glass, and steel. This museum showcasing artwork, is itself, a work of art. With time at a disadvantage, the Oval could not be experienced. Assuming photos are an injustice, I will stay awhile, when I return to the Benesse House, Naoshima, Japan.

Skip it! Most of it is only open to hotel guests. Other areas were closed. A few cool pieces but not worth it

Came to Naoshima for a day trip and did Benesse House, Chi Chu and Lee Ufan, in that order. Note that I am not an art enthusiast, so none of the art "awakened" me or anything. You'll probably spend the most time in this museum, mainly because there's more in it, and because the grounds are nice. Very few other tourists.