Subjugués par cet établissement hors pair, ouvert il y a moins de 2 ans. Un lieu moderne, face à une baie emplie d’îlots, œuvre d’un designer japonais reconnu. Épuré. Travail sur les formes , les matériaux , les lumières , pour mettre en valeur un environnement exceptionnel. Chaque chambre donne le sentiment d’être seul face à la baie. Chambres très spacieuses, avec un raffinement calculé en tous points, y compris les ustensiles, les tenues mises à disposition … Un bain extérieur adjacent à la SdB, face à l’horizon . Aucun vis à vis bien sûr, si ce n’est quelques petits bateaux de pêche de passage au loin et quelques brumes parfois. Un côté Bras à Laguiole pour l’épure du bâtiment isolé en peine nature, et Roellinger à Cancale pour la vue magique sur la baie … Même qualité au plan de la restauration , PdJ comme dîners. Service en regard du lieu. Un lieu magique donc, sur cette île Fukue de Goto, qui bénéficie de paysages exceptionnels pour qui aime les forêts, la nature, les paysages, la mer, les îlots … Moins sauvage que Yakushima ( où l’hôtel Sankara est également un lieu exceptionnel …), mais suscitant ce même désir d’y revenir … PS : la végétation est en pleine “repousse” mi Avril, ce qui donne de très beaux contrastes de verts, mais cela doit être fabuleux en Mars, en pleine floraison des Azalées, rhododendrons et camélias qui peuplent les forêts …
This was our first visit to the Goto Islands, a chain of five islands off the coast of Nagasaki. We took the 30-minute flight directly to Fukue Airport on the main island of Fukue, rather than taking the slightly longer ferry ride to the port terminal, and rented a car as we expected to explore various areas of the island.
We spent 2 nights at Goto Retreat ray, and it was our third Onko Chishin property (Setouchi Retreat Aonagi and Iki Kairi Murakami being the others) - among Japanese luxury hotel/ryokan chains, we feel that Onko Chishin is far superior to Hoshino and almost on the same level as Fufu. Goto Retreat ray was newly established in 2022, so we knew that the hard product would be excellent, and it was.. for the most part.
Upon arrival we were impressed with the views from the reception area as well as our room - the panoramic view of the endless ocean was not unlike Iki Kairi Murakami, and the floor-to-ceiling windows everywhere really gave Goto Retreat ray a sense of place... that you're on a relatively remote island surrounded by nature and water.
We booked the Deluxe Twin Room with Sea View, the top category accommodation at Goto Retreat ray. It's 70m² in size, has a Junior Suite-style layout and isn't much different than the 58m² Superior Room, which comprise the majority of the rooms. It appears the only differences are the larger vanity area (with two sinks rather than one) and the additional lounge chairs and coffee table in the living room area - not entirely necessary, but I'd imagine the Deluxe Rooms would feel more spacious than the Superior Rooms. This is my first beef here - as a new luxury property, I would've hoped for true Suites that were larger than what was on offer. Unlike Setouchi and Iki Kairi, there were no uber "special" rooms that were over 100m² - an issue for us, since there's the word "retreat" in the name. For those looking for a blissful stay and have no intention of setting foot outside the property, the somewhat small size, the lack of separate bedrooms and living rooms, and the omission of a balcony is a miss in our book. Note also that Onsen (hot springs) baths are nowhere to be found on site - supposedly there is only one area in the entire island that has hot springs. The notion that Onsen can easily be found anywhere by drilling underground is an unfortunate myth.
The quality of the food offerings was excellent - the area around Goto Islands is known for having top quality seafood, and during our time there, Kue (Longtooth Grouper) was in season. Over the course of our two kaiseki dinners, they served Kue sashimi as well as Kue Shabu Shabu (a hot pot) and a wonderfully prepared sauteed Kue "steak." The kitchen uses liberal amounts of additional local ingredients, including Aosa Nori (a type of green seaweed), and offered their own take on Goto Udon, which is considered as one of the three major Udon varieties in Japan (Sanuki and Inaniwa being the others.) Two nits to pick about the cuisine, however... first off, we paid for the "upgraded meal." Typically, we expect this to mean there would be higher quality (and more expensive) ingredients, but not in this case. While they did provide fantastic sauteed Abalone (along with sauce made from the Abalone liver) and grilled Ise-ebi (Spiny Red Lobster) with cheese and garlic sauce, among others, they were additions rather than replacements - two additional dishes for each dinner! As a result, we were absolutely bloated towards the end of each meal, which impacted the enjoyment of dinner itself. By the second go-round, we knew better and elected to have one of the upgraded courses served during breakfast the following morning. We were also disappointed by the Goto beef that was served - it was hard, chewy and lacked flavor. When I asked what part of the beef it was, I was told it was rump steak. While I've had my share of good Rump Steak, and I wasn't expecting Chateaubriand or Rib Eye, I was hoping for something better than what they served us. If anything an upgraded meal should have consisted of a higher quality cut of Goto Beef.
While we were pleased with our time spent at Goto Retreat ray, and it's undoubtedly the top luxury property in Fukue, unless you have a reason to visit Goto (namely to explore the UNESCO churches in the area), I wouldn't recommend anyone to go out of their way to stay here. And yes, a rental car is a requirement if you want to get around. We got a vehicle from Toyota Rent a Car at Fukue Airport (like Nagasaki Joe, we flew into Goto from Nagasaki), which allowed us to visit Dozaki Church and Mitake Enchi, the latter featuring a row of Sakura Cherry trees in a circular pattern (it was full bloom when we were there), and is particularly photogenic when viewed from above at the Mt. Mitake Observatory, a hill that's about 144 meters above sea level. We also tried out Kankoro Mochi, a "wagashi" treat - a type of mochi typically mixed with parboiled sweet potato and is prevalent in Goto. We also chartered a private boat to take us to some of the adjacent islands, which also allowed us to visit Egami Church and Gorin Church. Given that ferry schedules to the minor islands is extremely sporadic (often just one round-trip per day), the number of tourists at these UNESCO churches are few and far in between. The caretaker of Gorin Church mentioned that visitors average about 400 per month(!) We had both locations all to ourselves, which added to the peacefulness and allowed us to reflect on the hardships that the Kakure Kirishitans (Christians that practiced in hiding) had to endure by fleeing to such a remote outpost and living with meager means.
Overall, we very much enjoyed our trip to the Goto Islands, and Goto Retreat ray had a lot to do with it. However, the (comparatively) small-ish rooms, the lack of Onsen, the limited facilities (no pool or gym) and zero on-site cultural experiences (they really ought to have something... hiring local performers, having some exhibits by local artisans, doing a lecture on Goto's Christian history, etc.) prevent it from being a true "destination" property.
