Benesse House (Shima, Japan)

This is *the* place to stay in Naoshima, if you have the money. Every room has its own individual design and art work, with 49 guest rooms across 4 buildings: Museum, Annex, Park and Beach, all designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando. The beauty of staying at the House itself is that you can wander the galleries late into the night after all the riff-raff have departed. There''s also a monorail up to the rooms at the Oval, which also has a spectacular bar where one can watch the sun set. Dinner at the Museum itself is also an experience not to be missed as all the good tables face out onto the bay. Don''t forget to book your slot for Cai Guo-Qiang''s ''Cultural Melting Bath''. It''s a huge Hot Tub surrounded by Volcanic Rocks brought in from China in a private cove not far from Park Building; it can be exclusively hired for an hour (¥1,000) for relaxing, stargazing, sunbathing or love making - in a piece of art. Most rooms must be booked individually; they book up several months in advance, particularly on weekends in the Spring and Fall, but are well worth the cost. Off season booking is far easier, and also easier to extend your stay. The website has a 6 month reservation schedule and detailed room descriptions.