hoshino resorts confirms opening date with teaser film for former nara prison hotel

hoshino resorts prepares to welcome guests to A former prison

HOSHINOYA Nara Prison in Nara, Japan, has revealed a teaser trailer alongside confirmation that its long-anticipated hotel will open on June 25th, 2026. designboom first reported on the renovation when the initial announcement surfaced in June 2022 and again when more details were unveiled in September 2023. Now, this newly released film gives an early glimpse of the 1908-built complex’s new atmosphere as it’s brought to life by by Hoshino Resorts.

The project occupies the former Nara Prison, the sole remaining example of the Meiji government’s Five Great Prisons. Built in red brick with a radial plan and a central guard tower, the compound has stood on its site for more than a century. Its transition into HOSHINOYA’s ninth property celebrates the architecture itself as the primary experience, with the teaser focusing on the slow reveal of space and the feelings it will bring.

nara prison hoshino resorts
images courtesy Hoshino Resorts and The Former Nara Prison Preservation and Utilization Co., Ltd.

Architecture shaped by preservation in nara, japan

Nara Prison’s transformation for Hoshino Resorts has been led by Azuma Architect & Associates, with principal architect Rie Azuma overseeing the careful adaptation of the historic structure. The original brickwork which was once concealed behind layers of plaster has been exposed and restored. Iron columns and timber surfaces introduce a contemporary register while maintaining a measured dialogue with the existing structure.

Circulation follows the logic of the original prison layout. Long corridors trace the former cell blocks, their proportions preserved, while openings have been adjusted to allow daylight to move deeper into the plan. The spatial rhythm remains deliberate, shaped by repetition and pause, all to give hotel guests a heightened awareness of the building’s past use without overt interpretation.

nara prison hoshino resorts
an example guest room shows a linear array of cloistered cells

Living within the former cell blocks

Guest accommodations emerge from the merging of former cells into suites, each one organized to emphasize volume and material continuity. One of the largest configurations brings together ten individual cells into a single guest room, allowing thick masonry walls to frame a sequence of rooms for rest, dining, and quiet work. Across the property, a total of forty-eight suites follow this approach, ensuring variation within a consistent architectural language.

The teaser film lingers on these interiors, capturing the way light grazes brick surfaces and revealing glimpses of the elongated guest rooms. The atmosphere is shaped by the weight of the existing brick walls and the precision of the interventions.

one of the largest configurations combines ten individual cells into a single guest room

A cultural landmark enters a new phase

Beyond accommodation, the plan includes a detached dining hall and spaces for curated activities, extending the experience across the former compound. Cuisine is set to explore a Japanese-French dialogue, reflecting the Western influences present in Meiji-era civic architecture while remaining grounded in local practice. A publicly accessible museum will also occupy part of the site during daytime hours and will present archival material related to the prison’s history.

Reservations for HOSHINOYA Nara Prison open on January 20th, 2026. As the opening date approaches, the project stands as a rare case where preservation, hospitality, and architectural discipline converge within a single historic framework. Designed in 1908 by Keijiro Yamashita, the former prison now enters a chapter shaped by reuse rather than confinement, adding a distinctive entry to the evolving portfolio of Hoshino Resorts.

nara prison hoshino resorts
a total of forty-eight suites follow this layout