Hyatt Regency, Kyoto
Hyatt Regency Kyoto is a luxury hotel incorporating modern Japanese design to create a beautiful contemporary style property in the heart of Kyoto’s Higashiyama district. The hotel features luxury rooms and suites along with several excellent restaurants. Located next to Sanjusangendo temple and across the street from the Kyoto National Museum, the Hyatt Regency Kyoto is an ideal location at which to base yourself during your stay in Kyoto. Within minutes of the property are Kyoto’s Gion and Shijo Kawaramachi districts which abound in shopping and dining options.
Hiiragiya Ryokan, Kyoto
Hiiragiya, established in 1818, is one of Kyoto’s premier ryokans. Unobtrusive, meticulous attention is the hallmark of Hiiragiya. An inscription that holds a prominent place in the entry hall of Hiiragiya – “Kuru mono, kaeru gotoshi” – has become the innkeeper’s motto…that a guest at Hiiragiya might feel “as if he or she has come home.” The service at Hiiragiya is attentive to a fault, but the real charm lies in the time and care given to the most inconspicuous details: catching a glimpse of the gardener carefully removing the last microscopic weed from the mossy garden floor…or the maid, who has been with the inn for over fifty years, fussing over the flower arrangement in the alcove. She must slip the last and most important flower into place just before you enter your room. Located in central Kyoto, Hiiragiya makes for a very pleasant base from which to explore this fascinating city.
HOSHINOYA Kyoto, Kyoto
On the Hozu River, deep in the Arashiyama district of Kyoto, HOSHINOYA Kyoto stands like an aristocrat’s retreat from the Heian Dynasty from over a thousand years ago. Guests arrive by boat, traveling along the river surrounded by lush mountains whose trees change color with the seasons. Arriving at HOSHINOYA Kyoto is entering a different world and a different time.
HOSHINOYA Kyoto promises an extraordinary Kyoto experience. It has traditional yet stylish Japanese rooms with river views and beautiful serene gardens. Here, you can relax with fluffy futons on an elevated platform and elegant couches facing the river. Or enjoy the creative Japanese cuisine at HOSHINOYA, which includes a dynamic demonstration of soba noodle making. If you wish to explore the Kyoto experience further, HOSHINOYA Kyoto offers various cultural activities such as incense and tea ceremonies, kimono rentals, Zen meditation, and guided private tours.
Iyuki Ryokan, Kyoto
Iyuki, located at the top of Maruyama Koen in the heart of Kyoto, is an oasis of refinement and serenity. This beautiful 100-year old sukiya style property, which has been lovingly maintained by the same family for three generations, consists of three simple yet elegant guest rooms. A night at Iyuki is like a stay in a luxurious yet traditional Japanese home where guests are pampered with accoutrements of the finest quality. After awakening in the morning to the gentle ringing of the bells at nearby Chioin Temple, you will be treated to a wonderful breakfast (Iyuki is renowned among ryokan aficionados as having the finest Japanese breakfast in the land). While dinner is not typically served at Iyuki allowing guests to enjoy one of Kyoto’s many fine restaurants, in-house arrangements for dinner can be made.
Miyamasou Ryokan, Kyoto
Miyamasou, located in the heart of the mountains approximately one hour north of Kyoto by car, was originally a Buddhist temple lodging constructed over 110 years ago. A journey to Miyamasou is like a trip through time as one passes through secluded mountain villages that have remained in many ways as they have been for centuries.
This small yet elegant property consists of four guest rooms, three of which face directly onto the gleaming teratani river with the fourth being the original temple lodging. Each room is stunning in its own right. A stay in one of the glass fronted sukiya style rooms facing the river evokes a feeling of being at one with nature while the temple lodging offers a glimpse into a bygone era with gorgeous wood paneling and beautifully adorned fusuma sliding doors. As much as a stay at Miyamaso is a feast for the eyes, it is also a feast for the palate. Miyamasou utilizes the finest seasonal ingredients from the surrounding fields, forests and rivers to create a sumptuous kaiseki dinner and a delectable breakfast. The service at Miyamasou is sublime with friendly and attentive staff.
Miyamasou is beautiful any time of year: mountain cherry blossom trees herald the arrival of spring, fireflies flicker in the summer night air, while autumn brings forth an illumination of a different kind as the mountain side bursts forth in an array of red, yellow and orange only to be followed by a blanket of white snow in the winter.
Tawaraya Ryokan, Kyoto
For over 300 years, the world-renowned Tawaraya Ryokan has been run by generations of the same family. It is one of Kyoto’s classic ryokans with traditional and elegant kaiseki meals served in the confines of your room by ever attentive kimono clad staff. Walking into Tawaraya is like finding the Japan you always read about in glossy photo books: romantic wooden corridors, soft lights from paper-covered lamps, baskets of wild flowers and shadowy rooms open to a moss garden. Located in the center of Kyoto, Tawaraya provides easy access to all of Kyoto’s wonderful sites.
Iori Machiya, Kyoto
Iori’s traditional Kyoto townhouses or “machiya” have been lovingly restored and decorated with fine Asian art and antiques, bringing out the natural beauty of each space. Guests are able to enjoy a traditional atmosphere with all of the modern comforts of home. The Kyoto machiya evolved over hundreds of years to suit the lifestyle of Kyoto’s townsfolk. Machiya, many of which have limited street frontage, were designed for both commercial and residential use with a comfortable living area in the rear of the structure. In older machiya (sometimes called “unagi no nedoko”, or eel bedrooms, due to their narrow but deep footprints), a narrow breezeway corridor often stretches all the way from the street entrance back to the living area. Gardens are generally small although larger machiya sometimes have grand and multiple inner gardens. Use of natural materials in machiya construction, such as clay walls and washi Japanese paper sliding doors, help regulate humidity levels inside the house. Staying at one of Iori’s ten machiya, which are located in the center of the city, is a great way for a visitor to gain insight into Kyoto’s traditional way of life.
