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No other Japanese city can compete with Kyoto for style and grace. For the ultimate experience of Kyoto hospitality, stay in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. Though often costly, a night in a ryokan guarantees you beautiful traditional Japanese surroundings, excellent service, and two elegant meals (breakfast and dinner) in most cases. But you don't have to limit yourself to the traditional. Kyoto is a tourist city, so accommodations range from luxurious hotels to small guesthouses. Service in this city is impeccable. The information desks are well stocked, and concierges or guest-relations managers are often available in the lobby to respond to your needs.
Tucked away in the hills not far from the Golden Pavilion, Aman Kyoto is one of the city's finest establishments, surrounded by an expansive forest garden of green moss-covered lawns and cobbled stone footpaths. The 26 rooms at this secretive, luxurious retreat have a tasteful Japanese aesthetic and include large hinoki wood bathtubs. Service is personal but never overbearing, and the two on-site restaurants, spa, and hot springs all exude top-end luxury.
Along the scenic Kamo River with views of the Eastern Mountains, the Ritz-Carlton provides world-class luxury in a Japanese milieu, with subtle lighting, artistic ornamentation, and a renovated century-old estate used for dining. The rooms are spacious and well appointed in the upscale chain's grand tradition. Some suites even have private gardens. The restaurants include ones serving Western and Japanese cuisine.
Founded by the Okazaki family more than 300 years ago and now run by the 11th generation, this hotel is justly celebrated for its hospitality, sumptuous but subdued decor, impeccable service, and splendid gardens. Dignitaries, presidents, and royalty have all been guests here. Every room is unique, furnished with superb antiques from the family collection and equipped with a fragrant cedar bath. Other amenities include a library and an elegant gift shop. The kaiseki ryori meals are prepared with skill and style.
This midcentury yet traditional inn is within walking distance of the downtown shopping area and has authentic sukiya-zukuri style (teahouse architecture): the rooms have views of the landscaped garden. Each tastefully decorated room has a cypress-wood bath. As at most ryokan, the room rate includes two excellent meals. Guests are served kaiseki ryori, including the specialty tempura, in their rooms. Custom meals are available for vegetarians and vegans.
Nestled in the foothills of the Eastern Mountains, the Four Seasons is a seven-minute walk from the Kyoto National Museum and some of Kyoto’s popular temples. All rooms offer views of the forested hillsides and Myoho-in Temple. An outside-dining deck overlooks the pond, a part of the 800-year old estate and stroll garden.
The original wooden structure of an industrialist's traditional estate was renovated into the river-view dining room of this gorgeous woodsy hotel, one of Kyoto's most upscale properties. The cuisine is nouvelle Japanese served French-style. As with the other facilities here, the restaurant's feel is old countryside resort but with modern hotel conveniences. The Suiran is along the Hozu River, one of Kyoto's main waterways.
