2 Best Hotels in Northern Kyoto, Kyoto

Directly across from the Kyoto International Conference Hall, nestled in a forest setting, this grand hotel will make you feel like visiting royalty. Rooms are spacious, with views of lush greenery on both sides, some facing the nearby mountains and others the inner garden. Demonstrations of the tea ceremony take place in the teahouse beside the garden pond upon request. The chef of the French-themed Beaux Sejours restaurant is one of city's most talented practitioners. The Kokusai Kaikan subway station is a few minutes away by foot.

A bit of a miniature miracle, the Ryokan Seryo is in the semirural village of Ohara, near the Sanzen-in Temple. The rooms are spacious with views of beautiful gardens and access to natural hot-spring baths in the rooms. Breakfast and the kaiseki dinner includes mountain vegetables and seasonal specialties like wild boar stew in winter, and is served on a veranda overlooking the koi pond. Two new rooms have outdoor baths with memorable mountain views. The hotel is a 70-minute bus ride from Kyoto Station or from buses leaving from the Kokusai Kaikan subway station, 20 minutes away.