Facing the 17th-century Nijo Castle in Central Kyoto across the Horikawa-dori street, The Mitsui hotel combines modern-day luxury with ryokan aesthetics, staff dressed in kimono uniforms, and traditional hot spring onsen baths.
Kyoto's brand-new hotel takes inspiration from traditional Japanese inns but replaces thin wooden walls with a rock-solid structure, providing privacy and muted rooms in a visually similar environment to ryokans.
Founded by Mitsui Takatoshi, Mitsui became one of Japan's most powerful families of merchants and industrialists. Their business operated mainly from Kyoto, and it's also where the Mitsui residence was erected.
The hotel is built on the grounds of the centuries-old former quarters of the Mitsui family, and some historic parts are integrated into the new building, like the 18th-century Kajiimiya Gate.
The architectural heritage and Japanese gardens (with sky-high bamboo and Bonsai trees) set a tone of old-world luxury, and the theatrical lobby, with its curtain-like ceiling reminiscent of kimono textiles and wide open front, impresses at first sight.
The master designers who are responsible for seamlessly incorporating Kyoto's heritage into a modern palace are Japanese architect Akira Kuryu and the world-famed Andre Fu Studio based in Hong Kong, which also designed the Maybourne Riviera in France.
The hotel's library has a collection of about 300 books related to Japanese culture, mainly in English.
The hotel's two restaurants are garden-facing, and there is an intimate, contemporary tea room served by the 15th-generation tea master, So-oku Sen. At Chakyo, you can experience traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, where the preparation and presentation of matcha are taken seriously.
Forni
Forni is the hotel's casual all-day dining place, with Japanese and Western breakfasts and wood-oven-fired pizzas.
Yui | Toki
One space, two restaurants - Yui serves traditional Japanese dishes during lunchtime, and then for the evening, it transforms into Toki, which specializes in innovative French cuisine with a Japanese twist.
Shiki-no-ma is the recreation of Mitsui residence's original ceremonial room, a shoeless meeting space with sliding door panels designed by artist Takafumi Asakura.
During morning hours, Shiki-no-ma is home to yoga and pranayama (ancient breath technique) sessions in its tatami-floored space overlooking the gardens.
The Garden Bar
Deluxe Room
Deluxe Garden Room
Onsen Suite
The traditional teahouses inspired Mitsui Kyoto Hotel's 161 rooms and suites.
The bespoke design uses light birch wood, natural carpets, handcrafted walnut furniture, and silk headboard panels by kimono designer Jotaro Saito.
Nijo Suite
The Onsen Suites have an intimate, stone-walled garden with a private onsen bath.
Thermal Spring Spa's dark and mysterious area is located in the basement, and natural stone walls and a mirrored ceiling surround its led-contoured hot pools.
What makes The Mitsui Kyoto so unique is that it's the only hotel in the city's center to have access to hot spring water.
So, you can enjoy the modern and historic urban spaces of Kyoto during the day and plunge into the onsen pools in the evening.
Aburano-Koji St. Nijo-Sagaru, Nakagyo-Ku, 284 Nijoaburanokojicho, Kyoto, 604-0051, Japan
