Hoshinoya Kyoto

Kyoto can be said to embody the very spirit of Japanese culture. Now we’ve seized the opportunity to create an inn where guests can fully experience Kyoto’s wonderful blend of tradition and modernity. The Arashiyama area, with its famous Togetsuyo Bridge, is a place without any tall, modern buildings. It retains that old Kyoto feel. Arashiyama was a resort area for the people of Kyoto, influenced by the culture of the Heian Dynasty. It is here where our guests board a boat at the base of the Togetsukyo bridge and enjoy the beautiful scenery for a short ten minute cruise up the Ooigawa River where Hoshinoya Kyoto is revealed. Just how separate this place is from the rest of the world becomes apparent the minute you come ashore. During the day, other people can be seen boating on the river and visiting the nearby mountain temples, but by nightfall, the Hoshinoya guests are the only ones left in this mystical world.

Suminokura Ryoui, a wealthy Kyoto merchant used this private riverside retreat as a library and second home until it was converted into an inn approximately 100 years ago. To stay in a place with the privacy of a private home while indulging in the refined cultural joys Kyoto has to offer is our overall theme.

All 25 rooms offer a view of Arashiyama’s beautiful Ooigawa River, where guests can enjoy the picturesque changing of the seasons to their hearts’ content. The buildings have been handed down through the generations and given a sophisticated Hoshinoya touch.  Enjoy a relaxing stay in one of our spaciously designed rooms.  Choose the right room for your taste and group size from nine different types.  Guestroom amenities include refrigerator, electric kettle, safe, CD player, reading light, western-style toilet, floor heating system, hair dryer, shampoo, conditioner, body soap, hand soap, toothbrush set, hairbrush, shaving kit, bath towels, face towels, hand towels, yukata robe, pyjamas, tabi (split-toed) socks, slippers, and zori sandals.  DVD players and projectors are available (for a fee).   All guest rooms feature wireless LAN access (and one wired port), and the service is available 24 hours per day. The library lounge also features wireless Internet access, as well as a study corner with a communal computer. There are no computers available to lend out for private use.

At Hoshinoya Kyoto, you are not bound by time. You may select your meals for the day as you desire. You may select the menu and dining location as you desire. We offer you the luxury to enjoy the meal of your choice in the way of your choosing.  Our guest room charge is exclusive of meals because we prefer our guests to enjoy dining as they wish. You may select what you desire for both dinner and breakfast. We offer you a variety of unique menus and restaurants focusing on seasonal ingredients typical of Kyoto. Our seasonal Kyoto cuisine are using ingredients prepared using a variety of cooking techniques for your delectation. A selection of aged wines and sake has been chosen to complement your dining experience. To complete the dinner, we offer Hoshinoya Kyoto specialty buckwheat soba noodles.

The Library Lounge, with its superb view of the water garden and Ooigawa River beyond it, is free for everyone to use. The theme of the library is “luxurious excess” and it is stocked with a variety of books including many books about Kyoto. Enjoy a drink while basking in the timelessness of the space.  A modern pond and terrace grace the water garden that spreads out before the Hoshinoya Kyoto library lounge.  Behind the guest rooms lies the back garden. Enjoy traditional Kyoto-style landscapes with a modern twist.  Arashiyama Mountain is incorporated into the view with the borrowed scenery technique. The gardens are lit-up in the evening.  The public tatami room, Tsukinami, acts as the drawing room of Hoshinoya Kyoto. Guests can also enjoy traditional Japanese games in this room.

For a perfect illustration of inyodo — Japanese feng shui — turn to HOSHINOYA Kyoto. Set in the scenic Arashiyama district and accessible by a leisurely boat ride along the Ooigawa River, this tranquil 25-room resort is fashioned in the style of a traditional ryokan (Japanese inn) and exudes a sense of pure ease and relaxation. The calming interiors feature heated wood floors, handmade wallpapers and shoji-style sliding doors; outside, lantern-lit stone walkways lead through serene Japanese gardens and cedar trees. A modern kaiseki dinner waits in the evening; watch it take shape in the hands of the acclaimed chef.

Recently the resort was the proud recipient of a Michelin star for its restaurant and the Michelin Five Red Pavilions award — the highest Michelin honor for a hotel.Distance from Kansai Airport (KIX): 100 minutes