Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto stands beside Nijo-jo Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on the site of the Kyoto residence of the Kitake, the senior branch of the Mitsui family, who held the property for more than 250 years. Guests arrive through the Kajiimiya Gate, built in 1703 for a temple court, moved to the Mitsui residence in 1935 and taken apart and restored for the hotel with more than 80 per cent of its original timber. The architect Akira Kuryu and the designer André Fu led the project, and the landscape architect Shunsaku Miyagi recreated the family garden as a courtyard of about 1,300 square metres, keeping its old stone lanterns and rocks; the restaurants and bar are arranged around it. Rooms reinterpret the tearoom in natural materials, and Shiki-no-ma, a reconstruction in Japanese cypress of part of the Mitsui home, hosts private dinners and tea gatherings. At Toki, chef Tetsuya Asano cooks contemporary French food on stocks made with Kyoto's soft water, and Forni and the Garden Bar complete the choice. The thermal spring spa draws water from a natural source some 1,000 metres below the hotel.
- Nearest airport
- Osaka International Airport, Itami (ITM), 23 Miles / 37 Kilometres
- Rooms
- 160 rooms and suites
Insider tip Book an Onsen Suite for its private outdoor spring bath beside a small courtyard garden lit by stone lanterns.
Why I choose it A family estate beside Nijo-jo Castle, entered through a gate of 1703, with a hot spring beneath it and a garden at its heart.