Guests will enjoy a memorable experience at Suiran, which provides top-class facilities and services along with convenient access to world heritage sites, historical buildings, and the scenic natural landscape of Arashiyama.

Without a doubt, location is the main draw of Suiran Hotel. It's not every day you get to gaze upon unblocked views of the stunningly jade-colored Hozu River and Arashiyama in their full glory, after all.

This view is even prettier during spring when the sakura start blooming. Go to Saryō Hassui, a tea room that's in Hasshōken, a recently renovated building with more than 100 years of history, and you'll be able to sit on its terrace and watch the Hozu River flow by in front of Arashiyama through the seasons.

Guests of Suiran will also enjoy a free flow of champagne here during the evening. Dinner is served at Kyō Suiran, a restaurant dishing out interesting fusion food based on French cuisine aesthetics, but presented kaiseki (Japanese multi-course meal) style. Yet another exciting experience you won't be having anywhere else!

How about an outdoor Arashiyama hot spring right inside your room?

Rooms at Suiran have a modern theme, but traces of traditional Japanese designs are still present throughout. Of the 39 rooms available for booking, 17 come with an attached outdoor bath area, so that guests can relax with a nice, long soak in complete privacy if they so desire.

For the convenience of non-Japanese guests, there is always an English-speaking staff on hand. Information pamphlets are available in English and Simplified Chinese, and guests will have access to free wi-fi on hotel premises.

Most of the well-known sakura viewing spots in Arashiyama are within walking distance from Suiran. Still, we'd like to put a special spotlight on the one in Tenryū-ji. This historic temple is included among the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.

Inside, you'll find Sōgenchi Garden, the first place of interest designated as a National Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty. Behind the garden is Tahōden, a hall surrounded by the graceful drooping branches of Somei-Yoshino sakura.

Climb up Bōkyō Hill for one of the best panoramic views of all the sakura at once if you can! Since Tenryū-ji is a quick two-minute walk from Suiran Hotel, simply staying at the hotel puts you at a distinct advantage in terms of accessibility in comparison with other aspiring sakura seekers!

Covid-19 Countermeasures
Disinfection, sterilization, and cleaning of front desk and facilities / Sanitizer installed in lobby, restaurants, and in front of elevators / Front desk procedures shortened / Disinfected after each guest leaves / Ventilation measures in place / Staff wear face shields/masks, wash hands, disinfect, gargle, and take their temperature / Guests who feel unwell are refrained from staying at the hotel / Masks required/temperature check enforced / Restrictions on room service (entry) for staff

HOSHINOYA Kyoto is a luxury resort situated along the famous Ōi River, which is downstream of the Hozu River behind Arashiyama. The buildings here were constructed more than 100 years ago but have been freshened up through recent renovations.

One of the main attractions of HOSHINOYA Kyoto is in its approach. There's a guests-only cruise boat that takes you there, and since the ride is about 10 minutes, you're treated to a unique view of the seasonal sights and sounds in the vicinity from atop the river along the way. Not many hotels in Kyoto are equipped to give guests such a special welcome!

All 25 rooms of HOSHINOYA Kyoto have windows designed to look like picture frames with great views of the river outside. Guests are guaranteed an eyeful of sakura and ancient trees every time they glance out of the window.

For the convenience of non-Japanese guests, there is always English-speaking staff on hand. Information pamphlets are available in English and Simplified Chinese, and guests will have access to free wi-fi on hotel premises.

If you have your sights set on Arashiyama, then look no farther than the hotel's Floating Tea Room, which features a terrace space protruding out over the section of the Ōi River that flows in front of the hotel. From here, all of Arashiyama's scenery is available for your leisure viewing.

During spring, the terrace is so close to the sakura that you could almost touch them with an outstretched hand. When night falls, the area is lit up with dreamy illuminations.

What’s more, at Hoshinoya Kyoto, you can enjoy an excellent dining experience where dishes reflect the changes in seasons. Delight in Kyoto cuisine that recreates the arrival of spring through slightly bitter flavors and the aroma of budding flowers. These elements are expressed in the ingredients as well as the presentation.

HOSHINOYA Kyoto's boat jetty is right within the neighborhood of Arashiyama, where beautiful spring sakura and wistful autumn maple leaves have been a regular feature since historic eras. The view here is so majestic that royalty and aristocrats have been known to frequent the area to enjoy it.

When the sakura season is in full swing, the entire mountain is painted over with a pastel pink hue, which, when combined with the sakura tree avenue along the riverbank, makes for a massively breathtakingly sight indeed.

Covid-19 Countermeasures
Disinfection, sterilization, and cleaning of front desk and facilities / Sanitizer installed in lobby, restaurants, and in front of elevators / Front desk procedures shortened / Installation of partitions/plastic sheets on the front desk / Disinfected after each guest leaves / Ventilation measures in place / Staff wear face shields/masks, wash hands, disinfect, gargle, and take their temperature / Humidifier and disinfectant installed in all guest rooms / Guests who feel unwell are refrained from staying at the hotel / Masks required/temperature check enforced / Restrictions on room service (entry) for staff

In 2021, Kyoto Hotel Okura celebrated its 133rd anniversary, having housed countless guests from near and far since its establishment in 1888. This means it's the oldest hotel in Kyoto!

Located right smack in Kawaramachi-Oike, in the middle of Kyoto City, Kyoto Hotel Okura is very conveniently located within walking distance of popular tourist destinations such as Kamo River, Kyoto Gyōen National Garden, and food street Bontochō.

Inside Kyoto Hotel Okura, you'll find that the decor is a very pleasing mix of Japanese and European motifs. Service is top-notch, with staff standing at the ready to provide you with that famous Japanese hospitality!

For the convenience of non-Japanese guests, there is always an English-speaking staff on hand. Information pamphlets are available in English and Simplified Chinese, and guests will have access to free wi-fi on hotel premises.

Foreign visitors to the hotel have glowing praise for the experience. One said, "Staff at the concierge can speak English and are always trying to see how they can help me." Another said, "I stayed for three days. I'm very impressed with the professional service provided by the staff here. Breakfast is delicious too. You can catch a fantastic view of the streets below from the room window. I'm especially grateful to the staff at the teppanyaki (grilled food) restaurant Tokiwa and Chippendale bar, for all the delicious dinners I've been served!"

The 321 guestrooms of the hotel come in a variety of types. Choose from executive suites, family rooms, twin rooms, double rooms, or single rooms, just to name a few. All rooms are located on the 7th floor or higher, so that guests will always be able to relax in full view of the Higashiyama District's natural scenery in the distance or the quaint beauty of the ancient city of Kyoto below.

See the sprawling city of Kyoto from 60 meters (about 197 feet) above ground

The hotel has one of the best views of Kyoto city, especially from its penthouse suite or breakfast restaurant, Top Lounge Orizzonte located 60 meters (about 197 feet) above ground.

It's hard to go hungry here as well, with plenty of restaurants, cafes, and bars for your choosing. Pick from French cuisine, Kyoto delicacies, teppanyaki, Chinese food, and more, depending on your mood that day!

Admire sakura of all sorts planted everywhere in Kyoto Gyōen National Garden

The hotel is a 15-minute walk from Kyoto Gyōen National Garden, a sprawling park surrounding the 4-kilometer (about 2.5 miles) long outer perimeter of the Old Imperial Palace in the center of the city. This beautiful garden is home to about 50,000 trees, including plum, sakura, peach, and maple. This ensures that you'll be greeted with fresh new sights here every season!

When strolling along in the garden during spring, you'll encounter many sakura that have historically enjoyed much admiration from the Japanese imperial house. The graceful itozakura will bloom first to herald the imminent arrival of sakura season.

When the flowers are in full bloom, you can also expect to catch sight of the beautiful and majestic Demizu no Shidarezakura and legendary Kurumagaeshizakura, just to name a few!

Covid-19 Countermeasures
Disinfection, sterilization, and cleaning of front desk and facilities / Sanitizer installed in lobby, restaurants, and in front of elevators / Front desk procedures shortened / Disinfected after each guest leaves / Ventilation measures in place / Staff wear face shields/masks, wash hands, disinfect, gargle, and take their temperature / Guests who feel unwell are refrained from staying at the hotel / Masks required/temperature check enforced / Restrictions on room service (entry) for staff

Hotel Mastay Jingumichi’s location can’t be beat! While great for accessing tourist attractions, it’s also away from the hustle and bustle of the city. What’s more, you’re in walking distance of Heian Shrine and the Keiage Incline-sights both famous for cherry blossom-viewing.

All guest rooms also have a kitchen and washer-dryer. With a total of 16 rooms, this is a small scale, luxury apartment-style accommodation-perfect for those who want to enjoy a longer stay. With the help of Ebisu Rickshaw-a traditional Japanese rickshaw tour company, the hotel even offers an original cherry blossom-viewing rickshaw tour!

Hotel Mastay Jingumich generally doesn’t offer stays with meals included. However, meals prepared by a personal chef can be requested separately (standard plans start from 6,050 yen)!

The meals are prepared by Chef Ryo Sakatsuji- the previous head chef of Kyoto Gion’s upscale Italian restaurant, Ristorante t.v.b. Starting with vegetables from Higuchi Farm-a farm with a history of over 400 years, both Japan’s and the world’s finest ingredients are used. These include gems from the land as well as the sea.

During cherry blossom season, there’s even a springtime-limited menu! The cherry on top of using this service is that you can enjoy chatting with a world-renowned chef in a private space.

In total, this hotel has 16 spacious rooms that all offer over 40 square meters in size. Because it’s a smaller-scale facility, guest rooms have been designed to be incredibly spacious. These rooms come in three types.

The first is appropriately named kirameki and kagayaki or, in English, sparkle and shine. With designs inspired by how water glitters, the suite fits up to six people plus an additional two for guests sharing a bed. Second is the hotel’s most popular Ao suite. Equipped with a hanging chair, rooms fit one to two people plus an additional guest when sharing a bed. Last is the Aka suite. This suite gives you an option of a room with either two or four beds. All of the afore mentioned are roomy and enable you to unwind completely!

English-speaking staff are always on site. Wi-fi is available throughout every part of the facility.

What guests say:

“It was awesome that shopping districts such as Gion and Kawaramachi were so easy to access. The bathroom and other parts of the room were clean and easy to use.”

“The location and facility were fantastic! The staff were also friendly and kind.”

A five-minute walk from the hotel is Heian Shrine. Built in 1895, this is a soja-a shrine enshrining several gods. The shrine’s gardens, which feature a path that wraps around the centering pond, spans an incredible 33,000 square meters.

Here lies glorious scenery of a canopy of weeping cherry blossom trees. What’s more, adorning the vermilion‐lacquered Daikokuden-the Council Hall in the Imperial Palace, is a famous cherry tree that’s more than a hundred years old. Don’t forget to draw the cherry blossom-colored flower fortune (300 yen) only available during cherry blossom season! 。

Covid-19 Countermeasures
Disinfection, sterilization, and cleaning of front desk and facilities / Sanitizer installed in lobby, restaurants, and in front of elevators / Front desk procedures shortened / Disinfected after each guest leaves / Ventilation measures in place / Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature / Guests who feel unwell are prevented from staying at the hotel / Masks required/temperature check enforced / Restrictions on room service (entry) for staff/Portable hand sanitizers given out during check-in

Yuzuya Ryokan is a short ten-minute walk from Kyoto Subway’s Shijo Station. Though being close to Yasaka Shrine and Maruyama Park, this Japanese-style restaurant inn has a commanding and quiet atmosphere-making it hard to believe you’re in the bustling district of Gion! It also takes full advantage of Kyoto’s seasons. During your stay, you’ll be able to enjoy delicious dishes made using the freshest of seasonal ingredients.

Moreover, this inn was built by renovating a building from the Showa era (1926~1989)-enabling you to enjoy traditional Japanese architecture such as itado and kurado-Japanese wooden doors with latticework. Upon entering the inn, you’ll be greeted with the light aroma of yuzu citrus wafting throughout the facility. Out of all Yuzuya Ryokan has to offer, an absolute highlight has to be dining at its first-floor restaurant-Isshin Kyo.

Isshin Kyo offers a dining experience that incorporates seasonal ingredients from all over Japan-especially focusing on Kyoto. Some of the ingredients from Kyoto include local vegetables and tofu, yuba-dried bean curd, Kyoto beef, and fresh seafood from the region of Wakasa. In addition to the meals, the restaurant greets you with a ogudosan-a traditional Japanese cooking stove, at the entrance as well as views of the garden’s flowing waterfall. Here you can experience all that a traditional Kyoto atmosphere has to offer.

At the restaurant, aromatic dishes that incorporate yuzu citrus are all the rave! The most popular dishes are, the restaurants specialty, yuzu citrus hot pot and yuzu citrus rice porridge. In the spring, you can enjoy these specialties as a lunch set that includes other traditional Kyoto dishes from 4,620 yen. Furthermore, at night, a kaiseki course- traditional multi-course Japanese dinners, is available from 14,520 yen. Take your time in enjoying seasonal yuzu-filled dishes made to align with the sajiki-almanac of Japan’s seasonal holidays.

English-speaking staff as well English brochures are always available.
Wi-fi is available throughout the facility.

What guests say:

“Although we were initially worried due to the facility being on a crowded street, upon passing through the gate, we felt as though we had slipped into a magical dimension.”

“All the ingredients used were of the highest quality and absolutely extraordinary! We were also completely satisfied with the breakfast.”

With a total of eight rooms, each accommodates one to two guests (please contact the inn for stays of three people or more.). Here you will be greeted by antique chests, wild flowers, and furnishings inspired by the seasons. Upon looking out into the courtyard from the inn’s corridor, you’ll find yuzu and Japanese maple trees. Additionally, the facility offers baths where yuzu citrus floats on the water’s surface. In the summer, you’ll find green yuzu fruits while the winter offers fruits of a vibrant yellow color. Unwinding in the bath’s waters enables you to fully relax both your body and mind.

Although there are many popular cherry blossom viewing spots, we highly recommend Maruyama Park due to its close proximity to the inn. Also recognized as Kyoto’s oldest park, Maruyama offers restaurants and teahouses found surrounding the main walkway around the park's central pond. This area is so charming, the Japanese poet, Akiko Yosano, dedicated one of her poems to a giant weeping cherry blossom tree lovingly nicknamed Gion’s Night Blossoms.

Other than this bewitching tree, there are approximately 690 cherry blossom trees coloring the park pink. Once in full bloom, the trees are lit up at night (yet to be determined for 2023).

Covid-19 Countermeasures
Disinfection, sterilization, and cleaning of front desk and facilities / Sanitizer installed in lobby, restaurants, and in front of elevators / Front desk procedures shortened / Disinfected after each guest leaves / Ventilation measures in place / Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature / Humidifiers and sanitizer installed in all rooms/ Guests who feel unwell are prevented from staying at the hotel / Masks required/temperature check enforced / Restrictions on room service (entry) for staff/

Located an eight-minute walk from Kyoto Subway’s Higashiyama Station is Chion-in Temple. This is the head temple for the Jodo sect of Buddhism where many cultural properties can be found. The Chion-in Wajun-Kaikan Hotel is situated right past the temple’s Nijumon and Sammon gates-two-story gates the largest of their kind in Japan. This is a popular hotel for sightseers due to having many rare cherry blossom viewing spots such as the Keage Incline.

With the opportunity to take part in morning chants, tour of the grounds, and sutra copying-here are cultural experiences only available to those who stay at the historically-rich temple’s guest quarters. Because of this, it’s also a popular option for foreign visitors.

With a total of 50 guest rooms, each is able to accommodate one to three people. Here you can enjoy a simple yet incredibly comfortable stay. Contributing to the homey atmosphere is the hotel’s interior. This consists of furniture made from natural American cherry wood and vegetable tanned leather as well as the finest feather-quilt duvets. What’s more, each room comes with a bath, a bidet toilet with a heated water function, a T.V., an individual air-conditioning system, and a humidifier. In addition to offering modern facilities, this hotel enables you to relax in a yukata- a casual cotton kimono.

On the second basement floor is a large communal bath separated into sections for women and men. An attractive feature of the bathing area is the use of natural rattan wood-making even the changing room a warm, easy-to-use space.

At Kasuian, you can enjoy a variety of steamed dishes. If you reserve in advance, you can also enjoy Buddhist cuisine that doesn’t use any meat or fish. Dinners at this restaurant are an authentic kaiseki-style that incorporates the best of Kyoto’s seasonal ingredients. In the spring you can enjoy bamboo shoots, in the summer, pike conger, and in the winter, crab and cod. For breakfast, you’re served a meal set filled with a colorful array of ingredients.

English-speaking staff are always on site. Wi-fi is available throughout every part of the facility.

What guests say:

“Breakfast was a delicious meal of Buddhist cuisine! The staff are friendly, and everything is exceptionally clean.”

“I got to attend a very special and spiritual Buddhist mass.”

With the many cherry blossom spots available, we highly recommend the unique experience offered at the Keage Incline. Although it takes 20 minutes from the hotel, the walk to this viewing spot enables you to leisurely enjoy scenic Kyoto. As for the inclined railway, at time of its construction it was the longest in the world, spanning 582 meters in length. Until 1948. you could watch vessels with a 36-meter difference in elevation go up and down the incline.

Currently, there are approximately 90 cherry blossom trees along both sides of the railway tracks-enabling you to enjoy a rain of cherry blossoms as you make your way down the path. The view at the top of the incline is absolutely awe-inducing, so don't miss out!


Covid-19 Countermeasures
Disinfection, sterilization, and cleaning of front desk and facilities / Sanitizer installed in lobby, restaurants, and in front of elevators / Front desk procedures shortened / Disinfected after each guest leaves / Ventilation measures in place / Staff wear masks, gargle, wash hands regularly, and monitor body temperature /Guests who feel unwell are prevented from staying at the hotel / Masks required/temperature check enforced / Restrictions on room service (entry) for staff

Here we introduced first-class accommodation that are close to popular cherry blossom spots, have amazing facilities, and offer heartfelt hospitality. With views of elegant cherry blossoms as well as service that will soothe both the body and soul-why not take some time to enjoy a luxurious stay in Kyoto?

*All prices in this article include tax
*Due to the effects of Covid-19, business hours may change, facilities may be temporarily closed, and service may be altered.


Text by Efeel