Transfer from Kyoto Station to the Karasuma subway line and go one stop to Kujo Station. Hotel Anteroom Kyoto is about an 8-minute walk from there.

If you want to walk from Kyoto Station, the hotel is about a 15-minute walk from the Hachijo Exit and is located in a quiet residential area, which is surprising considering its location.

And that is the way it is intended because the building used to be a student dormitory built 23 years earlier that was converted into a hotel that opened for business in April 2011. Kyoto is a city teeming with young artists and numerous art colleges, and this hotel was opened to enable guests to enjoy not only traditional culture but “Kyoto Now”, too.

In addition to the guest rooms, into which much attention to detail was paid in their furnishings and artwork, the on-site gallery at Hotel Anteroom Kyoto has also been an attention-getter.

The renovation of Hotel Anteroom Kyoto in 2016 brought it even more attention. The expanded floor space along with the creation of the eight "Concept Rooms" by eight groups of cutting-edge artists including sculptor Kōhei Nawa, plus Mika Ninagawa, and Kenji Yanobe, each of who turned each guest room into a virtual gallery with a world vision uniquely its own.

I had high expectations of the room I was to stay in even before I checked in.

The bright, friendly atmosphere I encountered upon entering Hotel Anteroom Kyoto exceeded my expectations and reminded me of that of a share house. Perhaps that is because the staff all wore the same T-shirt or perhaps because the hotel formerly was a student dormitory; in any case, it had the relaxed, laid-back feeling of friends gathered in a share house.

Based on the concept of "365-day art fair", more than 200 works by about 80 groups of artists, mainly from Kyoto Yukari, are exhibited everywhere in the hall. I was surprised to learn that all of the artwork can be purchased, too!

Also, there are the rich cultural traditions of Kyoto, but the floor expansion presented an opportunity to incorporate a perspective of Japanese art in its entirety. It is not just a simple expression of Japanese and Kyoto styles, but instead a new world view containing elements of "harmony" in contemporary art that are seen everywhere throughout the hotel.

In the gallery located at the back of the first floor, an exhibition is always being held and workshops are also frequently planned. This is also a long-term stay hotel, and the atelier on the first floor serves as the base for artists staying here. In other words, guests who stay at the hotel can experience being in the presence of art being born.

I stayed in concept room "No.152" designed by Mika Ninagawa, a well-known photographer and the director of the movies "Sakuran" and "Helter Skelter". This twin room, which can accommodate up to two people, has a garden with a cherry tree and costs 30,000 yen per night including tax, though the rate varies depending on the season.

The cherry blossom art work of Ms. Ninagawa covers all of the walls in the room and also the lace curtains and drapes have been printed with photos of cherry blossoms. It's designed to appear three-dimensional when the two are overlapped.

It is a Hollywood twin type guest room with 2 beds arranged side by side, and it is designed to bring the garden into the room through the use of a mirror TV.

The bathtub made from Aomori cedar having a diameter of 120 cm is a strong presence in the bathroom. The pleasant aroma of the cedar envelops the room, its comfortable setting further accentuated by the view of the garden. Naturally there is an excellent selection of amenities.

Let’s take a look at some of the other guest rooms.

First let’s look at concept room No.154. The moment you open the door of the room, you will be drawn to the bunch of black, continuous, diagonal lines drawn on the wall above the head of the beds and the garden laid with stones.

This serene space so reminiscent of the world of Zen was created by Kohei Nawa, a sculptor based in Kyoto, who also was responsible for the art decoration in the entire building when it was renovated.

Nawa's masterpiece "Direction", which occupies the whole wall, expresses the gravitational trajectory of paint dropped on a canvas tilted at 45 degrees. The work visualizes the force existing in space.

The wall was painted a light-gray neutral color to enhance the dynamism of the work and the furniture was also tailored to fit the tone of the artwork. Nothing intrudes upon it, and the space is immersed in the world created by the artwork.

All the walls of the concept room No. 652 were painted in jet black so as to provide the best environment for viewing a video.

This was created by KYOTO ART HOSTEL kumagusuku, a leader in the field of accommodation-type art spaces in Kyoto. This distinctive hostel employed a unique approach to the creation of this room by developing the jet black paint used for the walls so that the regularly changed video projections could be more fully enjoyed.

No. 662, with its large eye-catching clothes hook, looks like it could be "Anteroom's version of the house of the giant girl character SunSister created by Kenji Yanobe." The room was designed based on that assumption. The large hook object also functions as a night lamp and creates the mood of being drawn into a mysterious story.

This is concept room No.664. It was born from the fusion of traditional crafts and street art, in the true spirit of Kyoto; a room uniquely suited to the Anteroom. Kyoto paper-hanger Masahiro Inoue filled the bold and delicate lines drawn by street artist BAKI-BAKI with Japanese paper cloth.

In addition, eight artists including Teppei Kinshi, Shiho Ukaji, and Aiko Miyanaga worked on the concept rooms. There are several types of rooms such as single, semi-double, double, twin, terrace twin, and garden twin.

The corridors connecting the rooms, lounge, and communal areas exhibit artwork creating a charming, relaxed, and out-of-the-ordinary atmosphere.

In the shop space on the first floor, works of artists working mainly in Kyoto, books, and other items are sold, as well as the hotel's original T-shirts.

After checking in, you can explore the nearby areas by rental bicycle or you can take the train to go sightseeing and shopping, or perhaps have dinner out. The friendly hotel staff will be happy to give you suggestions. I went to a restaurant in Jujo recommended by the hotel manager.

Rental bicycles can be reserved for use between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., the 1,300 yen rental fee to be paid upon returning the bicycle to the hotel.

If you wish to leave the bicycle at a designated place in Kyoto Station the cost is 1,800 yen (tax is included in both prices). There is also a “Choi Nori” [brief use] bicycle you can use free of charge, though it is not possible to reserve it.

Returning to Hotel Anteroom Kyoto after a very satisfying meal at the restaurant recommended by the manager, I was greeted by the lighted exterior of the hotel. I decided that since I was enjoying myself so much I would drop by the hotel bar for a nightcap.

The bar, just off the lounge, serves beer, wine, and different kinds of cocktails as well as an impressive selection of whiskies. Not being much of a drinker I was not sure what to order, so I asked the bartender who recommended a sampling of three kinds of whisky that cost 700 yen (tax included).

Depending on the type of barrel in which the whisky was aged, it had an aroma of peach or nuts, and the bartender told me how each could be enjoyed straight or mixed with soda.

For food there is an assortment of sausages (500 yen) and in addition, jars of various kinds of snacks, like chocolate and chips, which you can fill a plate with for 300 yen (both prices include tax).

The whisky put me in a good mood, as did the artwork displayed in the corridor, and the photos of the cherries bathed in light in Room No. 152 when I returned conveyed a feeling different from the one in the afternoon.

I took a relaxing and leisurely bath in the cedar bathtub and enjoyed the Kyoto night surrounded by artwork.

The restaurant Anteroom Meals is open from 7:00 a.m. and I went there for breakfast.

Primarily local ingredients are used in the three types of breakfast main courses from which you can choose. It is buffet style that also includes soup, salad, drinks, and dessert, all for 1,000 yen (tax included).

On this day the main courses included focaccia pizza and cinnamon roll, but I selected a Cobb salad with soft-boiled egg, paprika, and radish served in a pita sandwich. The exquisite taste of the navy bean and fava bean soup warmed me through and through. Thought is given to variety in the menu so that guests who spend several nights at the hotel do not tire of the food selections. The attention to the use of color is also evident in the photo!

After fortifying myself with a hearty breakfast I checked out and resumed my sightseeing of Kyoto. One of the hotel staff told me that the Fushimi-Inari Taisha, a popular sightseeing spot, was only a 30-minute walk away. He also recommended a leisurely stroll along the Kamogawa River, so heeding his advice I decided that rather than take the train, I would enjoy walking around Kyoto.

This hotel proposes a new essence embodying contemporary art in the good old-fashioned and historical city of Kyoto. My sensitivity stimulated, I think that I was able to feel the richness of the culture of Kyoto on a higher level as I walked around the city admiring the temples and shrines.

The hospitality offered by Hotel Anteroom Kyoto stimulates each individual’s sensitivity and is without a doubt the reason for its many repeat guests. It’s not just a place to stop and sleep, but a hotel you will want to visit time and time again.

Text by:Wakabayashi Fumiko