A first look at the new Capella Kyoto, a gorgeous tribute to Japan's art and culture
Editor's Note
While it has long been on travelers' must-visit maps of Japan, the country's ancient capital of Kyoto has been experiencing a luxury hotel boom of late, making it an even more exciting destination than ever. The most recent entrant is a stunning outpost from burgeoning luxury brand Capella Hotels and Resorts.
Welcoming guests since March 22, Capella Kyoto is the growing chain's first property in Japan and takes up residence on the site of a former elementary school dating to 1869.
World-renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma (who also designed the Japan National Stadium for the Tokyo Olympics) oversaw the reincarnation, which is actually part of a three-element development on the Miyagawacho ward's Shinmachi Street that includes the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo theater — long a training ground for the geisha who made Kyoto famous and where guests can now attend performances — and a new community center.
And though this is the city's newest hotel, it sits adjacent to Kyoto's oldest Zen Buddhist temple, Kenninji Temple, which was originally founded in 1202, and the Ebisu Shrine devoted to the seven gods of fortune.
With neighbors like that, culture can't help but seep into every corner of the hotel, with touches both playful and reverent throughout, all curated by Singapore-based Brewin Design Office. Expect everything from traditional tasseled noren textile screens at the entrances with colors that change seasonally (during my stay, the tassels were green to reflect the coming of spring, and one had patches of fabric in a shade of blush to mirror Kyoto's famous cherry blossoms) to both delicate and monumental works of art by contemporary Japanese craftspeople.
First impressions
Capella Kyoto was designed to embody a modern machiya, a wooden townhouse like those prevalent in the surrounding streets. The stylistic hallmarks include elegant bamboo paneling, low-slung seating vignettes in the Living Room lounge and reception area, sliding screens and lanternlike light fixtures that cast a soft glow.
Guest room corridors have shoji screen-inspired windows where gentle afternoon light filters through at magic hour. Indeed, there's plenty to contemplate as you sip on a welcome cup of sakura-scented tea and enjoy a bite of homemade green tea mochi.
Just inside the entrance, a dramatic boulder-embellished indoor waterfall (each stone was handpicked by Kuma's team) brings a touch of the Kansai region's stunning nature indoors.
Across from it, the breathtaking central courtyard beckons with a tranquil pond, a small rock path, Japanese maple copses, a vibrant cherry tree and an alfresco terrace with a fire pit for fine dining when the weather is pleasant.
Every turn presents another hushed corridor leading to a focal piece of art, ranging from glossy ceramics and lacquerware to enormous installations of handwoven rice husks inspired by the symbolic shimenawa ropes hung at torii gates and Shinto temples — all are hints of the cultural treasures just waiting to be discovered out in the surrounding streets. Even the intricately designed keycards carved from fragrant sandalwood are a nod to the plethora of nearby temples.
The rooms at Capella Kyoto
Capella Kyoto has just 60 rooms and 29 suites, ranging from 540-square-foot Deluxe City rooms surveying the surrounding streets from the lower floors to the fourth-floor, 2,200-square-foot Capella Suite. Perhaps most popular are the six Onsen Suites with diminutive Zen gardens on their balconies and private ofuro-style baths filled from a special reservoir of mineral-rich water drawn from nearly 3,000 feet underground at the Hatoya Zuihokaku hot spring.
My Premier Theatre King room looked west toward the Kamo River and the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo theater, though most of my view was taken up by a power pole. Luckily, I could lower gauzy linen sheers with the touch of a button to provide a diffuse light that practically made the dark walnut paneling, buttery gray leather surfaces and hammered brass sconces glow.
The king-size bed was dressed in softly textured Frette linens (all the better to enjoy with provided pajamas made from feather-light birch thread), but the most impressive element was the headboard made from shimmery, locally woven nishijin silk by Hosoo Textiles (founded nearby in 1688) and emblazoned with bold cloudlike kanji characters by Okinawan calligraphist Daichiro Shinjo.
I didn't bother turning on the wall-mounted flat-screen TV during my stay. Instead, I just closed the panels to enjoy some technology-free nights — minus brewing some custom-made tea with the provided kettle in the minibar. (I was also tempted to try a dram of the spiced gin specially made for the hotel by SiCX Kyoto Distillery.)
Providing a haven for relaxation after a day in the city's tourist-clogged streets, the bathroom was paneled in wood with a glossy black-and-white speckled granite countertop and two sinks.
I was delighted to find little boxes of toiletries in one drawer arranged to create a colorized vintage portrait of a geisha.
The glassed-in bathing suite included a traditional hinoki onsen stool and bucket, as well as hand-held and overhead showerheads and a black ceramic tub with dipping borders so you could leave the water running and watch it stream over the edge as you soaked, letting the sakura-scented bath salts reminiscent of perfumes worn by local geiko (what geisha from Kyoto are called) seep into your skin.
There were Bamford skin and hair amenities, too.
The final special touch of each day? Returning after turndown service to find a thermos of hot sakura tea and a little souvenir laid out for me. One night, it was an ema, a wooden plaque offered at Shinto shrines to convey prayers and wishes; another night, it was a knotted silk kumika pendant.
Dining at Capella Kyoto
Capella Kyoto is as much a dining destination as a place to lay your head; the hotel lured chefs Kyle and Katina Connaughton, who run Sonoma's three-Michelin-starred SingleThread, to open SoNoMa by SingleThread. Both have lived and worked in Japan, making this a homecoming of sorts.
Running the restaurant is chef Keita Tominaga, whose menus pay homage to the produce of Northern California that put SingleThread on the map, plus the bountiful Kansai region surrounding Kyoto and Japan's dozens of microseasons.
In practical terms, that means there is only space for about a dozen diners each night. The experience starts in an informal lounge and bar that overlooks the hotel's central courtyard and is designed to evoke an ochaya, or traditional teahouse. After a few small bites and an herbal infusion, diners progress to the main dining room's counter seats.
There, over the course of three hours, a veritable performance of profusion unfolds in the form of a tasting menu ($285 per person).
Dishes like sea bream with smoky matcha rice, ultrafresh Hokkaido uni with avocado puree, tiny Toyama firefly squid with tangy chimichurri, and duck liver parfait accompanied by lily bulbs and toasted mochi rice wrapped in a sakura leaf get the night off to a delicious start. This isn't a solemn procession, though. The chefs talk you through each dish and its ingredients, banter about travel (or anything else) and help you get to know the other guests as you all settle in for the evening.
Depending on the time of year, you might enjoy luscious Mie yellowtail and Shiba snapper with ponzu and citrus; tempura bamboo shoots in chicken jus with powdered olive oil and pickled lemon gel; melt-in-your-mouth Hokkaido ocean trout smoked with cherrywood chips in a unique ibushi pot made from special Iga clay and topped with ume plum sauce and peppery hana sansho buds (which only bloom for a few weeks each year); caviar over a Hokkaido potato emulsion with meaty shimeji clams and dusted with spring onion ashes; succulent Kameoka filet mignon with barley and miso-wrapped spring cabbage; and kumquats and hairy crab rice with a savory dashi.
To finish, you might enjoy delicacies like earthy barley cake with citrus-infused honey, madeleines with fennel powder and sauternes perfume, and beeswax gelato from executive pastry chef Emma Horowitz and chef Miu Morita.
If it's within your budget, add on the wine pairings ($160) and enjoy accompanying sips like 2015 Dom Perignon Champagne, Radio-Coteau Savoy Anderson Valley chardonnay, Iwa sake and Jacques Cacheux Vosne-Romanee Aux Ormes Burgundy. There's also a nonalcoholic pairing that includes fanciful concoctions like violet-hued butterfly pea flower juice cut with lemony yuzu.
The hotel is also home to Yoi (which means "twilight" in Japanese), a cross between a sultry cocktail lounge and a teppan grill with both casual and gourmet bites, plus creative drinks.
Meanwhile, Lanterne, a bright brasserie adjacent to the Living Room, serves as the property's casual cafe and patisserie. It's where locals come to savor tantalizing seasonal strawberry tarts in a gardenlike dining room.
Breakfast is served here as well and includes a buffet of cold dishes, fruits and pastries for guests to graze on before selecting hot dishes like fluffy matcha pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream, and a full Japanese set breakfast with various pickles, classic tamagoyaki (rolled omelets) and filets of fresh fish, such as a miso-glazed black cod. (The meal is included in most rates.)
At dinner, the menu transforms into a contemporary Japanese-French affair, with specialties like a buttery, rich king crab pain perdu with kumquat and decadent bisque sauce, and tender chicken crepinette with spring vegetables and Albufera sauce (three courses for $41, though some dishes carry a supplemental charge).
The Spa at Capella Kyoto
Capella's proprietary Auriga Spa features treatments inspired by lunar and seasonal cycles, along with a host of other standard offerings in its four hinoki-scented treatment rooms.
It is also the first spa in Japan to feature treatments incorporating Shiseido's prestige line of skin care products, The Ginza. The hourlong facial I had ($240) included a gentle cleansing and ultramoisturizing mask that left my skin feeling dewy for hours (literally until bedtime).
Other signatures range from the new moon full body massage (60 minutes for $240) to The Ginza full body experience, which includes a hot stone massage (90 minutes for $295).
Those who want an onsen bathing experience without the strictures of a public facility can reserve one of the spa's three onsen suites for 60 or 90 minutes (starting at $130 for an hour). They have expansive bathing areas complete with open showers and oversize stone ofuros for salubrious soaks. There are also en suite bathrooms and comfortable living rooms where guests can take breathers while donning provided yukata robes.
Then again, you can just relax in the men's or women's locker room. Each has its own sauna, steam room and experiential shower, among other amenities.
Amenities and service
- The service is personal and warm but utterly efficient and polished.
- The gym is large for a hotel of this size and chock-full of Technogym equipment, weights and cardio machines. Personal training sessions are available as well.
- Capella is known for its cultural programming, so be sure to ask one of the "Culturists" hanging out in the Living Room what's on the calendar.
- There's a geiko performance each evening in the Living Room. Typically, it's a dance, after which guests can enjoy a brief question-and-answer session with the visiting geiko.
- Among the other cultural activities are sake tastings held in Yoi and visits to the nearby Gion Naito atelier to learn how traditional geta sandals are made.
- The friendly concierges can advise on everything from insightful tours to last-minute dinner reservations and the city's best shopping.
Capella Kyoto location
Capella Kyoto sits in the beating historic heart of the city, the Miyagawacho district, which is slightly quieter than the adjacent Gion district, though equally famous for its geisha. You might spy geiko and maiko (apprentice geisha) shuffling to and from appointments in the evening (or even stopping by Lanterne to purchase pastries).
Major sights like the towering Yasaka Pagoda and the temple complex at Kiyomizudera, as well as the hodgepodge alleyways of Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, are just short walks to the east, while the riverfront is a quick stroll to the west.
Kyoto Station, where the Shinkansen bullet trains from Tokyo and Osaka arrive, is a 15-minute taxi ride away. The drive costs around $12 to $20, depending on the vehicle.
Booking Capella Kyoto
Rates at Capella Kyoto start at $1,460 per night in the coming months. Premier Theatre King rooms, like the one I stayed in, start at $1,540.
At the time of writing, Capella Kyoto was not yet participating in one of the premium credit card hotel booking portals, but other Capella locations are part of American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts, so I expect this one will be eventually, too.
Accessibility
Capella Kyoto has a single Premier Temple King room that is Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant. Its public areas, restrooms and restaurants are all wheelchair-accessible, thanks to ramps and elevators.
Bottom line
In a city already brimming with a plethora of elegant luxury hotels, Capella Kyoto still stands apart thanks to its exquisite attention to details both large and small throughout its design and decor, its fabulous location in one of the city's most sought-after neighborhoods and the fact that SoNoMa by SingleThread is bound to become a landmark local dining experience.
The only concern you might have is that the guest rooms and spa are so inviting, you might have a hard time leaving the hotel to experience Kyoto's cultural riches, whether through the unique activities arranged by the Capella team or those you plan yourself.
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