Why Stay?

Given its location—away from the well-beaten tourist track in the northwest of town and at least 35 minutes’ walk from the nearest train station, Roku Kyoto offers a glimpse into another side of the city. Returning visitors who have had enough of the tourist crowds at the Kiyomizu-dera temple in Higashiyama or the bamboo groves of Arashiyama will still want to see more of Kyoto, this time at a more relaxing pace. Roku Kyoto, part of Hilton’s LXR Hotels and Resorts, was the first property to open in Asia under the label, offering seasoned travelers a new kind of luxury with what Hilton claims to be one-of-a-kind experiences. Besides having rooms designed to reference the cultural arts that Kyoto is famous for within a capacious complex (complete with landscaping and reflecting ponds, similar to the grounds of a Buddhist Zen temple), the hotel also offers guests activities such as one-on-one workshops with master craftsmen There are workshops in kintsugi (the art of repairing broken ceramics with lacquer and gold leaf), papermaking, and pottery, as well as visits to generations-old ateliers of gold foil artists.

The Area

The hotel is in the grounds of the Shozan Kyoto Resort, a 29-acre estate opened in the 1950s by Shozan, a kimono maker and textile dyer. The landscaped gardens at the foot of the Takagamine mountains also house a kimono shop, a teahouse, a members-only hotel called Tokyu Harvest Kyoto Takagamine, and several restaurants. The grounds are the former site of an artist’s village founded in the 16th century by Honami Koetsu, a multidisciplinary artist. Koetsu would later become the founder of Rinpa, one of Japan’s major art movements. The surrounding neighborhood is mostly residential with a sprinkling of shops including the oldest soy sauce shop in Kyoto founded in 1805, and a 400-year-old farm that specializes in Kyoto heirloom vegetables. Foreign tourists here are few.

The view from the living room of a Roku suite at Roku Kyoto, LXR Hotels and Resorts.

The Feel

With the lush forests of the Takagamine Mountain as its backdrop, the hotel is designed by Singapore-headquartered Blink Design Group to be a retreat away from the crowds. Guests are invited to tea in an airy, ceramics-filled tea house with wraparound glass walls that allow them to look into landscaped grounds while waiting to check in. Against forest-fringed skies, the complex of buildings is connected by expanses of walkways, pitched roofs, reflecting ponds and gardens.

Guest Quarters

The tranquil panoramas that surround the hotel are a selling point here. Floor-to-ceiling windows that afford views of seasonal foliage are a feature of every room and suite which are decorated with karakami woodblock patterns printed on washi paper. The dominant color in the rooms is light wood, accentuated by earth tones. If hot spring baths are your thing, choose one of the Garden Deluxe rooms on the ground floor. They come with a private Japanese walled garden accessed through a sliding glass door. By the door is a stone bath into which hot onsen water flows (water certified to have sufficient minerals to qualify as an onsen). Guests not lucky enough to book one of these rooms can content themselves with the 25-meter outdoor thermal pool filled with onsen water. Mixed-gender and open to families, swimwear is required in the pool.

Food and Drink

There is only one restaurant at the hotel. The all-glass Tenjin with wraparound views of the property and an alfresco dining area by the Tenjin River (which the restaurant is named after), is divided into different zones, serving French-styled cuisines with Kyoto influences and ingredients as much as possible. For lunch, order the memorable Kyoto duck. There is also a dinner-only Chef’s table where up to 13 guests sit around a black counter for a 10-course menu led by executive chef Akira Taniguchi. Every dish, served on Japanese ceramics, is a piece of art. A menu fixture is the Vegetable Garden, a medley of seasonal vegetables, fruits and flowers which is sometimes served with a cocktail named Hana Monogatari (flower story) if opting for the alcoholic pairing. Poured from a decanter, it is a pretty infusion of seasonal blooms in Japanese gin.

A twin spa treatment room at Roku Kyoto, LXR Hotels and Resorts.

Wellness Factor

The spa’s decor and treatments are a nod to the destination. Washed in ocher, the interiors are filled with ceramics in the shape of bamboo to conjure peace. The Tenjin River features on the menu. A signature treatment, the Tenjingawa stone massage starts with a purification ritual using cedar-scented washi paper to cleanse bad energy. A body massage using heated stones picked from the Tenjin River follows to relax and rejuvenate tired muscles.

Family Matters

Despite the picture of Zen that Roku Kyoto projects, it welcomes families with children. There are menus and in-room amenities designed just for little ones. Children can join their parents for workshops with shokunin (masters in their chosen crafts). There is also a dedicated back-of-house tour at the hotel just for young ones.

Sustainability Cred

The hotel sends broken ceramics to Kyoto kintsugi artists for repairs, embracing sustainability while celebrating the Japanese art form.

What Else?

Foodies will love the yuba-making workshop at the grounds of Shozankaku Matsuyama honten offered by the hotel. Conducted at the yuba (tofu skin) factory next to the restaurant, the session will have interested guests skimming silky smooth bean curd sheets from vats of steaming soy milk before tucking into a lavish kaiseki meal.

Reviewed by Mavis Teo

hilton.com
+81 75 320 0111
44-1 Kinugasa Kagamiishicho, Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan

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