Why Stay?

An exquisite blend of Kyoto’s heritage and refined, modern design, Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto appeals to well-heeled foreigners who are enamored with the city’s culture and history yet find traditional Japanese hotels less accessible. Guests enter through a gateway recalling the site’s connection with the illustrious Mitsui family who lived here over 300 years ago. Opened in late 2020, this member of Marriott International’s Luxury Collection was conceived by a dream team made up of Japanese architect Akira Kuryu (a museum-design specialist) and André Fu, who was behind Villa La Coste in Aix-en-Provence and Hong Kong’s The Upper House.

The Neighborhood

Hotel The Mitsui is located in a historic area of central Kyoto. Right across the street is Nijo Castle, a 27-hectare compound built in the 17th century by the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Kyoto Imperial Palace is nearby, as are the shopping streets of Sanjo, full of generations-old traditional businesses that sell rice crackers and brooms handmade with Japanese hemp palms.

Inside the welcoming lobby of Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto.

The Feel

The original Kajiimiya Gate that stood at the Mitsui family’s Kyoto residence was dismantled piece by piece and put back together after a painstaking restoration by a team of craftsmen. Taking pride of place at the hotel entrance, it sets the historic tone of the site and its legacy. The Akira Kuryu–designed main building is a glass-and-steel structure surrounded by winding garden paths (the work of landscape architect Shunsaku Miyagi) meant to echo the aesthetics of the original Mitsui residence. Inside, Fu’s signature aesthetic—refined dark woods and rich textures that exude understated extravagance, is evident. The walls of the double-height lobby are clad in sycamore while a large Shoji lantern hangs from the high ceiling.

Guest Quarters

The furnishings are sparse in flourishes, but rich in textures, perhaps so that they don’t compete with views of Nijo Castle, the eclectic Kyoto skyline, or the hotel’s beautiful gardens anchored by a cherry tree that blooms each spring. The fine craftsmanship is unmistakable. Pale birch-wood bed frames with Kyoto silk–upholstered headboards by kimono designer Jotaro Saito are set against walnut paneling with interlocking joinery. Dense pile carpeting the color of moss adds a feeling of luxury with every barefoot step.

Food and Drink

All-day dining venue Forni serves casual fare like pasta and pizzas from a wood-fired oven alongside a tasting menu. Ask for a table facing the garden for views of seasonal blooms at breakfast. Signature restaurant Toki doesn’t afford the same vistas; guests are seated at a long kabazakura birch wood counter so that chefs can serve food directly. It offers an interesting Japanese-French dining experience orchestrated by head chef Tetsuya Asano, formerly of Ritz Paris. Moreish white miso–marinated salmon and a delectable sweet potato en croûte are just two of the memorable courses. The Garden Bar, a scenic spot for afternoon tea and evening cocktails, is moodily lit after sunset to complement the views of the lantern-lit garden beyond its floor-to-ceiling windows.

Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto draws water from its own underground spring to supply the on-site Thermal Spring Spa.

Wellness Factor

The Thermal Spring Spa sets the hotel apart from other luxury lodgings in Kyoto’s city center; the four-treatment-room facility draws its own mineral-rich spring water from a source more than a kilometer underground. Guests can enjoy a warm soak in the communal bath or in the private onsen bath with a lounge and living area. At night, the view of the dimly lit boulders in the onsen’s compact Japanese garden brings out more local magic.

Family Matters

Kids can stay at Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto, though certain rules apply. Toki’s main seating area has a minimum age requirement; parties with children aged 12 or below may only book the private dining room. Thermal Spring Spa is open to kids aged four to 12 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Sustainability Cred

Through a specialized process, the hotel turns all its food waste into fertilizers and used cooking oil is repurposed into soap. Restaurant kitchens actively cut down on food miles by focusing on local ingredients, particularly from producers in and around Kyoto.

What Else?

Ask for the complimentary Ambassador Art Tour, where you will be taken through the property to see art pieces and antiques of cultural and historical significance. The tour culminates at Shiki-No-Ma, a faithful reconstruction of a room used for entertaining guests at the original Mitsui home. Built of native hinoki cypress, it hosts private dining events and more elaborate Japanese tea ceremonies.

Reviewed by Mavis Teo

hotelthemitsui.com
+81 75 468 3155
284 Nijoaburanokoji-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan

Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa: Refined Heritage

Kyoto Hotels

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