Hillside onsen sanctum
Sloping paths and reflecting waters create a quiet mountain stillness, where rustling bamboo frames geiko and maiko arts on the open-air stage.
“The hotel sits on the calm forested slopes of the Higashiyama Mountains on the eastern edge of the city.”
What it’s good at
Remarkable
Timber lattice eaves, a cantilevered gabled entrance, and an open-air cedar Noh stage overlooking bamboo forest.
Notable
Welcome matcha whisked in the lobby lounge, nightly turndown treats, and dedicated concierge care with quiet hillside discretion.
Notable
Higashiyama thermal spring water feeds indoor-outdoor communal baths and deep wooden soaking tubs in private retreat rooms.
What they say
One Michelin Key
Michelin
Also in Condé Nast Traveler, The 50 Discovery and Wallpaper*.
it has its own bamboo garden; beyond its silent, elegant ryokan-style rooms with tatami mats and wooden bathtubs, the hotel is the only one in the city with a Noh stage
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
A stone path leads downhill to Kiyomizu-dera and Kodai-ji temples, while the hillside setting stays insulated by mountain greenery.
The rooms
Tatami mat floors and aromatic hiba soaking tubs anchor the rooms, while Onsen Retreats add private thermal spring baths.
The spa
Soak slowly.
Treatment suites hold private hinoki cypress soaking tubs and steam saunas set beside garden lightwells.
The baths and gym
Natural thermal spring water fills the indoor granite bath, and the adjacent oak-paneled fitness room overlooks the grounds.
At the table
Ryozen serves seasonal kaiseki overlooking the open-air Noh stage, and Bar Ryozen pours rare single-malt Japanese whiskies.
Rooms and suites draw inspiration from Japan’s ryokan-style design concept, with guests invited to remove their shoes before setting foot in the tatami-floored spaces.
How it began
Built on the grounds of the former Hotel Ryozen, the retreat integrates historic mossy stone walls into modern timber architecture.
“The Yukio Hashimoto-designed guest rooms – divided into two adjacent buildings – have a light purist beauty, fusing traditional Japanese aesthetics with a comfortable contemporary edge.”
Good to know
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Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto Hotel
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.