No trip to Japan is complete without a stay in Kyoto, Nippon\u2019s niftiest nexus of sacred sites. But drawing millions of visitors each year has also made Kyoto an emblem of overtourism.<\/p>\n
During cherry blossom high season, the competition for a top hotel reservation can be fierce. <\/p>\n
That\u2019s why you should ditch the beaten-path brands \u2014 like Ritz, Aman and Four Seasons \u2014 and book a name that means little back home but a helluva lot in Japan.<\/p>\n
Soak it in<\/p>\n
Hotel Mitsui has perhaps the best private onsen in Kyoto. HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO<\/p>\n
In the Land of the Rising Sun, the name Mitsui is synonymous with power \u2014 it was one of the four zaibatsu industrial conglomerates (along with Mitsubishi, Sumitomo and Yasuda) that more or less ran the show in Japan until WWII. Hotel the Mitsui Kyoto, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa<\/a>, not only carries its name but sits on the former site of the Mitsui family\u2019s 250-year-old Kyoto estate.<\/p>\n Today it\u2019s a Marriott, but it nevertheless oozes authenticity. Opened in 2020 and set steps from the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Nijo Castle, its 161 sleek, sophisticated Andr\u00e9 Fu-designed rooms are fronted by the Mitsui family\u2019s fully restored 300-year-old gate. Inside, it\u2019s pure Zen (if your idea of Zen involves being drowned in rare sakes and Yamazaki 18 in atmospheric nooks). <\/p>\n The low-rise hotel is centered around a massive four-season Japanese garden, providing tranquility even when Kyoto\u2019s historic geisha districts are shoulder to shoulder.<\/p>\n Mitsui has a fully restored 300-year-old gate. HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO<\/p>\n The hotel\u2019s two restaurants \u2014 the French-Japanese concept Toki and Italian hot spot Forni \u2014 both serve elevated takes on Japanese cuisine without dropping you into the deep end of unfamiliar uncooked sea-creature specialties. Do the staff wear kimonos? Yes. Is there a real mineral-fed onsen on-site? Also, yes (including private suites). Is there a dedicated space for tea ceremonies? Of course. Will you have to sleep on the floor or on a rock-hard mattress like in a hardcore ryokan? No way. The rooms are spacious and plush even by soft-boiled Western standards, with massive private spa tubs, fluffy mattresses and decadent bedding.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Japanese branding is a real benefit, because people want to stay somewhere unique, local and special,\u201d said Stephanie Conchuratt, the Virtuoso-affiliated luxury travel advisor behind Vibe Travel Co.<\/p>\n No wonder it\u2019s a low-key hub for in-the-know Americans (hello, Anne Hathaway). <\/p>\n From $875 per night.<\/p>\n Green house effect<\/p>\n 1 Hotel just made its mark on yet another of the world\u2019s coolest cities. Sohei Oya & Nacasa & Partners Inc<\/p>\n Brooklyn. Miami. Now Tokyo. This March, Barry Sternlicht\u2019s eco-luxe 1 Hotels<\/a> brand planted a seed in yet another one of the world\u2019s coolest cities. Like many of Japan\u2019s best lodging options, hotel numero uno sits atop a gleaming new skyscraper complex: Akasaka Trust Tower<\/a>. Shopping, restaurants and public transit are all downstairs, while hot neighborhoods like Ginza, Roppongi and Shibuya are nearby.<\/p>\n Back upstairs, the hotel has 211 rooms \u2014 including 24 suites and three penthouses \u2014 spread across the 38th through 43rd floors, all designed around 1 Hotel\u2019s organic, biophilic, touchy-feely, exuberantly eco ethos. Architecture and design studio Cr\u00e8me handled the interiors, crafting the rooms and a large airy lobby that feels like an earthy escape in the heart of the land of robots.<\/p>\n Chef Nikko Policarpio, of David Chang\u2019s Momofuku group, handles the chow at signature eatery NiNi. Mikkel Vang<\/p>\n Expect moments of upscale upcycling: glass carafes and cups made from wine bottles; art fashioned from preserved moss and recycled pallets; and a front desk built from old railroad sleepers. If you\u2019re worried that all sounds a bit too crunchy, never fear \u2014 youthful luxury abounds. Head to the Spotted Stone bar, where a martini cart mixes your medicine tableside from a stunning array of nearly 100 Japanese gins \u2014 what the hotel claims is the city\u2019s largest and most eclectic collection.<\/p>\n Saunter into the spa and sweat in the spacious hammam or dip in the mixed-gender pool, where the skyline views make their own splash. Treatments here go hard \u2014 or soft, if you prefer. The spa\u2019s \u201c1 Hotel Tokyo Experience\u201d is a near-impossible-to-replicate ritual combining restorative massage and facial treatments using Bamford skincare. We have an inside source who knows a thing or two about massages in Tokyo, and they say this place blows other top hotels\u2019 pampering programs away. Yes, gym junkies, there\u2019s also a stunning workout suite with Technogym equipment and classes, if you must.<\/p>\n 1 Hotel Tokyo has sublime pool, hammam and sauna spaces. Kentaro Kumon<\/p>\n The hotel\u2019s signature restaurant, NiNi, is led by chef Nikko Policarpio, a veteran of David Chang\u2019s Momofuku group. He\u2019s cooking up fun, easygoing French Riviera cuisine over a natural charcoal grill and serving it with a soup\u00e7on of Japanese refinement. Stop by for the seafood plateau on weekends.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my travels to Japan over the decades, I\u2019ve been struck by the extraordinary beauty of its gardens, the serenity of its parks and the enduring respect for nature,\u201d said Sternlicht. \u201cEven amid the modern architecture and commotion, there\u2019s a sense of peace. With the design of 1 Hotel Tokyo, our first property in this amazing city, we wanted to capture some of that harmonious tranquility.\u201d<\/p>\n From roughly $575 per night.<\/p>\n High ceiling<\/p>\n Nothing was lost in renovation at the newly refreshed Park Hyatt Tokyo. Park Hyatt Tokyo<\/p>\n