The Imperial Hotel Kyoto is a 55-room luxury hotel that inherits the architectural style of the Ya-ei Kaikan, a registered tangible cultural property and a designated historical landmark of Kyoto City. The Ya-ei Kaikan, completed in 1936, is a reinforced concrete theater building with five stories above ground and one below. The building was originally used as a venue for theatrical performances and ningyo joruri (puppet theater), and has also served as a movie theater, dance hall, concert hall, and various other entertainment venues, making it a familiar symbol of the city. The decision to re-launch the hotel as the Imperial Hotel was made in 2018, and construction began in 2022 across the Corona Disaster, and has now been completed and opened for business. In order to preserve the exterior of the Yaei Kaikan, an important cultural asset, only the south and west walls were demolished and a new building was constructed. The area using the exterior wall of the Ya-ei Kaikan is designated as the “main building preservation,” and the newly constructed area inside is divided into the “main building” and the “north building” adjacent to the north of the main building, where guest rooms and facilities are located. The exterior wall of the “Main Building Preservation” has also been newly protected from falling tiles, as it will be used for more than 100 years since the construction of the Yayei Kaikan. Furthermore, on the west side of the south facade (front facade), which everyone who visits the hotel will see, the original tiles were “kept alive” and those that were found to be sound were reused, and together with the newly manufactured “restored tiles,” they decorate the exterior of the Imperial Hotel Kyoto.
The guest lounge is a quiet space with a Japanese-style atmosphere The guest lounge is located at the back of the hotel, across the door from the entrance, and is modestly illuminated to provide a space where guests can relax and unwind. The ceiling height is low for today’s hotels because the design left the exterior walls of the Yaei Kaikan building in place, so it was not possible to create a vaulted structure, but the space is designed to appear as if it were expanding horizontally. The ceiling is sloped toward the large windows and appears to continue to the eaves outside the windows, blurring the boundary between the inside and outside and creating an atmosphere as if one were on a large porch. The materials and decorations of the pillars, furnishings, and artwork displayed in the building were also carefully selected using keywords such as “Yaei Kaikan,” “Imperial Hotel,” and “Kyoto. For example, the decoration embedded in the pillars of the lounge is made of terra cotta castings used in the Wright Pavilion (formerly the Imperial Hotel), and the tables have a polygonal design in the Art Deco style, which was popular during the Yaei Kaikan era. The following photos were taken with the camera’s manual exposure control to get the brightness as close as possible to what you see in the photos. We hope you will also appreciate the calm and serene atmosphere of the building.
Relaxing accommodation rooms with many carefully selected natural materials A total of 55 guest rooms of 12 types are available. All rooms are over 50 m2, and the most important feature is the spaciousness of the rooms. Although it is a luxury hotel, the interior design is not showy at all, with domestic wood and clay used, and furnishings and artifacts casually displayed. The hotel is decorated with an emphasis on the tradition and prestige of the Imperial Hotel, while at the same time maintaining a sense of quietness and cleanliness typical of Kyoto. The rooms are also designed to make the most of their location next to the Gion area and the Uta Bunraku (Japanese classical dance performance hall), with the large roof of the Uta Bunraku in front of the windows, for example, and the alley where Geisha and Maiko go when the doors are opened. The room rates are not cheap, starting at 159,400 yen per room for two persons, but the wabi-sabi atmosphere of the Imperial Hotel Kyoto is especially appealing to the wealthy inbound travelers. Example of room type Grand Premier (North Wing):
50-71m2, 4 rooms
From 208,000 yen per room for 2 persons (including tax and service charge, excluding accommodation tax)
Heritage Junior Suite (preserved in the main building):
79-100m2, 3 rooms
From 255,600 yen per room for 2 persons (including tax and service charge, excluding accommodation tax)
Grand Premier with balcony (main building):
57-65m2, 12 rooms (including 1 room with balcony)
From 316,300 yen per room for 2 persons (including tax and service charge, excluding accommodation tax)
Yayoi Suite (main building preserved):
103m2 + balcony 13m2
From 622,400 yen per room (incl. tax, exclusive of accommodation tax)
Imperial Suite (main building):
128m2 + terrace 65m2 (with gazebo)
From 3,000,000 yen per room (incl. tax, exclusive of accommodation tax)
Sophisticated restaurants and bars that can be enjoyed with all five senses The hotel has two restaurants and two bars, of which one restaurant and one bar are open to non-guests. Restaurant “Ren” (French Cuisine/Dinner) Based on the French cuisine inherited from the Imperial Hotel, this restaurant offers a menu that expresses the changing seasons of the 24 seasons in the context of Kyoto’s climate. The counter allows diners to feel the chef’s gestures, the heat of cooking, and the aroma of the food up close, allowing them to enjoy the cuisine with all five senses. Business hours: 17:30-22:30 (L.O. 20:30)
Closed on Sundays (open on Sundays and closed on Mondays when the following Monday is a national holiday)
Seating: 18 seats in total (10 at counter and 4 at tables) Restaurant “Yaei” (All-day dining) The restaurant will have a grill oven using wood and charcoal to offer new tastes crossed with the Imperial Hotel’s traditional Western cuisine. For example, hamburgers grilled in the wood-fired oven grill are said to have the aroma of wood, which is different from that of charcoal grilling. The menu also includes curry rice and pancakes in the tradition of the Imperial Hotel. It would be a good place to stop by for a meal while sightseeing in Gion. Hours of operation:
［Breakfast] 6:30 a.m. (7:00 a.m. for Japanese breakfast) – 10:30 a.m. (L.O. 10:00 a.m.)
［Lunch] 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
［Tea time] 14:30-17:30
［Dinner] 17:30-22:00 (last order 21:30)
Seats: 54 in total The Old Imperial Bar is a classic, authentic bar that bears the name “Imperial”. The walls are decorated in a manner reminiscent of the Wright Pavilion, giving it a sense of tradition and prestige. Over the counter you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city of Kyoto, Higashiyama, Kitayama, and Hieizan. Mount Hiei” is based on the original cocktail “Mount Fuji,” which has been served at the Imperial Hotel for over 100 years, and is completed with ingredients from Kyoto such as matcha green tea and yuzu. Hours: 17:00 – 24:00 (L.O. 23:30)
Seating: 19 seats in total (10 counter seats, 8 box seats) The Rooftop *Only for hotel guests The rooftop bar will also be on the roof of the main building. There are no tall buildings around the Imperial Hotel Kyoto, and the views facing north and west are outstanding. The drinks will be the same as those served at the “Old Imperial Bar”. However, it will be open seasonally from late March to late November, and will also be closed during inclement weather and during the day when extreme heat is expected. It is likely to offer a luxurious experience during the nighttime when the weather is mild. Business hours: 11:00 – 22:00 (L.O. 21:30)
*Closed in winter (late November to late March). Temporarily closed during inclement weather and on days when extreme heat is expected.
© Source travel watch