Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Japan / Kyoto / Capella Kyoto
Capella Kyoto
Kyoto, Japan · Capella · Grand Luxury
Opened March 2026 on the former site of Shinmichi Elementary School, Capella Kyoto was designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates, who simultaneously restored the adjacent 150-year-old Miyagawa-cho Kaburenjo geisha performance theatre, reclaimed school timber was built into the Japanese restaurant's interiors, and the original cherry and maple trees were transplanted to the new courtyard, beside Kenninji, Kyoto's oldest Zen temple, with a 12-seat chef's counter run in collaboration with Kyle Connaughton's three-Michelin-starred SingleThread.
- 89 rooms
- Opened 2026
- Neighborhood: Higashiyama Ward
- Rooms from 538 sq ft (50 m²)
- Architect: Kengo Kuma
- Interiors: Brewin Design Office
About Capella Kyoto
- SingleThread's own pastry chef, Emma Horowitz, runs the hotel's dedicated patisserie counter.
- The spa includes three private onsen rooms.
- Entry-level rooms start at 538 sq ft (50 m²).
History
Opened March 2026 in Kyoto's Miyagawa-cho geisha district, on the site of the former Shinmichi Elementary School. Kengo Kuma also renovated the adjacent 150-year-old Miyagawa-cho Kaburenjo geisha performance theatre as part of the same development. Reclaimed wood from the demolished school was incorporated into the Japanese restaurant interiors, and the school's original sakura trees were carefully relocated and replanted.
The setting
Capella Kyoto opens at 130 Komatsucho in Miyagawa-cho, one of Kyoto’s five historic kagai, or geisha districts, with roots in Kabuki performance dating to the 17th century. The hotel forms part of a development alongside the restored Miyagawa-cho Kaburenjo Theatre, where geiko and maiko rehearse each spring, while Kenninji Temple — Kyoto’s oldest Zen Buddhist temple — stands opposite. Gion’s lantern-lit main street is 12 minutes on foot, Maruyama Park 14 minutes, Yasaka Shrine 15 minutes, and Nishiki Market 16 minutes into downtown. The Kamo River, where the ochaya teahouse tradition has endured for centuries, is steps away, lending Capella a layered cultural address that no newly developed district in Kyoto can rival.
Restaurants and bars
- SoNoMa by SingleThread — Restaurant · Contemporary Californian Japanese · Chef Keita Tominaga · Three MICHELIN Stars
- Lanterne — Restaurant · Brasserie
- Yoi — Bar · Contemporary Japanese kappo with cocktail bar
- Pâtisserie — Café · Patisserie · Emma Horowitz
Experiences
- Bespoke Dining Experiences — Culinary team creates bespoke dining experiences inspired by Kyoto's seasons, with curated seasonal menus.
- Private Japanese Onsen bathing ritual — Guests can opt for a fully private, authentic Japanese Onsen bathing ritual experience at Auriga Spa.
- Daily cultural activities — Daily cultural activities offered to guests as part of complimentary hospitality services.
Amenities
- Auriga Spa (three private onsen rooms)
- Four treatment rooms, wet and dry saunas
- 24-hour fitness centre
- Capella Curates (ochaya access, kintsugi workshops, geta artisan visits)
- Complimentary bicycles
- Hot tub
Awards
- MICHELIN Two Keys (2026)
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- HOSHINOYA Kyoto — Hoshinoya · Grand Luxury
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- Imperial Hotel, Kyoto — Imperial Hotels · Grand Luxury
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