Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Japan / Kyoto / Imperial Hotel, Kyoto
Imperial Hotel, Kyoto
Kyoto, Japan · Imperial Hotels · Grand Luxury
Opened March 5, 2026 inside a preserved portion of the Yasaka Kaikan, a nearly 90-year-old theater and dance hall on the grounds of the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo that carries Japan's Registered Tangible Cultural Property designation. It is Imperial Hotel's first new property in three decades, and its smallest: just 55 rooms split across three wings that each preserve a different piece of the original building's character. The hotel arranges private teahouse meetings with a maiko and reserved seating for the geiko dance revue held next door.
- 55 rooms
- Opened 2026
- Neighborhood: Higashiyama Ward
- Rooms from 538 sq ft (50 m²)
About Imperial Hotel, Kyoto
- Local height limits in Gion cap new construction at 12 meters, so architects preserved Yasaka Kaikan's south and west exterior walls to legally keep the hotel's original 31.5-meter frame.
- The hotel sits on the grounds of the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo, the theater that hosts the Miyako Odori, an annual spring dance performed by Kyoto's geiko and maiko.
- At 55 rooms, it is the smallest of the Imperial Hotel group's four Japanese properties and the company's first new hotel in three decades.
- The hotel joined the Leading Hotels of the World in April 2025, nearly a year before its March 2026 opening.
- Entry-level rooms start at 538 sq ft (50 m²).
The setting
Imperial Hotel, Kyoto is a Higashiyama Ward hotel on the north side of Higashiyama Ward in Kyoto. Gion is about 3 minutes on foot, Yasaka Shrine is about 4 minutes on foot, and Maruyama Park is roughly 6 minutes' walk. Kiyomizu-dera, Yasaka Shrine, Kodai-ji, and the Philosopher's Path are the map. Sleep here to walk to dinner; the station cluster is a different Kyoto.
Restaurants and bars
- REN — Restaurant · Fine French cuisine that celebrates the twenty-four solar te
- YASAKA — Restaurant · All-day dining
- OLD IMPERIAL BAR — Bar
Experiences
- Miyako Odori from exclusive seating — Witness the splendor of the Miyako Odori from exclusive seating.
- Private moment with a Maiko in a historic teahouse — Share a private moment with a Maiko in a historic teahouse.
- The real Gion experience — A journey of connection to Kyoto's living heritage, curated exclusively by the hotel to experience the 'real' Gion.
- Neighboring performing art museum — Discover the secrets of the district's aesthetics at the neighboring performing art museum.
Amenities
- Pool
- Sauna
- Fitness center
Awards
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
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More Imperial Hotels hotels
- Imperial Hotel Tokyo — Tokyo, Japan · Grand Luxury
- Imperial Hotel, Osaka — Osaka, Japan · High Luxury
- Kamikochi Imperial Hotel — Kamikochi, Japan · High Luxury
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- Capella Kyoto — Capella · Grand Luxury
- Hiiragiya Ryokan — Independent · Grand Luxury
- HOSHINOYA Kyoto — Hoshinoya · Grand Luxury
- Hotel Okura Kyoto — Okura · Grand Luxury
- Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto — The Luxury Collection · Grand Luxury
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