Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Japan / Kyoto / Six Senses Kyoto
Six Senses Kyoto
Kyoto, Japan · Six Senses · Grand Luxury
Six Senses' first Japan property, opened April 2024 on the grounds of the historic Go-Shirakawa estate: the same compound where Emperor Go-Shirakawa commissioned Sanjusangendo in 1164, the 121-metre hall housing 1,001 Kannon statues that stands five minutes from the front door. The Kyoto National Museum faces the property across Shichijo-dori. The design draws on the Heian idea of miyabi, or courtly elegance, through imagery from The Tale of Genji, and it won the Kyoto Design Award Grand Prize in 2024.
- 81 rooms
- Opened 2024
- Neighborhood: Higashiyama Ward
- Rooms from 452 sq ft (42 m²)
- Architect: Shimizu Corporation
- Interiors: BLINK Design Group
About Six Senses Kyoto
- The design draws on the Heian-period concept of miyabi, or courtly elegance, pulling directly from the imagery of The Tale of Genji and local folklore.
- Guest rooms on one side face directly onto the 16th-century Toyokuni Shrine garden across the street, and the temple-lined pilgrim path to Kiyomizu-dera starts an 18-minute walk from the front door.
- It won Japan's own Good Design Award and the Kyoto Design Award Grand Prize in 2024, the same year it opened.
- Entry-level rooms start at 452 sq ft (42 m²).
History
Six Senses Kyoto opened in April 2024 as the brand's first property in Japan, marking IHG's expansion in luxury hospitality. Located in the historic Higashiyama district, it draws inspiration from the Heian period (794-1185), embodying the concept of Miyabi (courtly elegance) with designs influenced by folklore, The Tale of Genji, and traditional Japanese aesthetics.
The setting
Six Senses Kyoto stands at 431 Myohoin Maekawacho in southern Higashiyama, on the grounds of the historic Go-Shirakawa estate whose owner commissioned the adjacent Sanjusangendo Temple in 1164. That extraordinary hall, housing 1,001 Kannon statues, is five minutes on foot; the Kyoto National Museum faces the property across Shichijo-dori; and the Toyokuni Shrine garden is directly opposite, its 16th-century precincts visible from guest rooms. Kiyomizu-dera is an 18-minute walk along the hillside pilgrim path, while arts-and-crafts workshops lining the narrow lanes complete a neighbourhood whose unbroken sacred lineage explains why southern Higashiyama has drawn the city’s finest hotels to a single block.
Restaurants and bars
- Sekki — Restaurant · Japanese
- Sushi Oga — Restaurant · Sushi
- Nine Tails — Restaurant
- Cafe Sekki — Café
Experiences
- Ah-un treatment — Kyoto-exclusive spa treatment combining rituals and harmonizing body and sound therapies.
- Watsu (aquatic bodywork) — Hydrotherapeutic treatment in the city's only dedicated pool for the treatment.
- Traditional male and female bath houses — Traditional hot bath, sauna, steam room and cold plunge.
- Flying yoga, yoga and meditation studio — Sensory Studio used for yoga, meditation and flying yoga.
- Omakase sushi at Sushi Oga Higashiyama — First branch of the Osaka sushi restaurant, offering Omakase sushi led by Chef Sakai.
- Earth Lab — Dedicated to sustainability, innovation and exploration; guests and the local community meet here; a place to make an unconventional souvenir.
Amenities
- Six Senses Spa
- indoor pool
- traditional bath houses
- gym
- yoga
- kids club
- Earth Lab
- Alchemy Bar
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- Gold Key Awards for Lobby Luxury and Wellness (2026)
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
- Robb Report 50 Greatest Hotels on Earth (2025)
- Gold Key Award — Eco-Conscious Hotel (2024)
- Gold Key Award — Hotel Luxury (2024)
- Gold Key Award — Lobby Luxury (2024)
- Gold Key Award — Wellness (2024)
- Gold Key Awards — Lobby Luxury and Wellness (2024)
Open Six Senses Kyoto in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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Six Senses in The Maison: the brand's idea, history and every house on the atlas.