Capella Kyoto, Japan

(All photos by Greta Gersh)

In short… Capella’s first hotel in Japan, tucked into the geisha district of Miyagawa-cho beside Kyoto’s oldest Zen temple. Reverent and unmistakably Kyoto.

The surroundings… A quiet neighborhood just off the beaten path, but still a close walk to Gion. My room faced Kenninji, Kyoto’s oldest Zen temple, directly. It’s a location that gives you the calm of a residential kagai district (a historic neighborhood and traditional home to geishas), and the ability to walk into the middle of everything within a few minutes.

The backstory… Capella Kyoto opened in March 2026 on the site of a 150-year-old elementary school, designed by Kengo Kuma with interiors from Singapore’s Brewin Design Office, their first project in Japan. The building follows the machiya style, the traditional Kyoto townhouse, which means all 89 rooms, every restaurant, and the lobby itself all face a central courtyard with a rock pond at its center. A waterfall runs as one of the property’s centerpieces and feeds directly into the onsen. The old school didn’t disappear entirely either; the wood counter at Yoi was salvaged from it.

The vibe… Polished and staid, which feels correct for a city that takes itself as seriously as Kyoto does. The crowd skewed heavily American, though the property never once feels like it’s performing for them. Straw woven art by the artist Momoko Fuji runs along the walls, and the whole thing is quiet in a way that makes you lower your voice without being asked to.

The rooms… The rice paper walls make the interior a bit of a maze to get around, but they enhance the property’s sense of privacy. The rain shower and bath, complete with bath salts, were incredible. Take the elevator down and you’ll find a full gym so clean it feels like you’re christening it for the first time. The attention to detail throughout was exquisite: personalized notes and local Kyoto treats left with every room cleaning, and when they noticed my glasses left out and clearly smudged, they left a cleaning cloth and spray. Six of the suites come with their own attached onsen, which is worth knowing before you book.

Food and drink… I had several very good meals at LANTERNE, the French brasserie and pastry shop on the ground floor. A standout dinner was at Yoi, the property’s more traditional Japanese restaurant, hybrid with a whisky bar, where I ended up talking with a group of Brazilian travelers who were similarly taken with the immersion of the property. SoNoMa, the hotel’s California farm-to-table restaurant, is the work of Kyle Connaughton, the three-Michelin-star chef behind SingleThread in Sonoma, who spent years living and working in Japan before returning to California to open SingleThread; he created SoNoMa as his homage to both cuisines. Running the kitchen is Keita Tominaga, who was himself born and raised in Sonoma.

The wellness… The spa gets you your own private suite with a personal onsen to dip into, fed by hot spring water drawn from nearly 3,000 feet underground rather than heated tap water with minerals dropped in. Kyoto locals have long practiced toji, the tradition of soaking in onsen waters over an extended period to restore the body, and it’s easy to see the appeal after even one dip. There’s also the small matter of the Capella pajamas: silky smooth enough that I asked the staff if they were for sale. They assured me I was not the first guest to ask and that they do in fact sell them.

Extra tip goes to… The chance to meet a maiko (or, as they’re called in Kyoto only, geiko) in person. Geisha are a national treasure in Japan and the symbol of Kyoto’s cultural significance, so this kind of access is rare. She performed a traditional dance and patiently answered every question thrown at her. I also did the tea-making activity, choosing from a handful of garnishes to build a customized tea blend. Through activities like these, Capella introduces its guests to the culture authentic ways.

Is it kid friendly? Not really. This is a serious, adult-focused property, and I’d avoid it with children, though the kitchens are equipped to handle kids’ culinary needs if you do bring them.

Be sure to… Ask about the private ochaya encounters and cultural workshops before you arrive. The hotel also has front-row access to the Miyagawa-cho Kaburenjo Theatre next door, which Capella restored as part of the same development. Access like this to Kyoto’s geiko and maiko traditions isn’t something you can just walk up and request elsewhere in the city.

Parting words… Capella effectively embodies Kyoto’s spirit and traditions: intricate design details, beautiful ceramics, straw woven art, onsen… a striking celebration of the design prowess of Japanese culture.

Date of stay… September 5-7, 2026