Imagery courtesy of Kengo Kuma and Associates.

Capella Hotels and Resorts will be entering Japan for the first time with a luxury hotel designed in celebration of the exquisite style and culture of Kyoto.

Opening in mid-2025, Capella Kyoto will be located in the city’s Miyagawa-chō (geisha) Higashiyama district, a cultural treasure.

Art hotel

Developed by real estate company NTT Urban Development Corporation and designed by world-acclaimed architect firm, Kengo Kuma and Associates, the luxurious four-storey, 92-room hotel will be defined by the flourishing Japanese art scene.

Capella Kyoto mirrors Higashiyama culture through its curation of Japanese artworks and artefacts. Each unique piece and its story is framed by the interior design and architecture of the hotel, providing a showcase of Higashiyama’s aesthetic heritage. The guestrooms themselves draw focus to fundamental aspects of Japanese culture, such as the tea ceremony.

Harmony and balance

The hotel fully embraces its surrounding locale, with intimate spaces that are contrasted with charming views of Kyoto’s scenery. The layered areas echo important elements of Japanese art and architecture such as composition, balance and harmony.

Combined with the soothing hues and textures of Capella Kyoto’s interior design, guests can expect a calming atmosphere. The Japanese garden courtyard that lies in the centre of the hotel reflects this sentiment too. Dubbed ichigo-ichie (one life, one moment), the bamboo courtyard with a lone Japanese Maple on the bank of a shallow pond with pebbled shoreline creates the intended idyllic and contemplative setting.

Serene comfort

Beneath the Japanese bamboo courtyard lies the Capella ballroom that faces a multi-story internal rock garden atrium serving as a centrepiece for the pre-function area. Capella’s signature Auriga Spa is located on the same floor, with spa treatment rooms that offer comforts of private Onsen experience for a taste of Japan’s renowned bathing culture.

The signature restaurant is conceptualised as a modern brasserie with an adjoining pâtisserie, organised around the inner courtyard adjacent to the hallmark Capella Living Room, while the Japanese restaurant is nestled in the hotel’s south-eastern corner with a sunken garden. A third outlet available is the Carte Blanche that offers an immersive dining experience focused on innovative food and beverage pairings, omakase-style, in a casual and intimate setting.

Embodying local culture

NTT Urban Development Corporation president and CEO Hiroshi Tsujigami, said: “Our partnership with Capella Hotel Group, which operates luxury hotels around the world, has been extremely exciting and we can’t wait to open the first Capella Hotel in Japan, in the ancient district of Kyoto. Built on the site of the beloved Shinmichi Elementary School, Capella Kyoto will be one that will live out the memory and culture of the region and create new values.”

Cristiano Rinaldi, president of Capella Hotel Group, added: “We are delighted to work with NTT Urban Development Corporation in bringing Capella’s unique offerings and immersive experiences to Japan. Filled with culture and heritage, Kyoto is the perfect place for us to establish a presence in Japan as the city is very much aligned with the group’s visionary curation of culture and experience.”

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