Imperial Hotel, Kyoto

The Imperial Hotel Kyoto is a 55-room hotel that opened on 5 March 2026 in the heart of Gion, inside the Yasaka Kaikan, a former 1936 theatre on Japan's national register of cultural properties, on the grounds of the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo, the theatre of Gion's geiko (Kyoto geisha). It suits couples and architecture lovers who want to stay in the historic district, as close as possible to the geiko performances, and families with a young child. It belongs to Imperial Hotel Ltd., the company behind Tokyo's Imperial Hotel, has been a member of The Leading Hotels of the World since April 2025, and received one Michelin Key in the 2026 selection.

A 1930s theatre

The Yasaka Kaikan was completed in 1936 to designs by Tokuzaburo Kimura, architect at the Obayashi company. This theatre building first staged plays and ningyō jōruri (puppet theatre), and later film screenings, dances and concerts. Registered as a national cultural property in 2001, it had largely fallen out of use because of its age and poor earthquake resistance.

The rebuilding kept part of the structure: two façades on the south-west side and their frame, the original façade tiles and terracotta reliefs, the eaves and part of the entrance hall with its etched glass. The copper roof was rebuilt to its original form. In July 2026 the registration was confirmed under the name "former Yasaka Kaikan". Inside, the Heritage rooms keep the 1936 pillars and window frames, and the main building has new floor-to-ceiling windows.

Choosing a room

The 55 rooms are spread across the main building, its Heritage section and the North Wing. All have a complimentary minibar, alcohol included, a Nespresso machine and Penhaligon's toiletries.

• Premier Room (54 to 55 m²): the entry category, over the streets of Gion, with twin beds or a king.
• North Wing Premier Room (50 to 55 m²): in the North Wing, a large tatami (rice-straw mat) area with a bed; it is the first time the Imperial Hotel brand has used tatami in its rooms.
• Heritage Premier Room (53 to 58 m²): in the historic section, with the original pillars and windows.
• Grand Premier Room with Balcony (64 m²): sleeps three, with a large balcony over Gion; the room for a family with one child.
• Heritage Junior Suite (79 m²): facing the great roof of the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo.
• Penthouse Suite (95 m²): on the top floor, with a panorama over Kyoto, a 15 m² balcony, a large bath with a view and a steam room.
• Imperial Suite (128 m²): living room, kitchenette, gentle steam sauna and a 65 m² terrace looking over Gion, the Higashiyama mountains and the Yasaka Kaikan bell tower.

A third signature suite, the Yasaka Suite, overlooks the theatre's main gate. Cots are free and extra beds limited. Check-in is from 3 pm and check-out by 12 noon (local time).

The geiko and the theatre next door

Every spring the geiko and maiko (apprentice geiko) of Gion Kobu dance the Miyako Odori at the neighbouring Kaburenjo; the hotel reserves seats for its guests. It also arranges a private meeting with a maiko in a historic tea house, and a neighbouring performing-arts museum presents the aesthetics of the district.

In the lanes of Gion, residents have asked since January 2024 that visitors do not photograph or follow a geiko or maiko without her consent, and stay off private property, on pain of a fine of up to 100,000 ¥ (about 564 €).

Spa and dining

The Spa, on the first basement level, is open from 1:30 pm to 9:30 pm (last entry 8 pm, local time). It has one single treatment room and a suite for two; treatments start at 26,100 ¥ (about 148 €) for 45 minutes. Treatment guests may use the pool. The hotel also has a gym.

Restaurants and bars:

• REN, the French dinner restaurant, builds its menu around the 24 solar terms of the traditional calendar;
• YASAKA serves breakfast through to dinner, with afternoon tea;
• Old Imperial Bar, the hotel bar;
• The Rooftop, on the roof, for hotel guests only;
• The Pastry Shop, the patisserie.

Getting around from Gion

Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan line) is 8 minutes on foot, Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station (Hankyu line) 10 minutes, and the Gion stop of bus 206 five minutes. Kyoto Station is 3.5 km away, about 15 minutes by taxi: the driver enters the theatre grounds from Hanamikoji Street and passes through the main gate. Kansai airport is about 90 minutes by car, or 90 minutes on the Haruka express to Kyoto Station; Itami airport is an hour by car. The sights of the centre are on our Kyoto page. The Imperial Hotel Kyoto is the Kyoto stop on our Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka in 12 days itinerary.

Kyoto's accommodation tax is added to the hotel's public rate; for a double room at this price level it comes to 4,000 ¥ (about 23 €) per person per night (see our guide to money and taxes).

Compared with the other Kyoto hotels in the selection

The Imperial Hotel Kyoto and Capella Kyoto both opened in March 2026, in two neighbouring geiko districts. The Imperial is the smaller of the two, with 55 rooms to Capella's 89, and the only one in a historic building, in the heart of Gion Kobu; Capella, a new building in Miyagawa-cho, has hot-spring baths and a restaurant born of a Californian one. Aman Kyoto and Hoshinoya Kyoto are away from the centre, in a forest and on the river.