Best Boutique Hotels in Kyoto

Kyoto has some of the best boutique hotels in Japan – stylish hotels designed to reflect the artistic traditions of the city. Here is a carefully curated list of Kyoto’s best boutique hotels, all personally inspected.

The Thousand Kyoto – image © Booking.com

Boutique hotels and Kyoto are a match made in heaven. It just feels right to stay in an intimate, creative and carefully designed little hotel here. The scale and the sensibility of boutique hotels are perfectly suited to Kyoto, a small city with high aesthetic standards.

Genji Kyoto

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Overlooking the Kamo-gawa River, within easy walking distance of downtown, the Genji Kyoto has oodles of Japanese style, an intimate feeling and excellent service. It’s a small gem in a great location.

Hotel Kanra Kyoto

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Hotel Kanra Kyoto is a beautiful Japanese-themed boutique hotel a short walk south of Gojo subway station. Rooms are spacious, well kept and superbly appointed. Have a look and see why this hotel is attracting a lot of attention lately in Kyoto.

Nest at Nishiki Kyoto

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Right in the middle of Kyoto, steps from Nishiki Market, this superb little boutique hotels offers nice little rooms, great service and a real sense of style, all at a very reasonable price.

RC Hotel Kyoto Yasaka

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This little place perched up in the heart of Southern Higashiyama is as boutique as they get. There’s even a dedicated coffee truck permanantly parked outside. It’s fun, funky, sociable and the rates are very competive.

22 Pieces

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Located on the south side of Kyoto Station, 22 Pieces is an apartment-style boutique hotel with spacious rooms, stylish Japanese design, and rates more reasonable than most on this list.

The Thousand Kyoto

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This might not be a true boutique hotel, because it’s a relatively large hotel, but, it’s got a serious sense of style and excellent, personalized service, so we’re including it here. Give it a look!

Noku Hotel

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Located at the southwest corner of the Kyoto Imperial Palace and directly above Marutamachi subway station, the Noku Hotel Kyoto is a smart and comfortable boutique hotel with colorful and playful Japanese style.

Junei Hotel Kyoto Kyoto Imperial Palace West

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The Junei Hotel is an intimate hotel with spacious rooms and superb Japanese design. You can order delicious meals to your room and they can arrange private tours and even geisha entertainment.

Ryokan – Kyoto’s Luxury Traditional Accommodation

When you think about it, a good ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) has all the features that characterize a good boutique hotel: attentive personal service, individually decorated rooms, a small scale and an artistic atmosphere. So, if you’d like another type of boutique accommodation in Kyoto, you might also consider a night or two in a good ryokan. See our Kyoto Ryokan page for full details.

Machiya – Vacation Rentals in Traditional Kyoto Houses

Another great option for those who appreciate boutique accommodation is a machiya, or traditional Kyoto townhouse. In fact, if you’re really after beautiful design, distinctive style and intimate scale, a machiya may be the ultimate Kyoto boutique experience. See our Kyoto Machiya page for full details.

How Do We Choose the Best Boutique Hotels in Kyoto?

Kyoto is awash with hotels, so how do we choose the best ones? Here are our criteria:

• Location: We only choose places that are well located, usually downtown or near Kyoto Station, occasionally in Southern Higashiyama. These are the most convenient locations to be based in Kyoto (for more details, see Where to Stay in Kyoto).
• Personal inspections: We personally inspect EVERY place on this list (and many others which don’t make the cut).
• Feedback: We get a lot of feedback from InsideKyoto users and from guests at our tour company, Chris Rowthorn Tours.
• Value: We compare the prices of these places to others of similar rank in Kyoto. Only those that are a great value make the list.

In short, the places on this list are places that we recommend to our own family and friends when they visit Kyoto.

Kyoto Hotel Guide

• Where To Stay In Kyoto
• The Best Places To Stay In Kyoto
• Best Kyoto Hotels For Sightseeing
• Kyoto Hotels Overview
• Best Luxury Hotels in Kyoto
• Best Mid Range Hotel in Kyoto
• Best Budget Hotels in Kyoto
• Best Kyoto Hotels For Families
• Best Boutique Hotels in Kyoto
• Best Value Hotels in Kyoto
• Kyoto Ryokan
• Kyoto Vacation Rentals

Kyoto District Map

Click a Kyoto District for detailed info on attractions, places to eat and accommodation