Set to open on March 5, Imperial Hotel, Kyoto occupies the carefully restored 1936 Yasaka Kaikan, a nationally registered Tangible Cultural Property in Gion. The 55-room hotel offers a calm, refined atmosphere built from a subtle palette of neutral tones, Japanese marble, Ōya stone, Tamina-ishi and fine woodworking. In the North Wing, traditional tatami flooring enhances the sense of place and connection to Kyoto’s heritage.
REN © Imperial Hotel, Kyoto
The hotel showcases four distinct dining venues that emphasize local ingredients and traditional techniques. YASAKA, located on the second floor, serves breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner in a 54-seat dining room. The space highlights dishes cooked over a custom wood and charcoal oven and displays a historic Bashō relief originally preserved in the former VIP room of Yasaka Kaikan and now reinstalled in YASAKA.
“Our craft lives in small moments—the warmth of the grill’s first ignition, the quiet exchange at the counter, the way a cocktail meets the night air on the terrace,” said Yuto Jindo, food & beverage manager at Imperial Hotel, Kyoto. “Each space feels timeless and distinctly Kyoto.”
REN © Courtesy of New Material Research Laboratory
REN offers an intimate experience with a 10-seat chef’s counter and an 18-seat dining room, where cherry-blossom motifs crafted by a renowned plaster artisan set a delicate tone. Executive Chef Koji Imajo blends Japanese ingredients with French technique, presenting menus inspired by Nijushi-sekki, the 24 seasonal markers that shape Japan’s agricultural and culinary rhythms.
“Kyoto’s light changes by the hour, and so must the plate,” said Imajo. “At REN, you taste the moment — the gentle bitterness of early spring greens, the comforting warmth of a slowly coaxed jus, and the harmony of textures composed at the counter before your eyes.”
Old Imperial Bar © Imperial Hotel, Kyoto
OLD IMPERIAL BAR, positioned on the seventh floor and inspired by the Imperial Hotel’s Wright Building, centers on a bar counter carved from a single slab of zelkova hardwood—the same timber traditionally used for taiko drums. Seating 19 guests, the bar serves classic cocktails alongside handcrafted creations that reflect Kyoto’s cultural influences.
On the roof, THE ROOFTOP offers hotel guests a seasonal outdoor retreat with skyline views and curated cocktails. Open from late March through late November, this 24-seat space is accessed via a staircase from the seventh floor and provides a relaxed setting for evening drinks and city vistas.