Staying at The Westin Miyako Kyoto
Back at Kyoto’s grand old guesthouse!
I stayed at The Westin Miyako Kyoto, which has probably been my most frequently used hotel on trips to Kyoto over the past few years.
The renovated interiors are beautifully done, and one of the things I especially love is the impressive large public bath. It’s also very convenient that you can get there on the free shuttle bus from Kyoto Station.
That day as well, I took the shuttle bus from Kyoto Station to the hotel.
A room I was personally absolutely thrilled with
At this hotel, I’ve often had the impression that I get upgraded to a suite, but this time there was no upgrade to a suite.
Still, I was assigned a room that had something even more appealing to me than a suite, so I was absolutely delighted.
It was this view from the window. The room had a perfect vantage point overlooking the long-admired Kasuien from above.
I had always wanted to see it from above someday, so I never expected to enjoy that view from my guest room. It was a wish come true.
The interior was also lovely, with furniture inspired by Togo Murano’s graceful curves.
The toilet was integrated into the same space as the sink area and bathroom.
In the suites, the toilet is in a separate enclosed room, so that was the one point I found a little disappointing.
That said, it was a very functional room overall. The bath area was properly separated by a door and walls, and because it also had a washing area, the entire bathroom didn’t end up soaking wet.
That was another point I appreciated. (Even though I didn’t use it…)
The large public bath is the best
The room had a lovely bath too, but the real highlight of this hotel is definitely the large public bath.
Before heading out for dinner, I went to the bath while it was still a little light outside and had a wonderfully relaxing time.
The way I spent my time there honestly felt more like staying at a traditional hot spring ryokan.
Dinner time
A quick stop at cocktail time
Since I had access to the lounge, I stopped by briefly during cocktail time.
This was my own little original snack creation: smoked salmon and sansho berry tsukudani on melba toast (lol).
I realized just how well the sansho berries and smoked salmon go together, so I decided to buy some afterward.
After having a drink, I grabbed my things and headed straight out to dinner.
The start of the day
A wonderful view from the room
It was raining that morning.
At daybreak, when I looked out the window, lights were glowing in Kasuien, creating a wonderfully dreamlike scene. The rain-soaked garden looked even more beautiful, and it was such a lovely view.
The breakfast buffet is as fun as ever
In the morning, I had the breakfast buffet.
This breakfast buffet always gives me something to look forward to because the selection is so extensive.
My particular favorites are the hot nyumen noodles and onigiri served at the live kitchen. I think they’re especially perfect the morning after a night of drinking.
Taking in Togo Murano’s architecture
Kasuien glistening in the rain
It felt to me that Kasuien took on an extra sheen in the rain and looked even more beautiful.
Admiring the graceful staircase
Before leaving the hotel, I took a little walk around inside.
Throughout the building, you can still feel the graceful curves created by Togo Murano here and there.
The staircase is where that comes through most clearly.
Seen from a distance, it has such a lightness that the staircase itself almost seems to float in midair.
The slender handrail is beautiful too.
One of the charms of staying at The Westin Miyako Kyoto is that, beyond the guest rooms and the large public bath, you also get to enjoy beautiful architecture like this.
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