Taking the Shinkansen to Kyoto… again!
Back to my now-standard Kyoto hotel for the third time this year: The Westin Miyako Kyoto
As soon as I arrived at Kyoto Station, I transferred straight to the subway and headed for Keage Station without making any detours. My destination was The Westin Miyako Kyoto, which has basically become my go-to hotel in Kyoto. There is a direct shuttle bus from Kyoto Station, but the timing didn’t work out that day, so I went by train instead.
I arrived just as cocktail time was starting, and the club lounge was full, so I checked in in the lobby.
When check-in was done, I asked, “Has a seat opened up in the club lounge?” and was told yes, so I left my luggage in the lobby and headed straight there. I mean, that’s the kind of thing they could have told me without my having to ask, right? lol
The lounge was decorated for Christmas
So, after leaving my luggage in the lobby, I went straight to the club lounge. That day they had a special Christmas-season dish on offer as well (left photo).
I really liked this LED light they had on the table… It’s not the same as a real candle, of course, but it’s much safer.
Apparently they sell it at places like The Conran Shop. I want one.
https://ambientec.co.jp/products/xtal-becrux
Since it was the Christmas season, I was told that the sparkling wine would become Champagne starting at bar time, so I made sure to have some before I left lol
Our room was a Junior Suite
This time too, I was lucky enough to be upgraded to a Junior Suite, but the furniture and layout were a little different from the room I usually get. There was even a work desk that I’m pretty sure hadn’t been there before!
The position of the entrance to the vanity area and bathroom was different too!
The basic room specs were the same as before, so please check out my earlier post for that.
Day two begins
Enjoying the balcony
Morning on the second day of the trip. This time our room faced outward, so I could see Heian Shrine and the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art. Usually I get a room facing the courtyard.
Rooms facing outward also come with a balcony, and the design of the eaves and partition panels is quite distinctive.
It doesn’t quite feel traditionally Japanese, and in a way it even looks a bit postmodern—though of course it’s from a completely different era. It was an interesting shape, and I felt like I’d discovered another side of the Miyako Hotel that I hadn’t known before.
Breakfast buffet and hot spring
In the morning, it had to be the buffet. Yes, even after eating so much the night before, still the buffet. There were all kinds of dishes, but the one thing I can never skip is the made-to-order onigiri (lol).
I was torn between the nyumen and the udon, but I ordered the udon for the first time. Still, I think I might like the nyumen better after all (lol).
But I made an unexpected discovery here. You could choose condiments like shichimi and sansho for toppings, and among them was something called rokumi. I was told it was something you only find in Kyoto, so I tried it—and it was so good!
I immediately thought, I have to buy this. I’d been told the hotel shop sold it, so I relaxed and didn’t properly check which maker it was from—but as it turned out, the shop was closed for renovations (lol).
In the end, I couldn’t find it at the department stores either, so I looked it up online on the Shinkansen ride home and bought it (lol). I think this is the right one… “Shichimi Rokubei’s Rokumi”!
https://shichimirokube.com/
The official website didn’t have the rokumi listed, so I ordered it from this online shop instead.
https://home.tsuku2.jp/storeDetail.php?scd=0000128204
And rokumi doesn’t just mean shichimi with one ingredient removed—this blend contains six ingredients: sansho, chili pepper, aonori, yuzu peel, golden sesame, and black sesame. The yuzu and powdered sansho really do such great work…♡
Checking out
After breakfast, I went to the spa (the bath) for the second time during this stay, relaxed for a while, and then checked out.
Since check-out can be done through the app, I stopped by the club lounge just to have some tea. Even the cakes were a little bit Christmas-themed.
With one eye on the peacock mosaic by the entrance, I said goodbye to the hotel.
Next, I’m heading toward Kitayama.
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