ShinPuhKan, Right Above Karasuma Oike Station
Two Brown Buildings
Day two of my Kyoto trip was for Ace Hotel Kyoto, so I headed here, practically right above Karasuma Oike Station. The brick building is the former Kyoto Central Telephone Office, built in 1931, and the building visible behind it is newly constructed.
Kyoto has height restrictions on buildings, and I really like that this was preserved like this instead of becoming one of those so-called “wrapped buildings.” The former Nakagyo Post Office building nearby also has a great feel to it.
Most of the complex is actually the new-build section, seen in the front left of the photo below, but the facade with its brown louvers is especially distinctive… and yes, that would be supervised by Kengo Kuma. The large canopy at the entrance and the projecting beams are pretty interesting too. It has that Japanese feel from a sci-fi world.
Ace Hotel was making its first entry into Asia here as a hotel brand. The atmosphere felt much more casual than I had imagined.
Plenty of Ways In: Entering Through the Courtyard
Ace Hotel Kyoto is part of the mixed-use complex ShinPuhKan, so there are several ways to enter. The boundary between the hotel and the outside world is about as minimal as it could possibly be!
The courtyard is lined with shops, and there were lots of people taking photos. With so much greenery, it felt really nice.
Plenty of Ways In: Entering from the Subway
The convenience is fantastic—you can come straight in from Karasuma Oike Station on the subway. As soon as you come through the ticket gates, the entrance to ShinPuhKan is right there.
The signage is stylish. I wonder what inspired these signs made with fencing?
You can go straight into the hotel from the corridor lined with shops inside ShinPuhKan. Even the HOTEL sign is made with fencing.
A Hotel in a Curious World
A Sparkling Front Lobby
The moment you step into the lobby, loud BGM is blasting, and you immediately understand that this hotel is aiming for something different from an ordinary hotel. (Though it’s probably still smaller than a W Hotel.)
The ceiling has that unmistakable Kengo Kuma-style timber latticework. I assumed the lighting was his too, but apparently not.
The lighting was created by Commune Design, the studio responsible for the interiors throughout the property. The copper-pipe fixtures blend so completely with Kengo Kuma’s wooden framework that if someone told you they were his design, I think you’d be 100% fooled, lol.
https://www.communedesign.com/
It seemed this lobby is an area anyone can use freely, not just hotel guests, and it was completely full. There’s a cafe right in front of it, so it looked like plenty of people were buying coffee there and hanging out.
So Many Cute Little Details to Swoon Over
Ace Hotel as a whole is built around the theme “East meets West.” Rather than going for a template version of Japaneseness, like Hokusai ukiyo-e prints and the like, it expresses the “East” on a deeper level. Maybe that’s just natural for Ace Hotel, but it feels very comfortable.
I heard the tiles on the lobby and elevator hall walls are Shigaraki ware. Even though they’re new, they somehow have the feel of a Showa-era building, which I found oddly relaxing.
Then there’s the warm, fabric floor guide. The design—and even the font—are by Samiro Yunoki.
As of 2023, he is still an active artist at the remarkable age of 101…! There was also an exhibition this year.
https://artexhibition.jp/topics/news/20230121-AEJ1205205/
Even the restroom signs are made of fabric, amazingly enough, lol. So cute!!
I was staying on the second floor today. Off the elevator, and on to the room.
Staying in a Historic Twin
A Room in the Preserved Wing
I was staying in the preserved wing, which makes use of the former Kyoto Central Telephone Office. The corridor has a high ceiling. I wonder if the placement of the room doors has remained unchanged since the building’s telephone office days.
My room was a Historic Twin—historic because it’s in the preserved wing. It’s a long, narrow room with windows facing Karasuma Street. The floor lamp is one from Isamu Noguchi’s AKARI series.
It was even displayed at the 2021 Isamu Noguchi exhibition below. (Far left in the photo.)
The beds face the window, and there’s also an acoustic guitar that guests are free to use.
The switches by the bed are the kind you press in little clicks. They look fragile, so I found myself worrying about them more than necessary.
On the desk were a record player and some records. Most of them were international records, but there was one Seiko Matsuda album.
Instructions were provided via a QR code. We had a record player at home when I was growing up, but I’d never actually used one, so I nervously gave it a try since I had the chance. (The note said that if I broke it, I’d have to cover the repair cost or buy it, which was terrifying!!)
The minibar. Cute.
The property map and room key were cute too. I wonder if these were also designed by Samiro Yunoki.
And inside the letter set there was even sheet music paper♪ It was a nice touch, though I didn’t end up making use of it, lol.
The vanity has a spacious double-basin sink, and the color palette somehow kind of gives me MUJI vibes.
The dryer bag was so cute that I wanted to buy it… but it’s not for sale.
The amenities follow a reduced-plastic style. The font is consistently used across everything too.
The bathroom is a black room. It has both a bathtub and a washing area, so it’s Japanese-style.
And of course the toilet is in a separate room, which I really appreciated! The way the toilet paper was placed was pretty unconventional, lol.
Having Breakfast
Since my plan included breakfast, I had it the next morning on the third floor at Mr. Maurice’s Italian. Maybe they don’t have much capacity, because there was a line…
I chose the American breakfast. It came with an omelet where you could choose the fillings.
It was crowded, and the tables were fairly small, so I don’t think I could really eat in a very relaxed way…
After this, I checked out, left my luggage at the front desk, and headed off for sightseeing on the final day.
To be continued…
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