Staying at The Westin Miyako Kyoto
Back at Kyoto’s welcoming hotel!
I stayed at The Westin Miyako Kyoto — the hotel I’ve stayed at most often on recent trips to Kyoto.
The renovated interiors are very clean, and I love that there’s a large public bath. It’s also convenient that a free shuttle runs from Kyoto Station.
On this day, I took the shuttle from Kyoto Station to the hotel.
A room that truly delighted me
Although I’ve often been upgraded to suites at this hotel in the past, I wasn’t upgraded to a suite this time.
However, I was assigned a room with a feature that I found even more appealing than a suite, so I was very pleased.
That feature was the view from the window — a perfect vantage point overlooking Kasui-en, which I had long admired.
I had always wanted to see it from above, so I never expected to enjoy that view from my room — my wish was fulfilled.
The interior was charming, with furniture inspired by Togo Murano’s graceful curves.
The toilet was integrated with the sink and bathroom area.
That was the only downside — in the suites the toilet is in a separate room, so I was a little disappointed about that.
Even so, the room was overall very practical. The bathroom is properly separated by a door and walls, and it has a washing area, so the whole bathroom doesn’t get soaked.
That was another feature I appreciated. (Though I didn’t actually use it…)
The large public bath is fantastic
The rooms have nice baths, but the real appeal of this hotel is its large public bath.
Before heading out for dinner, while it was still a bit light outside, I went to the public bath and was thoroughly relaxed.
It felt 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 hour.
This was an original snack: smoked salmon with simmered fresh sansho (Japanese pepper) on melba toast. (Haha)
I discovered that sansho and smoked salmon pair very well, so I decided to buy some afterward.
After enjoying a drink, I grabbed my bags and headed straight to dinner.
Start of the final day of the trip
A wonderful view from the room
It rained on the last day of the trip.
At dawn I looked out the window and saw lights glowing in Kasui-en, creating an almost magical scene. The rain-darkened garden looked even more beautiful — a lovely sight.
The breakfast buffet is always a treat
In the morning I had the breakfast buffet.
I always look forward to this buffet because it offers a wide variety of dishes.
My favorites are the warm simmered noodles and rice balls served at the live kitchen — perfect for the morning after a night of drinking.
Experiencing Togo Murano’s architecture
Kasui-en drenched in rain
I felt Kasui-en gained a sheen when wet from the rain, making it seem even more beautiful.
Gazing at the graceful staircase
Before leaving the hotel, I took a short walk around the interior.
Throughout the building you can still sense the elegant curves characteristic of Togo Murano’s work.
You can most clearly feel that in the staircases.
Seen from a distance, the stairs have a lightness as if they are floating.
The slender handrails are beautiful, too.
One of the charms of staying at The Westin Miyako Kyoto is that you can enjoy not only the rooms and public bath but also such beautiful architecture.
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