Take a walk up the hillside in Okazaki, Kyoto's northwest neighbourhood, and you will reach a stunning vista across this ancient city, surrounded by mountains and home to more than 5,000 temples and shrines. Okazaki has a more spacious feel than other parts of the city. As you stop to admire Kyoto from these lofty heights, you will also find yourself at the door of your home-away-from-home: Hotel Okura Kyoto Okazaki Bettei.
Words by Leigh Maynard.
Hotel Okura Kyoto Okazaki Bettei, a luxury boutique hotel launched by Okura Nikko Hotel Management, seamlessly blends luxury and cultural richness. Opened in January 2022 in collaboration with GO ON, a project celebrating traditional Kyoto crafts, the hotel embodies a new era of Kyoto aesthetics, offering a genuinely enriching and relaxing experience.
The hotel is conveniently situated between three shrines, including the renowned Okazaki. Also within walking distance are Kyoto City Zoo, Kyoto’s National Museum of Modern Art and the Hōnenin Temple––backdrop to one of our Japanese editorial shoots. The hotel is also close to the Philosopher's Path, especially beautiful during the cherry blossom season, featuring a winding path leading to Ginkakuji, also known as the Silver Pavilion.
Creativity abounds at this meticulously curated hotel. A little lake gently ripples alongside your path indoors, while original artworks and paintings welcome guests upon arrival. Lighting by Kyoto’s Kanaami-Tsuji company casts subtle shadows across the entrance, leading to Calligraphy Artist Tomoko Kawao's depiction of a phoenix singing in the morning sun with drips and splashes. This original creation evokes a sense of peace, enhanced by the calming tea offered as a pleasurable welcome offering.
The spacious guest rooms, designed with a mountain lodge aesthetic, mirror the hotel's harmony with its natural surroundings. Decorated with traditional Kyoto artworks and crafts by the GO ON team, complemented by Tomoko Kawao's welcoming message on karakami paper, each room features Nishijin textiles and timber from the famous Kitayama cedar tree, creating a sense of harmony between man and nature, tradition and modernity. Illuminated room numbers resembling traditional tea canisters punctuate these features beautifully, leading guests into their personal sanctuaries.
From the heights of the hotel's French restaurant, Nouvelle Epoque, one can glance across an exceptional view of the shrines and the hotel's zen garden, a canvas showcasing the city's four seasons. In spring, plum and cherry trees dot the greenery, while the rich golden hues of autumnal leaves add warmth. Here, guests can sample innovative dishes that have cemented Okura Kyoto’s reputation as a pioneer in French cuisine in the city.
This hotel exudes a sense of familiarity through its harmonious and masterful approach to everything it offers – welcoming spaces and a blend of contemporary and traditional features – all enhanced by exemplary hospitality that is unmatched. Hotel Okura Kyoto Okazaki Bettei is more than just a luxury sanctuary in Kyoto; it is a place to call home and return to, time and again.
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