(Paid link)Some rooms look out to the Miyagawa-cho Kaburenjo, the theatre where the district’s geiko (Kyoto’s geisha) and maiko (apprentice geiko) train. Other rooms look towards Kenninji Temple, while the onsen suites face a garden. At Capella Kyoto, the room names suggest different ways to spend time in this part of the city.
The hotel stands on the former site of Shindo Elementary School. It opened on 22 March 2026 as Capella’s first hotel in Japan. Architecture drawing on Kyoto’s machiya townhouses, menus bringing together ingredients from Kyoto and Sonoma, and cultural programmes that introduce local artisans give the stay its shape: time by the window, an evening at the table, a visit to see a craftsperson at work.
Four Floors with Traces of a Former School
(Paid link)The four-storey building contains 89 rooms and suites, with architecture by Kengo Kuma and Associates and interiors by Brewin Design Office. Narrow lanes, gardens at the back of the house, and the progression between indoor and outdoor spaces in Kyoto’s machiya inform the design.
The site was developed alongside the Miyagawa-cho Kaburenjo and a community centre on Shindo-dori. The rooms overlooking the theatre belong to that wider setting: a hotel on a former school site, beside a place devoted to the performing arts. Knowing this history gives context to both the layout of the hotel and the views from the rooms.
The reuse of materials continues inside YOI. According to the hotel’s pre-opening announcement, timber and light fittings from the old school were incorporated into the bar. The site’s past, not apparent from outside, survives in materials within the hotel.
Theatre or Temple: Choosing the View from Your Room
(Paid link)The 50 sq m rooms offer three outlooks. Deluxe City Rooms face the surrounding neighbourhood, Premier Theatre Rooms overlook the Kaburenjo, and Premier Temple Rooms look towards Kenninji. With the same floor area, the choice comes down to what you would like to see beyond the window.
The distinction continues in the larger rooms. The 58 sq m Junior Temple Suite faces Kenninji, while the 61 sq m Junior Corner Suite looks over Miyagawa-cho through corner windows. Choosing between them means considering both the extra space and the setting of the windows: towards the temple or across the neighbourhood.
The Theatre category has a king bed. City and Temple categories offer king or double-bed configurations; on Expedia, look for “2 Double Beds” if you would like separate beds.
In the room pictured here, a long sofa and a low table sit beside the window. Beyond them are tiled roofs and trees: a place to sit with the view, separate from the bed.
Six Onsen Suites Facing the Garden
(Paid link)For time spent bathing in your own room, consider the Onsen Suite. The 71 sq m suite has a king bed, a living area and a private onsen bath. The outlook is towards the hotel’s inner garden. Where other rooms face the temple or the streets, this suite keeps the focus on the garden and the private bath.
The bathroom shown in the hotel’s Onsen Suite photographs looks onto a small garden of rock, gravel and bamboo screening. Veined surfaces surround the bath. Unlike the rooms that look out over the city, the bath faces inward, towards the garden. According to the hotel’s opening announcement, the hot-spring water is transported from its source each day.
Frette bed linen, Bamford toiletries and a Bang & Olufsen speaker are among the suite’s amenities, along with a separate rain shower. The official photographs show a sofa and round table sharing the bedroom space, with another table beside the garden-facing window.
The hotel lists six onsen suites. On Expedia, the category appears as “Suite (Onsen)” and is listed as sleeping two; the hotel’s own information states that extra beds are not available in this category.
See Capella Kyoto rooms and availability on Expedia(Paid link)
Kyoto Meets Sonoma at a Twelve-Seat Counter
For dinner in the hotel, SoNoMa by SingleThread offers a 12-seat counter and a 20-seat lounge bar. Created in collaboration with California’s SingleThread, the restaurant serves an omakase dinner in a space informed by the tea-room culture of Kyoto’s machiya.
Chef Keita Tominaga brings experience at the Japanese restaurant Tenoshima and at SingleThread in Sonoma. Wine pairings include wines from Japan and California. Kyoto ingredients on the plate and California in the glass offer a way to explore the two places through food and drink.
This is the first overseas restaurant from SingleThread, created by chef Kyle Connaughton and head farmer Katina Connaughton. That connection to farming continues through relationships with Kyoto and Kansai producers, with seasonal flowers joining the local vegetables and Northern Californian ingredients. With an omakase menu, the season of your visit shapes the meal, rather than any single dish.
SoNoMa requires reservations, closes on Sundays and Mondays, and welcomes guests aged 12 and over. If you are looking forward to dinner at SoNoMa, check restaurant availability when booking your stay.
City Pop and Schoolhouse Memories at YOI
(Paid link)At YOI, dishes rooted in Japanese cooking are served at the counter alongside cocktails. The hotel’s description of the bar, whose interior incorporates materials from the old school, also references 1980s city pop. The music forms part of the bar’s character, together with its food and cocktails.
Pendant lights once used in the school’s science rooms and other spaces have been reused at YOI, together with flooring from its music room. The lighting and flooring retain something of the school within a space now serving food and cocktails.
Breakfast at LANTERNE and Seasonal Pastries
(Paid link)LANTERNE, the hotel’s French brasserie, overlooks an atrium and terrace. Breakfast runs from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., with last orders at 10.30 a.m. The published breakfast menu combines a buffet with one main dish, with choices including eggs, a tartine with smoked salmon, and French toast.
The separate à la carte menu also offers a Japanese breakfast: grilled fish, a rolled omelette and fresh yuba from Miyama. You can choose a Western main one morning and the Japanese breakfast another.
Examples from the seasonal dinner menu include smoked Spanish mackerel accompanied by turnip and yuzu, and a nage of tilefish and clams with taro.
The pâtisserie offers SingleThread Entremets and other sweets to eat in or take away. The hotel’s presentation places the pastries among seasonal flowers and moss, giving a separate reason to stop for tea and something sweet beyond the evening’s dinner.
Kintsugi, Zori and Miyagawa-cho’s Performing Arts
Kyoto’s crafts can be approached through the people and work behind them as well as through the finished objects. Capella Curates is the hotel’s cultural programme for exploring those interests during a stay. A Capella Culturist can discuss visits to temples and workshops, and encounters with artisans.
The pre-opening announcement introduced kintsugi (the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery), made-to-order zori sandals and performances at the Kaburenjo. Repairing a vessel, having footwear made, watching an art handed down through generations: these are possibilities to consider when planning a day around crafts or the performing arts. Discuss what is currently offered on your chosen dates, the charges and whether an activity is included in your accommodation plan.
Bathing and Treatments at Auriga Spa
Onsen bathing is also available beyond the guestrooms. Auriga Spa has three private onsen and four treatment rooms, with treatments in collaboration with THE GINZA. This gives another way to plan a stay: choose a room for its view and use the spa for bathing.
The four treatment rooms include a room for couples, with face, body and massage treatments available. The spa also has separate men’s and women’s dry and steam saunas and a relaxation lounge. Drinks such as fruit smoothies and fresh juices can also be ordered in the private onsen rooms.
Auriga Spa is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. For an earlier start, a breathwork session for hotel guests takes place daily from 8 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. near the waterfall on basement level B2. It offers a way to spend part of the morning in the hotel alongside bathing and treatments.
Before using the spa, check appointment availability, prices and what your accommodation plan includes.
Matching the Room and Plan to Your Party
The address is 130 Komatsu-cho, Higashiyama-ku, near Kenninji Temple and the Miyagawa-cho Kaburenjo. The hotel is approximately an eight-minute walk from Kiyomizu-Gojo Station.
For room occupancy, Expedia lists the City and Temple categories with two double beds as sleeping four; their king-bed versions and the Theatre category sleep three. The Junior Temple Suite sleeps four with two double beds or three with a king bed. The Junior Corner Suite sleeps three. These occupancy figures alone do not establish charges for additional bedding or the conditions that apply to children.
Enter your dates, party size and children’s ages, then choose your preferred view and bed configuration. Check whether breakfast is included and what else the room rate covers. For an onsen in the room, look for “Onsen” in the room name rather than relying on “hot tub” in the general amenities list. Payment and cancellation terms are those shown for the specific plan you select.
See Capella Kyoto rooms and accommodation plans on Expedia(Paid link)
Further Reading for a Stay in Kyoto
For hotels in different parts of the city, see our Kyoto hotel guide. If Gion’s architecture interests you, read about Imperial Hotel Kyoto. For in-room onsen in Higashiyama, explore our Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto article.
Luxury Hotels in Kyoto: Eight Stays Shaped by the City
Imperial Hotel Kyoto: Gion Through the Windows of Yasaka Kaikan
Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto Review: Private Onsen Rooms and a Noh Stage Near Kiyomizu-dera
