NEWS
Capella Kyoto sets March 22 opening in Gion’s Miyagawa-cho
Capella Kyoto will open on 22 March 2026, timing its debut with the peak of Kyoto’s famed cherry blossoms. The 89-key luxury hotel marks the first Capella Hotels and Resorts property in Japan and takes an unrivalled address in Miyagawa-cho, a historic geisha district close to Kenninji and the Kamo River. Designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates with Singapore-based Brewin Design Office, the hotel reinterprets the traditional machiya townhouse through a layered sequence of alleys, gardens, and thresholds. The opening also anchors a wider cultural renewal project on Shinmichi Street.
Built on the former site of Shinmichi Elementary School, Capella Kyoto forms part of a three-part development with the restored Miyagawa-cho Kaburenjo Theatre and a new community centre, extending the area’s legacy of learning and performance. The Kaburenjo’s return is especially significant for the neighbourhood: long regarded as the private training ground for Kyoto’s geiko and maiko, it is now positioned as a living cultural touchpoint that hotel guests can engage with through curated access.
Accommodation spans four storeys, from Deluxe City Rooms to the top-floor Capella Suite measuring 206 square metres. Several categories are designed around the property’s rare outlooks, including the Premier Theatre Rooms facing the Kaburenjo Theatre and two Gion Suites with direct views toward Kenninji. Six Onsen Suites introduce private hot spring bathing in-room, reinforcing the hotel’s wellness credentials alongside its cultural focus. From the upper floors, sightlines extend across Higashiyama, with references to pagodas and rooftops and views that include the silhouette of Yasaka Pagoda.
Food and beverage is built as a destination in its own right. The signature venue, SoNoMa by SingleThread, is created in partnership with SingleThread, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant from Sonoma, California led by Kyle Connaughton and Katina Connaughton. The concept blends an intimate 12-seat counter with a 20-seat lounge bar conceived in the style of an ochaya, with Chef Keita Tominaga shaping menus around seasonal agriculture from Kyoto’s Kansai region and California’s Dry Creek Valley. A dedicated patisserie programme, SingleThread Entremets, is led by executive pastry chef Emma Horowitz together with Miu Morita. For later hours, Yoi introduces a modern take on kappo dining with crafted cocktails, while Lanterne brings an all-day French brasserie format interpreted through Kyoto’s quieter design sensibility.
Wellness is anchored by Auriga Spa, with three private onsen rooms, wet and dry saunas, four treatment rooms, and a fitness centre. The spa’s concept draws on holistic rituals and lunar-inspired rhythms, positioning Auriga Spa as both a recovery space and a structured part of the guest journey in a city defined by tradition and craft.
Cultural immersion is formalised through Capella Curates, which is designed to open doors into experiences rarely available to visitors. Programming includes access to performances at the revived Miyagawa-cho Kaburenjo Theatre, private encounters in an invitation-only ochaya with a maiko, the chance to commission bespoke footwear at a 150-year-old sandal atelier, and a kintsugi workshop led by an urushi lacquerware master. Together, these experiences aim to connect guests with Kyoto’s living traditions rather than presenting culture as a backdrop.
To mark the launch, Capella Kyoto is offering the “Whispers of Gion” opening package, which includes breakfast for two at Lanterne, a hotel credit of JPY 10,000 per stay for Deluxe and Premium Rooms or JPY 20,000 per stay for Junior Suite, Onsen Suite, Gion Suite, and Capella Suite bookings, plus a rotating artisan gift created for Capella guests. Rates for the package start from JPY 394,200 for two people, inclusive of taxes and service charges.
TAGS
By using the website, you agree to the use of cookies in accordance with your browser settings.
Privacy Policy