THE HOTEL HIGASHIYAMA by Kyoto Tokyu Hotel

THE HOTEL HIGASHIYAMA is located in Higashiyama, Kyoto, where many cultural and artistic facilities are gathered and where you can feel a variety of cultures. It is a hotel where you can feel the beauty of nature in various ways, and the purpose of your stay is to stay.

Upon entering the hotel, guests are first greeted by a calm, plaster-finish lobby displays original artwork unique to this hotel. Through these distinctive pieces, guests can experience culture and heighten their anticipation for the stay ahead.
The original "Kyoto Iroha" program, which enhances the appeal of your stay by allowing you to experience Kyoto's unique aesthetic, approaches the culture that has long thrived in Kyoto and Japan from five different perspectives, engaging all five senses. Through activities that you can only experience here—seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, hearing, and using your hands—you can learn about and appreciate Kyoto's culture from its very foundations.
Located in Higashiyama, a place where you can enjoy a refined sensibility, this hotel serves as a gateway to experiencing the best of Kyoto, offering a truly enriching travel experience.

From the beginning, our main target was inbound demand, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were forced to make a major change in the plan from the middle stage of the project.

We were asked to create a lodging space that would allow us to approach a greater number of targets, mainly Japanese people, and that would serve as a base for experiencing the culture of Kyoto, starting with the neighboring Okazaki district.

Beyond the spatial concept design, we proposed a unique approach to our hotel, creating a new relationship with traditional craftspeople for everything from tea sets and other in-room amenities to artwork, all directly related to the guest experience.

We created tea boxes, DD card signs, and scented sesame seeds using bamboo craftsmanship, and in addition, by coordinating with a textile artist and a Kyoto Nishijin weaving craftsman, we realized an expression using flame-retardant fiberglass woven fabric. Furthermore, regarding the design of the public spaces, we created concept design that can be enjoyed by many customers, such as a tea-enjoying counter, a private spa function, and a restaurant that is planned to suit various usage scenarios.