The 18 Best Luxury Hotels in Kyoto

Kyoto traditionally prefers hot springs to swimming pools, so the list of hotel pools is short. If your 5-star hotel in Kyoto should have one, four addresses remain, one of them with thermal water in the pool.Roku Kyoto · Kita-KuUnder the open sky: At the Roku Kyoto on the edge of Takagamine, an alkaline hot spring feeds the heated outdoor pool, 25 by 8 meters and 1.2 meters deep. Children aged 4 to 15 may swim from 9 am to 6 pm with an adult, and the four Poolside Terrace rooms lead straight to the water.

Indoors in the spa: At The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto a heated 20-meter pool lies in its La Prairie spa, next to a steam room and sauna. The Six Senses Kyoto has an indoor pool in its spa and, in addition, a dedicated pool for Watsu, a bodywork treatment in warm water.

Hot springs run beneath Kyoto, and several hotels have one of their own. A spa visit here therefore often starts with a soak in the onsen, followed by a treatment.Hotel the Mitsui Kyoto · NijoaburanokojichoOnsen downtown: Hotel the Mitsui Kyoto draws its thermal water from about 1,000 meters below ground; you bathe in a swimsuit, and for complete privacy you can book the Private Onsen with its own living room and garden. The spa received five stars from the Forbes Travel Guide in 2026, and from October 2026 MIKIMOTO BEAUTY treatments join the menu. At the Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto, each of the six treatment rooms has its own thermal bath and steam sauna, plus separate baths for women and men, indoors and outdoors.

Private baths: At the Suiran Hotel Kyoto in Arashiyama, hotel guests reserve one of two open-air baths by the bamboo garden, Raku framed in hinoki or An with a rock basin; 17 rooms have their own open-air onsen. In its Auriga Spa, the Capella Kyoto has three private onsen rooms for a Japanese bathing ritual and times its treatments to the phases of the moon.

Rituals and retreat: At the Park Hyatt Kyoto, two guests share a treatment suite with a private bathhouse, dry sauna and mist sauna; the signature treatment uses an oil by Kyoto brand Kotoshina with local green tea. The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto is home to La Prairie’s first hotel spa in Asia. At the Aman Kyoto you bathe indoors and outdoors in spring water from nearby, followed by shiatsu, acupuncture or moxibustion.

Room to soak: Guests who want plenty of space to bathe during a 5-star hotel stay in Kyoto should head to SPA Kacho at The Westin Miyako Kyoto: 2,100 m² on two floors, with semi-open-air onsen baths for women and men; children are welcome from age four. In January 2027 the spa closes temporarily for maintenance.

In Kyoto, a night with suitespot starts at 91 € at The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike in the green north; the Aman Kyoto marks the upper end at 2,167 €. In between, location is what matters most: on the Kamogawa, the Dhawa Yura Kyoto starts at 224 € and the FAUCHON L'Hotel Kyoto at 248 €, while in Gion and on the temple hills rates begin at around 500 € or more. The hotel list further down shows today’s rate for your travel dates at every luxury hotel in Kyoto.

Included with every booking: At all 17 hotels, two people have breakfast free of charge every day. You also get an upgrade and an earlier arrival or later departure, both subject to availability. At the Garrya Nijo Castle Kyoto and the Sowaka Kyoto, the suitespot benefits require a two-night stay; at all other hotels they apply from the first night.

Credit and extras: 14 hotels add 100 US dollars in hotel credit, the Sowaka Kyoto 50 US dollars. The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu instead opens its Guest Lounge to you and stocks the minibar free of charge. At the Aman Kyoto, afternoon matcha in the teahouse, an evening aperitif and a tour of the garden are included, and at the FAUCHON L'Hotel Kyoto a welcome gift of FAUCHON tea and pastries.The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike · Sakyo-kuPoints and status: With Marriott Bonvoy you earn at five hotels, among them The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto; with ALL (Accor) at the three Banyan Group hotels, for example the Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto. The Park Hyatt Kyoto belongs to World of Hyatt, and Hilton Honors at the Roku Kyoto even pays double. Bookings through suitespot go directly to the hotel, so your points and status nights land in your account.

Kyoto through the year: Spring brings cherry blossom along the Kamogawa and the Lake Biwa Canal, in July the Gion Matsuri parades through the city, and on August 16 the Gozan Okuribi bonfires light up the mountains. In autumn the leaves turn in Arashiyama and at the temples, and in winter you often have the temples almost to yourself before warming up in an onsen. Whatever the season, booking your 5-star hotel in Kyoto early gives you the widest choice of rooms.

How many nights: Plan at least three nights, better four, because Kyoto reveals itself on foot and at a slow pace. Arashiyama or the north deserve a day of their own, and Nara makes an easy trip by train. If you will be out and about a lot, choose a 5-star hotel in Kyoto within walking distance of the subway, for instance by Nijo Castle or on the Kamogawa.