Genji Kyoto

Hidden away in the neighborhood of Gojo-Kawaramachi on the banks of the Kamo River is Genji Kyoto, a hotel that is, despite its modesty, a hospitality-design tour de force. It’s a modern structure, but is suffused with traditional Japanese elements and unusual cross-cultural gestures, from the imprints of the cedar forms on the building’s concrete surfaces to the Verner Panton chairs, a perfect fit for sitting close to floor level in the hotel’s tatami rooms. Radiant floor heating is universal, and nine of the river-facing rooms come with balconies.

Architecturally it’s an evolution of the locally distinctive machiya townhouse form, examples of which remain alongside the hotel today. And the courtyard gardens are another long-standing Japanese tradition, this one going back a thousand years or more. The rooms are visually restrained, bordering on minimalist, but look closely and you’ll see the care taken in their construction by Kyoto craftsmen and artisans.

In so devoted a tribute to the local culture, it’s perhaps no surprise that the cuisine is afforded particular attention; Japanese and international dishes are served in the Genji Lounge or in the rooftop Sky Forest Garden with its panoramic views.