Kimpton Hotel Enso

Recycling is great for household goods but as it turns out it’s even better for hotels. Formerly the Best Western Miyako Inn, then a member hotel of the Joie de Vivre group, then Hotel Tomo, the Kimpton Hotel Enso is part of America’s great surplus of mid-century budget hotels, redesigned and repurposed into a boutique hotel that takes its style cues from contemporary Japanese pop culture.

A natural choice, given the central Japantown location. It’s not just the crisp lines and bright futuristic furnishings; it’s the murals on the walls, the video installations in the lobby, the iHome docks and flatscreens in the rooms (130 in all), and the full suite of in-room spa services. Right next door is Mums, a crowd-friendly restaurant and bar specializing in shabu shabu, a savory boil-it-yourself adventure with a range of delectable dipping sauces. Come to think of it, pretty much anything you’d need is close at hand, from a wealth of restaurants (Japanese and otherwise) to the Kabuki Springs & Spa.