Kyoto Granbell Hotel

The stereotype would have it that Tokyo is where you go to see the modern, even futuristic, side of Japan, and Kyoto is faithfully devoted to tradition. As always, the reality is a bit more complicated than that — but nevertheless, there’s a grain of truth to it. So while the Kyoto Granbell Hotel has much in common with its siblings in the Tokyo neighborhoods of Shibuya, Akasaka, and Shinjuku, the connection to Kyoto’s traditional inns is plain to see.

In fact the Granbell Kyoto’s Japanese-style rooms, with their tatami floors, wouldn’t look out of place in a modern interpretation of a ryokan. And even the Twin and Double rooms, though nominally “Western” in style, exhibit the same painstaking craftsmanship and the same carefully pared-down visual style.

A few steps below ground level you’ll find the hotel’s semi-subterranean public spaces, where the reception shades effortlessly into the lounge and restaurant area. And while the Granbell isn’t exactly a ryokan, it does make use of one of the best ryokan traditions: the public bath. By Kyoto standards, it’s a thoroughly modern boutique-style hotel; by the standards of the Granbell brand, it’s delightfully in touch with the local tradition.