Park Hyatt Kyoto

If you want a quick comparison of the differences between Japan’s modern capital and its historic one, you could do worse than to look at a pair of Park Hyatts. The Park Hyatt Tokyo, of course, is the ultramodern skyscraper-topping luxury hotel made famous in Lost in Translation; the brand-new Park Hyatt Kyoto, while at least as luxurious, keeps a much lower profile, its low-slung interconnected buildings spread out like a hillside village in the city’s historic Higashiyama district.

Its 70 rooms and suites make it one of the smallest Park Hyatts, which means the service, already one of the brand’s strong suits, can be that much more personal. The space within the accommodations, however, is generous, and the style, while visibly ryokan-influenced, is contemporary, its careful geometries warmed by the organic textures of wood, stone, and fabrics. Some have views of little private gardens, while others look out over the adjacent Yasaka Pagoda, which is one of Kyoto’s most iconic landmarks. And when you’re talking about a hotel of the Park Hyatt’s caliber there’s no comfort or convenience spared — there’s something uniquely calming about knowing your every physical need has been anticipated.

Three restaurants, a lounge, and a bar serve a variety of Japanese dishes and drinks, from exquisite kaiseki dinners in Kyoyamato, a Kyoto institution since 1877, to more casual and modern fare in Kyoto Bistro. And the spa, as you’d expect from a Kyoto luxury hotel, draws heavily on the local bathhouse tradition, for an experience that’s perhaps unmatched in its ability to soothe.