Maana Kamo

More and more of Kyoto’s traditional machiya townhouses are being repurposed as hotels, but few are so thoroughly transformed as Maana Kamo. More a guesthouse than a hotel, it sleeps up to six across two bedrooms and a living room with a futon; its aesthetic, though, goes far beyond “guest house” and lands on something as photogenically moody and atmospheric as any boutique hotel we’ve ever seen. It’s a celebration of the building’s history and of Japan’s devotion to craft, past and present — and though it’s certainly no ordinary hotel, it’s one you’re not likely to forget.