MOGANA

Kyoto is one of the best destinations in Japan for sight-seeing, and Mogana is the aesthete’s choice for lodging that’s convenient to the city’s sites of interest. Designed by Takashi Yamaguchi, Mogana is a modernist reimagination of traditional Japanese aesthetics, informed by the mission statement Unagi no nedoko, meaning “the width is small, but the depth is large.” Design elements such as ikebana arrangements, black granite, and back-lit alcoves produce an unimaginably chic atmosphere in guest rooms, some of which feature balconies or a unique look out to a courtyard wall on which grow gardenias. Mogana offers traditional Japanese breakfasts via room service — local ingredients served in locally made tableware — as well as an impossibly sleek cocktail bar for nightcaps.