A retreat at HOSHINOYA Kyoto

Beautiful HOSHINOYA Kyoto. It was such a lovely retreat. I felt so close to nature, surrounded by the turquoise blue Oigawa River and forest of Arashiyama.

It’s a unique one-of-a-kind experience, not to be missed, if you’re after a luxury ryokan experience in Japan. It’s by far, my favourite, as everything about HOSHINOYA Kyoto is beautifully designed.

The rooms are very minimal, with soft coloured walls matched with tatami and dark timber flooring. Oh, and I’m in love with the state-of-the-art toilet, the lid opens up automatically when it senses me entering the toilet room. Now, that’s impressive!

We have a Hotaru double with a king size bed, lounge room (which doubles up as a dining room in the morning) and a bathroom overlooking the river. It was very peaceful in the morning, with birds tweeting. Occasionally, the operating tourist train from the opposite side will come around for a quick stop to look over the resort.

There’s a short walk you can do around the resort. It’s very pretty at night as well. It feels like you’re in a 19th century village, as the lanterns are all lit up.

There’s a sake bar and a fine dining experience, which I truly enjoyed. My brother and I had a feast of the Autumn Degustation. It was an 8-course meal, and I can tell you that by the end of the meal, we were so full, we had to make room for dessert. The chef has prepared the dishes according to the availability of ingredients at the local market. As it’s autumn season, there’s a wide variety of mushrooms to be had (which I loved!).

I had a wonderful time staying at HOSHINOYA Kyoto. It’s not everyday I get to stay in a beautiful luxury retreat like this, and am truly grateful to have the opportunity to do so. Thank you HOSHINOYA Resorts for hosting me.

HOSHINOYA Kyoto

Japan, 〒616-0007 Kyoto Prefecture, 京都市西京区嵐山元録山町１１−２