Rinn Nishiwakamatsu

This Japanese Machiya-style house may not suit everyone. Comfort is a bit limited, so if bending your knees or sitting close to the floor is difficult for you, I’d skip it.

Such a beautiful Kyoto townhouse!

I loved taking a bath while looking out at the courtyard garden. The duplex itself was beautiful and felt like a traditional Japanese home. Check-in and the accommodation are a bit far apart, but the hotel calls a taxi for you at check-in. For sleeping, we had to pick either a bed or a futon. There was an extra charge if we wanted both. The drawback was the late check-in and early checkout. I wish I’d had more time to enjoy the place at my own pace.

The whole idea made me think of Kyoto’s borrowed scenery. Maybe in a tourist city like this, there’s no need to build every facility inside one hotel when the city already has so much to offer. Suzu-san seems to have imagined Kyoto itself as one big hotel. The front desk is near Kyoto Station, the guest rooms are vacant old houses scattered around town, the restaurant is modeled on all the restaurants nearby, and the large public bath is a city bathhouse. There are souvenir shops all over too. You check in at the desk, then take a fairly long taxi ride to the inn. The inn is a traditional townhouse renovated to blend into the city, and it feels like a good place to stay for a while. Bicycles are available to rent as well.