The Thousand Kyoto

The Thousand Kyoto is the most convenient luxury address in the city: it stands about a minute's walk from the Kyoto Station building, on the shinkansen and airport-train hub, with Kyoto Tower three minutes away and Higashi Honganji eight. It is a 4.5-star property, and guests rate it exceptionally highly. The hotel has 222 rooms and an interior built on a philosophy of comfort and minimalism, with bamboo landscaping and a corridor inspired by the torii gates of Kyoto's shrines. Dining includes KIZAHASHI, a Japanese restaurant with a main dining room, a charcoal-grill kappo counter and private rooms, an Italian restaurant with an open kitchen and chef's table, and a tea and bar lounge with a cafe and deli. A full-service spa with a thermal circuit offers a hot bath, a bedrock bath, a hot stone spa and a men-only dry sauna, and a fitness center is open around the clock. The hotel also arranges cultural itineraries and a complimentary guided art tour, and it holds a sustainability certification.

Location is the main argument. Arriving by shinkansen or airport express and being in the lobby within minutes is a real luxury after a long flight, and for day trips to Nara, Osaka, Himeji or Hiroshima the hotel saves time at both ends of the day. Because the station area is a transport hub rather than a historic quarter, it is not the place for old-town atmosphere.

Instead you step out to a modern city and take the subway or a taxi to the temples. Kawaramachi and the downtown shopping streets are reached by a short ride or a longer walk.

Make use of the extras. The spa's thermal circuit is a good reward after a day of walking, and the kappo counter at KIZAHASHI is a good introduction to Kyoto-style grilled dishes served in front of you. The hotel's cultural itineraries and the guided art tour are worth asking about at check-in, since they are tailored to a guest who wants more than a hotel bed. Hotel-wide design touches, from the bamboo to the torii-style hallway, mean it is as pleasant to wander as to sleep in. Pets are not allowed except service animals.

Practical notes. Check-in begins at three in the afternoon and check-out is at noon, and self-parking is charged per night. Select rates offer free cancellation, so compare flexible plans for peak seasons. Rates climb in cherry blossom and autumn foliage weeks. Kyoto's accommodation tax is added at checkout per person, per night, on a sliding scale by room rate, and at this level it falls in the upper tiers.

Buffet breakfast is available for a fee, but the surrounding station area has plenty of alternatives. For longer stays, split your nights: a luxury station hotel like this one is ideal for arrival and departure, with a ryokan or a Gion address for a few nights in between. The hotel is also a comfortable choice for business travelers combining meetings with sightseeing, since the station puts the whole Kansai region within an easy train ride.