รีวิวและความประทับใจจากผู้เข้าพักที่ The Westin Miyako Kyoto

Sincere Preservation of Cultural Heritage

I visited Kyoto for the first time in a while on weekend business. As it was also the season when hotel prices in Kyoto are at their calmest, I stayed at KASUIEN at Miyako Hotel. It was a truly wonderful and rare experience. A masterpiece by architect Togo Murano has been carefully renovated by Takushi Nakamura and Obayashi Corporation, preserving the original form and philosophy as much as possible without unnecessary changes. The guest room wet areas have been upgraded with Onsen water, making them both luxurious and highly functional—an impression of meticulous, sincere work. (I imagine it cost an enormous amount, including seismic retrofitting and code compliance; above all, applause to the owner, Kintetsu.) The planning that takes advantage of Higashiyama’s topography, deep eaves, a gentle 2 sun 5 bu roof pitch, delicate wooden fittings, and Murano’s dry landscape courtyard garden—its tension, grace, and beautiful order are deeply moving. The hospitality is also excellent: like a blend of a Hotel’s ease with the personal care of a long-established Ryokan. Compared with international chain hotels in Kyoto in the same price range, I think it offers outstanding value. What disappointed me was that the breakfast buffet lacked both quality and variety—and that the spatial design of the buffet restaurant, Onsen Facility area, and lobby felt dull. It was as if my dreamlike time at KASUIEN was suddenly pulled back into reality. Still, perhaps all energy and budget were poured into renovating KASUIEN. In Tokyo as well, one of Togo Murano’s signature works—the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa (widely known for Hiten no Ma)—is scheduled to be demolished. In front of real estate value driven by floor-area efficiency alone, it doesn’t stand a chance. In the end, does everything depend on an owner’s pride?