Hotel Okura Kyoto Okazaki Bettei

It’s very quiet—around the lobby, in the restaurant, and in the garden as well. It’s a space where you won’t be bothered by people or noise; that’s what makes this small property special, true to its name as an annex.We chose the smallest Room type, and it was more compact than we expected (in a good way). If you plan to spend a lot of time in your Room, a larger one facing the garden would be better.Breakfast is Nouvelle Époque despite (or perhaps because of) the intimate size. It feels more relaxed yet elegant than Toranomon. There are also Kyoto touches, and they even offer French toast—so we could enjoy that Okura feel too.Please let us stay again when we’re looking for a slow trip without trying to do too much!

I stayed one night in Kyoto, a city I love, to go hydrangea viewing.I arrived before check-in, but I was able to relax in the lounge overlooking the beautiful garden with a cola and cake. Soon after, I was shown to my room, which I truly appreciated.As I don’t have much stamina, I chose this Hotel so I could rest well while still enjoying the feeling of being on a trip in Kyoto. I made a Reservation for a room with views of Kōmyō-ji Temple’s main gate and the Hotel garden from the window. Including the magic hour at dusk and dawn as well as the nighttime illumination, the scenery was even more wonderful than expected, and it was truly relaxing. It was also adorable to see snails and umbrellas drawn in the Hotel’s stone garden outside the window—so perfect for Japan’s rainy season.In my room there were Gion Tsujiri kabusecha green tea, black tea, and coffee; plus complimentary juice and beer in the refrigerator. Enjoying a slow Hotel stay while watching the beautiful view and changing sky was simply amazing. In particular, there was a chocolate-scented coffee capsule called “Chocolatino” for the espresso machine—I woke up before dawn and felt so happy having my morning coffee while watching sunrise magic hour. The beer also had stylish yuzu and fruity aromas, and drinking it in a bathrobe after bathing tasted exceptionally good.From 15:00 to 18:00, welcome drinks were available in the lounge. There were champagne and white wine—both favorites of mine—and I enjoyed them at leisure. As I’m a light eater traveling solo (and had just eaten cake), pairing drinks with some potatoes was more than enough for me; however, it also felt like you could enjoy a proper dinner there as well—meat dishes, desserts, and more—which seemed great because you can adjust freely depending on your mood.I love baths as well, so I was happy that there were stylish, high-quality bath salts and amenities provided in generous amounts. Twice—at night and again the next morning—I soaked properly in a bathtub where I could fully stretch out and relax.Breakfast overlooking the garden was wonderful too; they kindly arranged seating where I could feel comfortable on my own. After breakfast each day, between attending morning services and taking walks around the garden grounds (and more), it felt incredibly fulfilling.The gardens within this Hotel also had seasonal flowers such as hydrangeas and bellflowers (kikyo). Including nighttime illumination visits too—I took three walks total: evening, night, then morning—and being able to enjoy Kyoto’s seasonal atmosphere without even leaving made me extremely satisfied.It was an amazing trip to Kyoto!