Geishas floating through the back alleys, intricate temples, and ornate palaces. Kyoto has been the seat of power for the Emperor of Japan for centuries. From the thousands of red tori gates to the towering bamboo forest, Kyoto is a truly a romantic Japanese city.
To truly immerse yourself in everything Japanese you will want to forget about those impersonal chain hotels and book yourself into one of the many boutique hotels around Kyoto. You could waste hours, however, trying to find that perfect boutique hotel that fits how you like to travel.
Lucky for you, we made finding the best boutique hotels in Kyoto easy! With this ultimate guide, you will be able to find that one boutique hotel that suits your own style of travel in a matter of seconds!
The contemplative temples and breathtaking gardens of Kyoto are just a few clicks away!
Quick answer: The Best Boutique Hotels in Kyoto
Best Overall Boutique Hotel in Kyoto – BnA Alter Museum
Best Budget-Friendly Boutique Hotel in Kyoto – Hotel Anteroom Kyoto
Best Cheap Boutique Hotel in Kyoto – Hotel Resol Kyoto Shijo Muromachi
Best Boutique Hotel in Kyoto Near Arashiyama Bamboo Forest – Arashiyama Benkei
Best Boutique Luxury Hotel in Kyoto – Iori Machiya Stay
Best Boutique Hotel in Kyoto for Kids and Families – Kyoto Nanzenji Ryokan Yachiyo
Best Boutique Hotel in Kyoto With Breakfast – Ohanabo
Best 4-Star Boutique Hotel in Kyoto – The Screen
Best 5-Star Boutique Hotel in Kyoto – The Thousand Kyoto
Best New Boutique Hotel in Kyoto – Kiraku Kyoto Gion
Best Boutique Hotel in Kyoto With a View – Hotel Granvia Kyoto
#1 – BnA Alter Museum
Best Overall Boutique Hotel in Kyoto
- Reviews → Check on Booking.com
- $$
- 2 km from City Center
- Museum and Bar
Why the BnA Alter Museum is a Great Boutique Hotel:
Many hotels in Kyoto will provide you with a traditional Japanese experience, but the BnA Alter Museum is the only boutique hotel which will immerse their guests with modern art. The design of this hotel alone is more than enough to make you book your room in a heartbeat.
The art in BnA Alter Museum is not confined to just one room, the galleries extend to the very bedrooms themselves! But it’s not just the contemporary art pieces that will make you fall in love with this boutique hotel, it also comes with its own trendy bar and hip restaurant that serves up some of the best meals and drinks in all of Kyoto!
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#2 – Hotel Anteroom Kyoto
Best Budget-Friendly Boutique Hotel in Kyoto
- Reviews → Check on Booking.com
- $
- 1.1 km from City Center
- Restaurant and Bar
Why Hotel Anteroom Kyoto is a Great Boutique Hotel:
It is no secret that Japan is an extremely expensive country to travel to. But even though you are on a budget, that doesn’t mean you will be stuck in capsule hotels. Hotel Anteroom is a boutique hotel that will provide you with all the comforts and luxurious of the big names in town but for half the price.
Hotel Anteroom is not just a place to get a cheap bed, this stylish boutique hotel located in the heart of Kyoto also comes with its very own onsite restaurant and bar. Top it off with an onsite art gallery and modern decor, you won’t find a better boutique hotel for this price in Kyoto!
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#3 – Hotel Resol Kyoto Shijo Muromachi
Best Cheap Boutique Hotel in Kyoto
- Reviews → Check on Booking.com
- $
- 1.7 km from City Center
- Onsite Restaurant
Why Hotel Resol Kyoto Shijo Muromachi is a Great Boutique Hotel:
Putting you right smack in the heart of Kyoto, Hotel Resol will have you just a few steps away from all of the most famous temples and museums in town! Not only will you get a great location at his boutique hotel, but Hotel Resol offers its guests unique rooms blending traditional Japanese charm with modern comforts.
Hotel Resol really impresses its guests with the fact that you will be staying in downtown Kyoto with luxurious rooms and an onsite restaurant, for a cheap price. No matter if you are a budget traveler or looking for a luxurious vacation, Hotel Resol Kyoto Shijo Muromachi is a boutique hotel that all kinds of travelers can’t help but fall in love with!
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#4 – Arashiyama Benkei
Best Boutique Hotel in Kyoto near the Amrashiyama Bamboo Forest
- Reviews → Check on Booking.com
- $$$$
- 8.1 km from City Center
- Indoor and Outdoor Hot Springs
Why the Arashiyama Benkei is a Great Boutique Hotel:
Located just minutes away from the breathtaking bamboo forest, Arashiyama Benkei is an ultra-luxury boutique hotel that will have you enjoying all of the most elegant parts of Japanese culture. With its traditional style rooms and 5-stay comfort, you will find no better way to experience traditional Japan than by staying at this boutique hotel.
Other than the romantic design of the hotel, Arashiyama Benkei also comes with its very own traditional indoor and outdoor hot springs where you can really enjoy traditional Japanese luxury. Top it all off with an onsite restaurant, and you have that perfect Japanese vacation you have been dreaming of!
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#5 – Iori Machiya Stay
Best Boutique Luxury Hotel in Kyoto
- Reviews → Check on Booking.com
- $$$
- 1.8 km from City Center
- Garden and Breakfast
Why Iori Machiya Stay is a Great Boutique Hotel:
Not a whole lot could be better than staying in the heart of Kyoto in an authentic traditional Japanese townhouse. Rather than staying at a hotel, you will feel the warmth of this boutique hotel the second you walk through the door. Iori Machiya Stay has all the luxuries of a 5-star luxury hotel, but the comfort of a home.
At this elegant boutique hotel, you won’t only have all the best sites in Kyoto within a walking distance of your hotel, but Iori Machiya Stay also boasts its very own garden where you can lounge about and truly bask in traditional Japanese culture!
#6 – Kyoto Nanzenji Ryokan Yachiyo
Best Boutique Hotel in Kyoto for Kids and Families
- Reviews → Check on Booking.com
- $$$
- 4 km from City Center
- Garden and Restaurant
Why Kyoto Nanzenji Ryokan Yachiyo is a Great Boutique Hotel:
If you are looking to have a family vacation unlike any other, you will want to be sure to check into this traditional Japanese Inn! Kyoto Nanzenji Ryokan Yachiyo is a chic hotel blending together traditional Japanese charm, modern comfort, and boutique design!
It’s not just the decor that will make you fall in love with this inn, but you will also be within walking distance of some of Kyoto’s most famous shrines! With traditional Japanese baths, tranquil gardens, and it’s very own restaurant serving up the best of Japanese cuisine, staying at Nanzenji Ryokan Yachiyo is sure to be the family vacation of a lifetime!
#7 – Ohanabo
Best Boutique Hotel in Kyoto With Breakfast
- Reviews → Check on Booking.com
- $$
- 0.6 km from City Center
- Spa and Restaurant
Why Ohanabo is a Great Boutique Hotel:
This traditional Japanese boutique hotel located just minutes away from Kyoto Station will have you staying right in the thick of the action downtown. With all the best museums, temples, and palaces within a stone’s throw of your room, you could not ask for a better location than that of Ohanabo!
Ohanabo offers so much more than just a good location, this 4-star boutique hotel pampers its guest with a traditional Japanese spa with massages and the best of local cuisine! No matter if it is breakfast or dinner, you will find your mouth watering every day come mealtime!
#8 – The Screen
Best 4-Star Boutique Hotel in Kyoto
- Reviews → Check on Booking.com
- $$$
- 3.6 km from City Center
- 2 Restaurants and a Cafe
Why The Screen is a Great Boutique Hotel:
The Screen seamlessly mixes together traditional Japanese aesthetics with both chic and artistic design throughout the boutique hotel. From the cozy bedrooms to the spacious lounges, you will be relaxing in one of the most sophisticated and unique hotels in all of Kyoto!
Other than stunning design, The Screen will really knock your socks off with its outdoor terrace, 2 restaurants, and a cafe serving up delicious meals and drinks! Top it all off with an onsite spa, The Screen secures its spot as the best 4-star boutique hotel in Kyoto!
#9 – The Thousand Kyoto
Best 5-Star Boutique Hotel in Kyoto
- Reviews → Check on Booking.com
- $$$
- 0.3 km from City Center
- Bar and Restaurant
Why The Thousand Kyoto is a Great Boutique Hotel:
If you are looking for perfection you will find it in an abundance at the 5-star luxury boutique hotel The Thousand. The Thousand Kyoto will be having you stay right smack in the center of the city, just minutes away from all the best temples and museums. But with so much to do in the hotel, don’t expect to be out exploring too long!
The Thousand Kyoto will truly make your jaw hit the floor when you see their very own spa, bar, and restaurant serving up some of the most delicious meals in all of the city! With its sleek modern design, The Thousand Kyoto is the kind of hotel that makes you feel like you are living in a dream!
#10 – Kiraku Kyoto Gion
Best New Boutique Hotel in Kyoto
- Reviews → Check on Booking.com
- $$$$
- 2.4 km from City Center
- Breakfast and Outdoor Hot Tub
Why Kiraku Kyoto Gion is a Great Boutique Hotel:
Kiraku Kyoto Gion is sure to leave you with an experience unlike any other in the most historic part of Kyoto. Located in the old town, you will feel just like a local as you wake up in your very own traditional townhouse every morning. With a relaxing outdoor bath and classical Japanese decor, you won’t find a better place to stay in the center of Gion.
Although you will be living like a local you can still enjoy hotel-style luxury. By request, you can be served a delicious Japanese breakfast every morning before you start another perfect day of exploring Kyoto!
#11 – Hotel Granvia Kyoto
Best Boutique Hotel in Kyoto With a View
- Reviews → Check on Booking.com
- $
- 0.3 km from City Center
- 9 Restaurants and Swimming Pool
Why The Hotel Granvia Kyoto is a Great Boutique Hotel:
From your hotel bedroom, onsite bar, or one of the 9 restaurants located around the hotel, you will be given some of the most breathtaking views of the Kyoto skyline from the windows. With the Kyoto Tower within a few steps of the hotel, you could not ask for a better place to take in Kyoto’s urban beauty.
Other than the stunning views, Hotel Granvia also comes with a whopping 9 restaurants, a swimming pool, spa, and even a fitness center. Between all of the things to do inside the hotel and the sights nearby, you are sure to never be bored at Hotel Granvia!
Conclusion to the Best Boutique Hotels in Kyoto
The winding stone paths, serene gardens, and towering pagodas await you in the historic city of Kyoto. Being a city with such a rich culture, a week or two is not enough to see everything Kyoto has to offer. With scrumptious food and ancient traditions, there are so many ways to explore Kyoto
Before you can plan what temples and palaces to travel to first, you need to be set on your boutique hotel. Even with our list, you may be torn between a couple of great places to stay.
If you are wanting a truly unique and artsy experience in Kyoto, be sure to book a room at the BnA Alter Museum, our pick for the best boutique hotel in Kyoto!
Pack your bags and brush up on your Japanese, your Kyoto adventure awaits!
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