Frommer's Review
This is the place to stay if you're looking for a hotel with history. One of the best-known hotels in Japan, the Miyako first opened back in 1890 and boasts a guest list that reads like a who's who of visitors to Japan: Douglas Fairbanks, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Anwar el-Sadat, and Ted Kennedy. Even today, half of the guests staying here are foreigners.
You'd be hard-pressed to find evidence of that history today. Rather, the newly renovated Westin Miyako is like a butterfly finally emerging from a series of past renovating blunders which obliterated all vestiges of its historic past. It is now the most smartly appointed hotel in Kyoto, on par with the best of Tokyo's hotels. In addition, the setting is as good as it gets: The hotel sprawls over more than 6.4 hectares (16 acres) of hilltop at the northeastern end of the city, close to some of Kyoto's most famous temples (and a subway station) and commanding a good view of the surrounding hills. Other pluses include a Japanese garden and a registration satellite at Kyoto Station (at the Hachijo/Shinkansen exit) where you can check in and deposit your bags (for a ¥200/$1.90 fee per bag, they'll be forwarded to the hotel), leaving you free to explore Kyoto or to take the complimentary bus to the hotel unencumbered by baggage. Families appreciate the free use of indoor and outdoor pools and a small playroom equipped with billiards, video games, and an activity corner just for toddlers.
Western-style rooms, which come with Westin's trademark Heavenly beds and one-touch express service for everything from room service to messages, come in a variety of styles and price ranges, with the least expensive rooms occupying the oldest wing and the most expensive featuring updated, modern furnishings. Best of all are rooms on the fifth floor with large terraces overlooking the valley. And for those who wish to experience the pleasures of a traditional tatami room but with all the nearby conveniences of a first-rate hotel, the Japanese-style Kasui-en annex is a good bet for ryokan first-timers. Built in 1959, the annex offers 20 modern, elegant rooms with views of a Japanese garden and cypress baths.
Facilities: 6 restaurants; 1 bar; 2 lounges; 20m (66-ft.) indoor pool; shallow outdoor pool; grass tennis court (¥5,250/$50 per hour); Jacuzzi, sauna, and gym (free for hotel guests); sun decks (available also for viewing the full moon); observation deck; wild-bird sanctuary and bird-watching trail; jogging trail; tea ceremony room open daily 10am-7pm (fee: ¥1,050/$10); game room; concierge; salon; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting, same-day dry-cleaning/laundry; nonsmoking rooms; executive-level rooms.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
