Capella Hotels opens Capella Kyoto, its first property in Japan

Capella Kyoto will open on 22 March 2026, just as Kyoto’s legendary cherry blossoms reach their fleeting peak. Set in the historic Miyagawa-cho kagai (geisha district), Capella Hotels and Resorts’ inaugural property in Japan is located steps from the Kenninji temple and the Kamo river where kabuki was born.

Photo credits: Capella Kyoto

Designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates and Singapore-based Brewin Design Office, the 89-key hotel reimagines the city’s traditional machiya (townhouse) and reinterprets Kyoto’s characteristic spatial composition—the layered sequence of narrow alleys, hidden gardens, and interior thresholds—arriving at a moment when the city is at its most transcendent: streets canopied in sakura, air scented with spring, and the ancient rhythms of Gion very much alive.

Built on the former site of Shinmichi Elementary School, Capella Kyoto is part of a three-part development along Shinmichi Street together with the restored Miyagawa-cho Kaburenjo Theatre and a new community centre — carrying forward a legacy of learning, culture, and community. At the heart of the development is the Kaburenjo itself: for generations the private training ground of Kyoto’s geiko and maiko, and a defining symbol of the kagai. Now restored, it grants Capella guests access to performances — a living tradition Kyoto has guarded for centuries.

The 89-room property rises four storeys, with accommodations ranging from Deluxe City Rooms to the 206-sqm top-floor Capella Suite. Among the most sought-after are the Premier Theatre Rooms — named for their outlook over the Kaburenjo — and the two Gion Suites, each with a direct view of Kenninji temple. Six Onsen Suites feature private hot spring baths, while the Capella Suite commands the full sweep of the Higashiyama skyline.

From both the bedroom and the lounge, guests look out over the pagodas and rooftops of Higashiyama, with the iconic five-tiered silhouette of Yasaka Pagoda visible against the mountain ridge. The suite’s elevation above Miyagawa-cho also places guests at the best vantage point for one of Gion’s most elusive sights: geiko and maiko, dressed for the evening, making their way through the laneway below to the ochaya where they are engaged.

CULINARY OFFERINGS

Capella Kyoto is home to SoNoMa by SingleThread, created in partnership with SingleThread, the Three-Michelin-starred restaurant based in Sonoma, California by Kyle and Katina Connaughton. As the signature restaurant of the property, SoNoMa by SingleThread offers an intimate 12-seat counter and a 20-seat lounge bar in the style of an ochaya (traditional teahouse). Helming the restaurant is Chef Keita Tominaga, who will celebrate the seasonal agriculture of both Kyoto’s Kansai region and California’s Dry Creek Valley through the lens of local farmers and craftspeople.

SingleThread Entremets, a dedicated patisserie programme led by Executive Pastry Chef Emma Horowitz and Chef Miu Morita, formerly of Michelin Three-Star L’Effervescence in Tokyo, offers seasonal confections for onsite enjoyment or packaged takeaway.

Yoi is a late-night dining destination offering kappo with a modern twist — a refreshing concept in Kyoto’s largely casual after-hours scene. The soul of Kyoto is revealed through one of Japan’s intimate dining traditions, where chefs prepare and present seasonal dishes directly before their guests — elevated here by innovative handcrafted cocktails. The space itself honours the local community through reclaimed timber and lighting fixtures sourced from the former Shinmichi Elementary School, quietly preserving the memory of the neighbourhood’s past.

Lanterne, the all-day French brasserie, reimagines Parisian café culture through Kyoto’s quiet craftsmanship, blending marble, herringbone floors, and pale woods with the serene sensibility of Japanese design.

Photo credits: Capella Kyoto

AURIGA SPA

Wellness at Capella Kyoto is anchored by Auriga Spa, the brand’s signature sanctuary inspired by lunar cycles and holistic rituals. The spa features three private onsen rooms, wet and dry saunas, four treatment rooms, and a fitness centre. Signature treatments draw from both Japanese tradition and contemporary wellness practices, offering guests pathways to restoration that are rooted in the rhythms of the ancient city.

CAPELLA CURATES

Through “Capella Curates,” the hotel’s signature cultural programming, guests are granted access to Kyoto’s most closely held traditions — experiences rarely, if ever, open to visitors. Front-row seats at the revived Miyagawa-cho Kaburenjo Theatre — the historic home of Kyoto’s geiko and maiko, and for generations the private heart of the kagai — allow guests to witness the classical performing arts in the intimate surroundings where they are still taught and practised today.

A private ochaya encounter offers a more personal audience with a maiko, in a teahouse that remains by-invitation only. A visit to a 150-year-old sandal atelier offers the chance to commission a bespoke pair, made by hand in the manner of old Gion. And a kintsugi workshop led by an urushi lacquerware master reveals the Japanese art of repairing what is broken — making it, in the process, more beautiful than before.