Hotel Review: ROKU KYOTO, Hilton LXR (Garden Deluxe King Room)
Introduction | ROKU Kyoto
ROKU Kyoto is the first Hilton LXR Hotels and Resorts property in Asia and the first foray for the Hilton brand in Kyoto. Located on a vast 28.6 acre of resort grounds, this luxury enclave called Shozan Resorts Kyoto features a series of luxury restaurants, tea houses and a Japanese garden.
Named after the time-honored artisan tradition of paper making, this luxury hotel was inspired by the vast beauty and simplicity of Japanese craftsmanship. From the arrival lobby to the pavilion styled dining area to the serene spa and rooms, this tranquil sanctuary also recently won the KOHLER Bold Design Award for its exquisite design.
Given that Kyoto has an amazing hotel market, it’s great to see new luxury additions like that of Roku Kyoto. When you combine the impeccable Japanese hospitality with luxury brands, it’s simply a recipe for an amazing experience.
Booking | Roku Kyoto
Hilton award bookings have gone up a bit, from 95,000 to 110,000 for standard rooms across multiple luxury properties. While this isn’t a great aspect or proposition from those that seek to maximize their points, we found massive value during our two night stay in March of 2023.
I used 440,000 Hilton points to book two room - one for myself and one for my parents. Cash rates at this property was as expected for March, around $1,200 to a staggering $2,000 a night. All things considered, using points here as either a Gold or Diamond Hilton member will always be net positive.
Location | Roku Kyoto
This beautiful resort is situated closer to the northern portion of Kyoto, nestled in the mountain hills. It’s not subway accessible nor is it necessarily friendly on foot, but that’s to be expected for these types of resorts. Roku Kyoto is situated on the grounds of the Shozan Resort, a series of Japanese restaurants, hotels and a secretive Japanese garden that is probably the hidden gem in this resort.
While not the greatest for those looking for quick transportation methods, it is conveniently located near Kinkaku-ju aka Golden Temple (15 minutes by foot) and another 15 minutes by foot to Ryoan-ji, famous for its rock zen garden and Japanese garden. I highly recommend having breakfast first at ROKU Kyoto and then embarking on your walk towards the Golden Temple right before it opens.
In addition, you can walk around the massive 29-acre Shozan Resort, which features a expansive array of gardens, temples and restaurants. Furthermore, there is a on-site convenience store, and a 7-Eleven about 8-10 minutes walking distance. So it’s not bad.
As mentioned, it’s not really friendly in terms of easy transportation, but if you’re coming from the Kyoto Train Station - it would take around 20-30 minutes by taxi or private limo.
About the property though. It’s stunning.
I took some photo shots with my Nikon D850 via 16-35mm lens.
Property Grounds | ROKU Kyoto
Transport yourself from the urban life to a sanctuary.
We were given an extensive breakdown and layout by one of the managers on the property, showing us how the hotel is immersed with its surroundings, utilizing a series of water features and the natural streams that flow across the resort. The natural environment and minimalistic Japanese architecture is something that will be etched into your stay, and is one of the strongest selling points of this property.
From the moment you step onto the grounds from the taxi, you’re enveloped into a beautiful outdoor foyer that is beautifully serene. The foyer splits into the Tea House or the Check-In lobby, both of which boast some amazing natural wood and materials, clearly focused on the region’s historical architecture. I found myself walking around the property at times just touching and hearing the soft winds of the Kyoto foothills. This is perhaps their strongest asset and is one of the most beautiful resort properties i’ve ever been to. With a series of outdoor hallways that are intertwined with various gardens and water features, it’s a waste to not wake up early and walk around the property in the mornings.
Check-In | ROKU Kyoto
Upon arrival, we were kindly escorted to the front desk lobby, where we were greeted with a cup of hot green tea and a small amuse bouche. Being a Hilton Diamond member, we were also given a 15,000 Yen Experience Credit, with 10,000 on the first day and 5,000 after that. You can utilize this for almost anything - dining, room service, the spa, souvenirs, private car service, you name it. This came in incredibly handy for me down the road and certainly left a fantastic impression for me with their Concierge Team.
We were also granted breakfast during our stays along with a series of small gifts found in our rooms.
Tea House | Roku Kyoto
This intimate setting contains a series of tables and lounges that offer various teas and coffees to their guest at anytime, and is another highlight of this property. Beautifully decorated and with views to die for, we found ourselves relaxing here after breakfast or dinner with the family. It also acts as another point of check-in when the hotel is busy.
Garden King Room 112 | ROKU Kyoto
It’s hard not to gasp and quickly forget that you’re in Kyoto when entering any of the 114 guest rooms. All are serene and have neutral palettes that are crafted with the finest materials possible.
Among the ranges of rooms at the ROKU Kyoto, I chose in particular Garden Deluxe King Room. This particular type of room is located only on the first floor and denotes itself through its own private sanctuary through a private Japanese garden and your own onsen. Refined washi paper accents are utilized as the main wall, with light woods and natural metallic elements flowing throughout the room. There’s a walk-in closet and a half-bathroom upon entering, and the main bathroom to your left. The king bed is flanked by two tablestands, along with the main room controller and a Balmuda sound system.
Near the bed is a beautiful minibar, which comes with Nespresso and various tea selections. A massive flat-screen TV is mounted opposite of the bed along with another entrance to the bathroom. If you enter the bathroom, there are two vanities that flank the massive shower. Made entirely out of stone, this bathroom feels incredibly luxurious and downright expensive. Woven headboards with abstract motifs, bespoke tea ceramics and wooden lattice partitions add various layers of luxury and warmth to the rooms. The hairdryer that was included was apparently expensive, as pointed out by my wife - it was a Repronizer 4D Plus, which retails for a whopping $520 USD! No wonder she enjoyed taking her sweet time in the shower during our stay, haha.
Our toiletries was from aromatic British brand Votary that smell so good, I had to take a set back home.
Once you head into the garden patio, you’re welcomed with a picturesque sight of the zen garden along with the stone onsen to your left. The onsen sits in there with floor-to-ceiling windows that can be opened to bring the Kyoto air in. This onsen pours natural hot spring water directly from the source, and was definitely one of the my favorite moments in this particular stay. While the other rooms have a similar layout with the onsen being based in the bathroom itself, the element of having the onsen right next to the garden is the reason why I aimed for this particular room to begin with.
Since the patio windows do open up, you’re welcomed with a private Japanese garden the features seasonal shrubs and trees, along with stone motifs and moss that are almost like a painting. Open the glass windows and watch the steam rise from the water surface and into the cool mountain breeze.
DINING | ROKU Kyoto
If there’s one thing to ding this property on, it may very well be the breakfast.
Breakfast is served at Tenjin and as a Hilton Diamond member, it is complimentary with a set choice of either a Western or Japanese selection. Compared to what I had at the Hyatt Place Kyoto, I was somewhat disappointed at the choice of selections at the buffet offerings. I thought it would be a one-off thing based on my research on other reviews, but to my disappointment it was just as weak as they stated. Compared to its rivals like that of the Ritz Carlton Kyoto or even the Park Hyatt Kyoto, this was probably their weakest link, and a critical one at that.
We opted for the Japanese breakfast and while the food quality was top notch, I couldn’t help but wonder why the accompanied side dishes and the overall food were so little. It seemed so limited and I really hoped ROKU Kyoto would step it up here. There is definite room for improvement in this category here, considering its competition. Looking forward, hopefully there will be a change of direction in which they dictate breakfast.
The Neighborhood | ROKU Kyoto
As part of the Shozan Resort, there are various places to explore and surprisingly a ton of fun hidden gems scattered across the property. It is home to a string of winding and romantic walkways, gardens and several high-end Japanese restaurants, along with a bonsai shop and a rather decked out gift shop. One good way to explore this is to embark on a meditation walk with the Spa team or yourself - here you wander through the scenic Japanese garden near the hotel, with clusters of vertical branches that seemingly shoot into the sky, or witness the cherry blossoms scattered across this lush garden.
Concierge | ROKU Kyoto
One of the highlights of this trip was the amazing Concierge Team led by Yurie Machi, the Concierge Shift Leader. She pretty much made our stay incredibly welcome and provided us a VIP welcome. Yurie took the time to help reserve TENKI, a well-known tempura restaurant in the heart of Kyoto during the busy season and connected us with the hotel’s Mercedes-Benz shuttle on the way down, saving us some money on transport. In addition, when i found out that I lost my Nikon battery charger, she was able to track down a replacement within hours and had a new one for me after our dinner at TENKI.
We were also able to utilize our Experience credit by booking two private limos from the hotel to the Kyoto train station, again with the help of Yurie and her team. She’s made our experience at the ROKU Kyoto incredibly memorable and would be a major reason why I would be back at the resort in the future.
Conclusion | ROKU Kyoto
Having waited 2 years for Japan to reopen, I was excited for ROKU Kyoto and the expectations that came with it. Expectations were high and the property delivered 100% of it. From a series of requests that the Concierge Team magically provided to the scenic grounds of the property to the luxurious vibe of our garden room, it’s really hard to fault this amazing hotel. While the breakfast was generally limited and not to my expectations, everything else about this property excelled.
It’s rare to find this type of hotel that seemingly mix the entire environment into its property. This is definitely the type of hotel that is most enjoyable on a 2+ night stay. ROKU Kyoto seemingly combines high quality mix of space, nature and contemporary design in Kyoto and is a fine addition to the great hotel market here in Japan.
That being said, if you’re in the market for a luxury hotel that is naturally inviting and away from the mainstream hotels of Kyoto, you’ll want to give ROKU Kyoto a try. With a private onsen in your room and close proximity to a few historical heritage sites like Kinkaku-ji, it’s a great alternative and a satisfying one compared to its peers like the Ritz Carlton, Park Hyatt and the Four Seasons.
