Hotel Review: THE MITSUI KYOTO, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa
Introduction | The Mitsui Kyoto
This might be the best Japanese hotel in Marriott’s portfolio right now.
This lavish Kyoto 5 star luxury hotel simply does everything well - from the room size and quality, hotel architecture, interior design, landscaping, breakfast (their Japanese breakfast is one the best), best spa and fitness center entrance, best tea experience, and fantastic hotel service. I’d even reckon this might be a few margins ahead of the famed Ritz-Carlton Kyoto.
The hotel opened back in 2020, but due to the pandemic it was only serving Japanese guests in its first couple of years. Under recent years, Manabu Kusui, the general manager (who previously was at the Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo), the hotel has curated a following of international travelers that simply want the best in Kyoto. The hotel is fully staffed with a well-trained complement of staff who can communicate well both in Japanese and English.
Booking | The Mitsui Kyoto
Back in August 2023, I was able to secure an award booking for 80,000 Marriott points as I was planning this trip for the group. Based on past experiences, spring time in Japan is practically impossible to book anything aspirational with many months in planning. To give you more context, our room costed closed to $2,000 a night for a king bedroom! That’s properly insane. Nevertheless, the service we got definitely felt like $2,000 a night, and I’ll explain more.
Location | The Mitsui Kyoto
Location is always important when selecting accommodations, and Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto is the most centrally located of the key luxury hotels at present. (The Ritz-Carlton is a close second.) The hotel is directly across the street from Nijo-jo Castle, and several blocks from the entrance to the Imperial Palace. During our walk over, we had the most pleasant of cherry blossoms near a creek, which was so beautiful to look at. Train stations are close by and the closest convenience store is just a 5-7 minute walk away.
Of course, which location is preferable may depend on one’s focus and how much time one is staying in Kyoto. The Mitsui Kyoto is certainly more central when considering important temples, gardens and sites to the west and the north as well as those to the east and southeast. It’s close to almost all the landmarks and shopping, and train access is quite close, though not as crazy close like the Hyatt Place Kyoto, which is literally next to it.
Hotel Grounds | The Mitsui Kyoto
The hotel grounds emanates harmony between sleek modern-day designs and historical Japanese elegance. It’s actually very underrated compared to its competitors, like the Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, LXR Roku Kyoto and the Park Hyatt Kyoto. However, staying at Hotel the Mitsui gives you a deeper connection to Kyoto historically by staying in an area owned by one of Kyoto’s most influential families and the hotel’s namesake. When you first step onto the hotel grounds, you’re welcomed by a monumental gate, Kajiimiya Gate, which has been in the family’s possession for over 300 years.
Perhaps the Pièce de résistance of this hotel sits in the middle of the Hotel the Mitsui - a vast garden and pond opens into the hotel lobby restaurants and distinctly holds a beautiful cherry blossom tree. The designers considered the Japanese idea of Teioku Ichinyo, which places a value in harmony between gardens and their surrounding structures. Just walking into the hotel lobby and viewing the pools of water and the lush green of the garden, you feel immediately relaxed.
No matter when you visit the hotel, the garden is designed to change with the seasons. This means you can enjoy the view of different plants throughout the year, which is such a great part of the hotel culture.
Hotel Room | The Mitsui Kyoto
We were given a Premier King Room, which was basically just on a higher floor. Do note most hotels in Kyoto are capped at 4 floors to match the city requirements, so do not expect Tokyo or Osaka levels of floors.
Upon entry, you’re welcomed with a dark yet elegant vibes- muted tones are thoughtfully used throughout the space, with airy natural wood such as walnut and birch. There’s a natural feeling to the living environment that blends well with its traditional Japanese motifs. The small living area is spacious, featuring a soft sofa and armchair around a dark oak coffee table, which was kindly set with a small welcome gift upon our arrival.
Our bathroom was spacious with double sinks and plenty of counter space and feature the most amazing rain showers (it’s like standing in a misty spring rain like you’ve only dreamed about). Each bathroom has a deep stone tub, adjacent to the shower, for soaking. Comfy bathrobes and of course, slippers. Bath amenities are Parfum Satori products and actually are not contained in those static bottles! 100% extra credit to the Mitsui for not going to the industry norm!
The onsen-style stone tub was especially luxurious. It was quite deep, with plenty of space to stretch, and not only was a bath pillow provided, but at the foot of the tub was a large TV. The shower had both a rain shower and a handheld shower head. The water pressure was excellent, with an all-consuming blast of water coming from the entirety of the circular rain shower. I had a blast relaxing in the bath tub as the Mitsui leverages their own spring water directly from the hotel, which is a rarity and one that would make your skin feel so soft! It’s absolutely worth it.
Included in rooms are Nespresso machines and an electric tea kettle and fridge. I liked that the fridge provided a well-designed storage shelf for one’s own use, as well as the smartly designed pull-out shelf providing more space for making one’s tea or coffee. There are plenty of electrical outlets as well as a Bose sound machine bedside that you can connect with your device via Bluetooth.
There is no dresser in the room, though there are storage drawers at floor level, below the shelving for luggage placement and the open closet area. Guests that like to unpack and put away their wearables may find bending down a bit inconvenient than higher placed drawers would be. The lighting is generally good if a bit subdued; it is not especially bright, especially in the hallway by the luggage shelf and above the storage drawers.
Hotel Amenities | The Mitsui Kyoto
The hotel’s in-house spa, the Thermal Spring Spa, is the only luxury hotel spa in Kyoto with its own source of flowing natural spring water. The space is unequivocally beautiful, in keeping with the rest of the hotel. Scattered boulders are submerged in the thermal baths of the dimly lit large open space, creating a serene experience for anyone coming for a bath or a rest.
When in the spa, you could essentially traverse through different sections of the baths within the water. There are two jacuzzi areas with hot water, while the rest of the bath has a more moderate warm temperature. Actually, they weren’t as hot as I hoped it to be, which was a bit of a confusion for me. Or I guess it’s because I’m too used to the scalding hot spas from my past experiences, haha.
These thermal baths are communal, which I found interesting, as typically the onsens in Japan tend to be separated by gender. Note that if you have tattoos, you’ll be asked to cover up them up with rash guards while using the baths.Furthermore, the hotel has two private bath suites that can be booked out at around 19,500 yen ($184) per hour. You’ll get your own private onsen, sitting area, and bathing facilities. I would probably try this next time I get get 3 day stay at this hotel.
Meanwhile, the hotel also offers two Onsen Suites as their very own room type – which are similar to the private bath suites in that they have their own large private onsen inside them – and so it’s quite understandable that these suites gated off from complimentary elite upgrades. Lastly, the fitness centre at Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto is well-appointed and modern. Cardio equipment included treadmills, bikes and an elliptical, and then there were free weights as well.
Off to the lobby area - the main lounge is a tea room to one side where a traditional Japanese tea ceremony is available to guests, while on the other side there’s a library with some 300+ books on all things Japanese—from cuisine to design to arts and culture. I enjoyed pulling a book off the shelf every so often and reading a few pages, be it on cuisine, wood craftsmanship or graphic arts. Indeed, for those inclined, the hotel’s library provides great insight into Japanese culture and enhances one’s experience of Japan.
Breakfast | The Mitsui Kyoto
Breakfast is complimentary for Marriott Platinum Elite members and above. There’s a choice between a Japanese or Western breakfast, and naturally, we both opted for the Japanese set breakfast. Even as a lowly Gold member, I didn’t hesitate to pay for breakfast here - in fact, I’d recommend it!
They provide both Western and Japanese breakfast options. I really enjoy having the Japanese breakfast options in Japan. There are always a bunch of prepared side dishes of veggies, potatoes, mushrooms, etc, which are healthy and calming for me. However, if you’re here, get the Japanese breakfast set. It’s probably one of the very best that I’ve had. Just note that if you order the Japanese breakfast, there may be a 10-15 minute wait since they seem to cook this as you order. But, it’s so delicious that it’s really worth the wait.
Coffee, tea, and juice were available, as well as refreshing smoothies and freshly-baked croissants (the latter of which was handed out by roaming attendants in the breakfast room). Everything on our plates tasted delicious, and the quantity of food on the plate was impressive in itself too. Overall, the Mitsui’s breakfast is certainly befitting of the quality of the hotel as a whole.
Dinner at Toki | The Mitsui Kyoto
Signature Toki is an elegant treat, with its long teppan counter where chef Tetsuya Asano, fresh from Paris, works his magic fusing French fine dining with Japanese touches such as smoked salmon marinated in white miso.
Toki is the upscale innovative French-Kyoto cuisine helmed by a chef who came from the two Michelin-starred restaurant at the Ritz in Paris, and the hotel hopes to earn one here. Toki offers an open kitchen; you can sit at a table or at the counter and watch the staff quietly creating exquisite bites you’ll savor. The menu is prix-fixe and changes with the season. Dinner here included 12 courses, each paired with an appropriate wine or sake. There wasn’t a lot of people eating at 5pm, which made the experience even more exclusive for us, and our server was incredibly generous and polite with all things related to drinks.
Cuisine on property is top-notch overall as to be expected. As for the neighborhood, there are a number of small local restaurants, from Japanese to French, within a few blocks of the property, not to mention it’s hard to go more than a block or two in Kyoto and not come across a dining spot at nearly every turn. After all, Kyoto is tied with Paris as having the second most greatest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world—only Tokyo has more.
Conclusion | The Mitsui Kyoto
Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa is my number one Marriott top-tier hotel that’s well worth the splurge and time. The hotel room was a gorgeous space that’s set within an equally stunning property, the breakfast served at Forni was generous and hosts one of the best Japanese breakfast sets, and the thermal baths with natural spring water are unique to this property, not to mention the soft water qualities this place has.
Furthermore, the hotel has an unbeatable location, sitting within a stone’s throw of Nijo Castle in the heart of the city. If you’re looking to experience the best of Kyoto’s high-end hospitality while remaining central to all of the city’s attractions, there’s no better choice of place to stay if you have the points to burn!
