In Kyoto, there's a hotel for every type of traveller

Hotels in Japan's cultural capital have a similar local aesthetic. A guide to places that offer something different

- Bloomberg

In any given month, Kyoto might receive three to four million tourists. So it's no wonder that every international hotel brand has been intent on planting its flag in Japan's culture capital.

Just last year, wellness pioneer Six Senses—known for resorts in beach spots such as the Maldives and Fiji—opened one of its first urban properties in Kyoto to great fanfare. Within the next year, the so-hot-right-now brand Capella will open its doors in the city's Gion district.

The bevy of luxury labels is so vast it's become harder and harder to sift through the prospects. And with eye-watering prices—a five-star room can easily cost more than $1,000 per night despite the floundering yen—it's a choice most travellers can't afford to get wrong.

With that in mind, here's the skinny on a dozen of Kyoto's most talked-about hotels, including the reasons to book and some caveats worth considering.

FOR THE SECOND TRIP