Recommended Hotels in Kyoto for Contemporary Art Lovers

Kyoto is always abundant with exhibitions, art festivals, art fairs, and other events to visit. When you visit Kyoto, why not try one of the “art hotels” that offer lodging and a chance to feel the artworks close at hand? This article introduces eight notable art hotels where you can enjoy contemporary art. We hope you will find this article, along with the “Design” edition, which focuses on architecture and guest room items, useful in selecting a hotel.

RC Hotel Kyoto Yasaka

Located near Kiyomizu-zaka, where many inns and hotels are located, RC Hotel Kyoto Yasaka is a renovated apartment building that was once used as a residence. The building is made of reinforced concrete, which is rare in Kyoto. The guest rooms are coordinated under three different themes: art, antiques, and greenery. While retaining the industrial atmosphere of the building, each room is sure to offer a different flavor.

Another feature of the hotel is that it hosts special exhibitions. In recent years, the hotel has held exhibitions such as Takehiro Iikawa, Satoshi Kawata, and Daisuke Kuroda’s Heaven on a Journey: On a Journey, On a Journey Again and qp’s November 10, 2040, is a Saturday.

Address: 370 Yasaka Kamimachi, Higashiyama, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
https://rchotelkyoto.com/en/contact

Sumiya Kiho-an

Established in 1955 in Yunohana Onsen, Kameoka-shi, Kyoto Prefecture, Sumiya Kiho-an is a long-established traditional Japanese-style inn or ryokan that has hosted John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Yusaku Matsuda, and others. While respecting Japanese traditions such as hot springs, Japanese-style room decorations, and seasonal cuisine, the ryokan has continued to update the way ryokans should be run, including the provision of authentic Austrian wines with a sommelier and services such as Ayurveda, a traditional Indian therapy.

Contemporary artist Yukinori Yanagi was responsible for the renovation of the lobby and gallery in 2021. Currently on display are Yanagi’s works, including Nagato, a work inspired by a battleship sunk at Bikini Atoll.

Address: 25 Miyanooku, Hiedano-cho Kakihana, Kameoka-shi, Kyoto
Inn: https://www.sumiya.ne.jp/en/
Gallery: https://hakutai.sumiya.ne.jp/

BnA Alter Museum

Located along the Kamo River, between Shijo and Gojo, BnA Alter Museum opened in 2019. The 31 guest rooms are produced by 16 artists and 9 art directors, including Daito Manabe of Rhizomatiks, Yusuke Nakano of Paramodel, Tetsuya Umeda, and EY∃. Each guest room has a completely different aspect, so you are sure to enjoy a fresh lodging experience each time you visit.

The 10-story building is a long and narrow space, and artwork is exhibited in the “Stair Case Gallery” on the fire escape. The museum’s theme is “a museum where visitors can stay overnight,” and visitors are invited to enjoy art while staying at the museum.

Address: 267-1 Tenma-cho Shimogyo, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 
https://bnaaltermuseum.com/

Node Hotel

node hotel is located in the Shijo-Karasuma area. It is a hotel based on the concept of an “art collector’s residence” where art can be felt in daily life rather than as an extraordinary luxury. Works by Barry McGee, Tomoo Gokita, Shinro Ohtake, Nobuyoshi Araki, Yukimasa Ida, and others are exhibited in the public space and guest rooms. The hotel aims to create a welcoming community that connect the local area and travelers.

Address: 461 Toroyama-cho, Nakagyo, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
https://nodehotel.com/

Hotel Anteroom Kyoto

Hotel Anteroom Kyoto, located between Kujo and Jujo stations on the Karasuma Line, is an apartment-like hotel that offers long-term stays and reopened in 2016 after renovating a former student dormitory building into guest rooms. The hotel offers concept rooms designed by Mika Ninagawa, Kohei Nawa, Kenji Yanobe, and Teppei Kaneuji and reasonably priced standard rooms attractively decorated with paintings. The hotel also features a restaurant and bar, “Gallery 9.5” introducing Kyoto-based creators, and a space for music events and workshops.

Address: 7 Aketacho, Higashikujo, Minami-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
https://www.uds-hotels.com/en/anteroom/kyoto/

Gallery of the Youth

Gallery of the Youth is an art gallery where visitors can view contemporary artwork while staying overnight. There is “Higashiyama” near Kiyomizu-dera Temple and “Nishijin” just a stone’s throw from Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. Both buildings were renovated from dilapidated machiya houses by Paramodel’s Yasuhiko Hayashi. The works on display, selected by Hayashi himself, can be viewed and purchased by guests only at the hotel on a private viewing basis. Accommodation is limited to one group a night, with a maximum of five guests.

Operated by Kyoto-based artists and art students, the space is for the enjoyment of guests and serves as financial support for the artists. Guests will surely enjoy the artwork in the at-home atmosphere that only a private viewing can provide.

Addresses:
(Higashiyama) 214-4 Ikedonocho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
(Nishijin) 7-27 Murasakino Shimokashiwano-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
https://www.facebook.com/galleryoftheyouth/

Kagan Hotel

Located near the bustling Kyoto Central Market, Kagan Hotel is an art hotel renovated from a women’s dormitory and warehouse of a vegetable wholesaler that opened in 2019. In addition to being a hotel, it also serves as a residence where young artists live together and create art. As such, it features an event space, café bar, and reasonably priced hostel, as well as ateliers, photography studios, and shared housing for artists. Some of the artists in residence work as staff while creating their work. The museum allows visitors not only to stay overnight but also to just visit the event space. Visitors have an opportunity to talk and interact with the artists.

Address: 99 Sujakuhozo-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
https://kaganhotel.com/

WeBase Kyoto

WeBase Kyoto is a hostel located between the Shijo and Gojo Stations on the Karasuma Line. With the concept of “a new opportunity for community exchange,” the hostel aims to connect travelers with the local community. In the lounge, a giant picture scroll of Picture Scroll of Ship’s Cat, a collaboration between contemporary artist Kenji Yanobe and Japanese paper artist Eriko Horiki, and a glowing objet d’art, Ship’s Cat (Totem), are on display. Ship’s Cat (Totem) is based on the motif of a cat that traveled around the world as a “guardian god of travelers” during the Age of Discovery, and is filled with the meanings of “departure,” “hope,” and “birth” to encourage young people to travel with their futures in mind.

Address: 436-1 Iwatoyama-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
https://we-base.jp/kyoto/