Junei Hotel Kyoto Imperial Palace West
Japanese-modern boutique; quiet, craft-obsessed, ryokan-spirited without the ryokan formality. The design layers Kyo-Karakami paper art, Kawashima Selkon textiles, tatami mats, and Imabari towels into something that feels simultaneously ancient and precise.
Order breakfast by 5pm the day before — the Shidashi catering must be arranged in advance; it arrives in your room 7–9am.
Why It Matters
One of the smallest luxury hotels in Kyoto at only 8 rooms. Named a Top 5 Hotel by Condé Nast Traveller in 2025. Every room features a bespoke art piece by a Nishijin master craftsman and a Shigaraki ceramic bathtub filled with hydrogen-enriched water. Breakfast is a traditional Shidashi delivery from a century-old Kyoto catering house, brought directly to your room.
Eight rooms. Just eight. THE JUNEI HOTEL Kyoto Imperial Palace West sits in a quiet residential block west of the Imperial Palace, and the whole property feels less like a hotel and more like a very beautiful house prepared specifically for you. Every room is named for a natural element — plum, bamboo, maple, clouds, sky — and dressed in original Kyo-Karakami woodblock-printed art pieces hand-crafted by master Ko Kado of the Kamisoe workshop in Nishijin. Deluxe Twin rooms are 50m²; Premium Doubles are 40m². And every single one has a custom Shigaraki ceramic bathtub filled with hydrogen-enriched water.
Where You'll Stay
6 room types available
Deluxe Twin – KUMO (雲) and UNRYU (雲龍)
Two rooms sharing a cloud theme, each with south-facing balconies and small gardens. The Shigaraki tub in these rooms has a particularly good garden view — ideal for soaking while looking outside. KUMO's Kyo-Karakami piece feels transparent; UNRYU uses traditional Japanese Unryu (dragon cloud) paper.
50 sqm
Deluxe Twin – MOMIJI (紅葉)
A maple tree fills the private garden framed by a wooden fence at just the right height — you watch it change with the seasons from the room. Kyo-Karakami headboard artwork uses bronze, charcoal, and gold tones with a gold-to-ashy-pink gradation.
50 sqm
Deluxe Twin – TAKE (竹)
Bamboo is planted in the small garden and sways outside the window. The Karakami paper artwork above the beds uses aged bamboo-green and seashell-silver pigments with an original woodblock pattern. This is the only room with a hinoki cypress pillar, and the cushions are remodeled Nishijin kimono belts.
50 sqm
Deluxe Twin – UME (梅)
Named for the plum tree visible from the Shigaraki bathtub's little private garden. The room's sole pillar is crape myrtle wood — the only room with this feature. Kyo-Karakami headboard art uses plum, light blue, ocher, gold, and silver pigments, with a gold-stamped Indian pattern that lends an exotic edge.
50 sqm
Premium Double – ORI (織) and DAICHI (大地)
Two rooms with a textile theme. Bed throws and curtains were designed by textile artisan Sumiko Honda around light and nature. The curtain, named in Italian for 'atmospheric,' lets wind pass through its weave. Towels and pajamas are silk created by ITOKO, a silk producer since 1931.
40 sqm
Premium Double – SORA (蒼空)
The top-floor room with the best view of Kyoto's sky. The Kyo-Karakami art piece uses a checkered pattern with gold and seashell-silver pigments and a white powder paisley design. A cherry wood pillar anchors the space; textiles were designed by artist Sumiko Honda with a plum blossom Jacquard weave throw.
40 sqmThe Property
Eat & Drink
1 venue on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
30-minute loop over Kyoto's UNESCO World Heritage sites from Fushimi JPD Heliport, covering Arashiyama, Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle, Kiyomizudera, and more. Up to 3 participants. Surcharge for night flights.
Learn the delicate 'icchin' ceramic technique from a third-generation Koshungama Kiln master — the same technique used for the original white porcelain pieces in every JUNEI room. Finished work is fired and shipped to your home.
Tour a 140-year-old private bamboo grove in Arashiyama, then craft your own bamboo Tokkuri sake bottle and Ochoko cups. Green bamboo sake vessels carry a special prestige in Japanese hospitality culture.
A certified tea ceremony instructor conducts a private lesson on your room's tatami — covering the correct method of preparing tea as well as calligraphy, flower arranging, ceramics, and hanging scrolls. Open to beginners and international guests. Available year-round.
A Maiko-san is sent from one of Kyoto's five Hanamachi Geisha districts (Gion Kobu, Gion Higashi, Miyagawacho, Kamishichiken, or Pontocho) to your hotel room. Guests can chat, watch her dance, take photos, and participate in Ochaya-asobi games. No cancellations after confirmation.
High-quality silk kimono rental through Kyobana for women's sightseeing in Kyoto. Optional dressing lesson available. Dressing appointments 12pm–6pm (return by 10pm).
A monk-guided 2-hour private tour of areas of Sennyuji Temple not normally open to the public, including the reliquary hall and Reimei-den Hall. For 2–8 participants.
Full-day private vehicle tour to Katsura Imperial Villa (praised by architect Bruno Taut) and Uji's Byodoin Temple (UNESCO World Heritage). Includes private vehicle transport. Up to 8 participants.
Beginner-level flower arranging lesson at the head school of the Kuwahara-Senkei school, which has existed since the early Edo period. Taught by the upcoming head of the school in a relaxed format.
A specialist garden designer guides 2–5 guests through Kyoto's notable gardens, explaining the hidden techniques and symbolism embedded in Japanese garden design.
A master wagashi craftsman teaches guests to make three types of traditional Japanese confections in seasonal motifs. One is enjoyed on site with matcha; the others go home as souvenirs.
A personal photographer accompanies guests at a location of their choosing around Kyoto. Photos delivered as a digital album. Up to 20 participants. Book at least 3 days ahead.
Rickshaw tour departing from THE JUNEI HOTEL Kyoto through the Higashiyama townscape. 60 or 90 minute options for 1 or 2 participants. Can also be arranged in reverse — start from a sightseeing spot and arrive at the hotel.
Led by the chief priest at Sennyuji Temple, Rozanji Temple, or Katsurinji Temple. Includes seated Zen meditation, a sermon, and sutra copying practice. Up to 10 participants.
Book all eight rooms for exclusive private use — suitable for family reunions, corporate groups, or special gatherings of up to 39 people. Consultations accepted up to one year in advance.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
Seasonal fragrances in the entryway composed by Air Aroma, a luxury-hotel fragrance brand. Also: tatami mat igusa soft-rush flooring with its natural calming scent.
Original ambient music blending natural sounds — streams, birdsong, wind — with piano, composed specifically for the hotel. Can also be replaced with your own music via smartphone audio player.
Each room has a custom Shigaraki-yaki ceramic bathtub (produced using highest-quality clay specifically for the hotel) connected to a HYXIA hydrogenator that creates high-concentration hydrogen water. Far infrared rays warm the body from the core. Smooth to the touch with natural wabi-sabi appeal.
Curtains and cushions from Kawashima Selkon, blending traditional textile techniques with contemporary design. Brocade throws add finishing touches.
Premium Imabari towels — a Japanese standard for luxury towel quality — provided in all rooms.
Premium American Serta iSeries mattresses with gel memory foam for temperature regulation. Linens are JUNEI HOTEL Original 100% cotton sheets by Kyoto Nishikawa. Gauze pajamas by Kyoto's Daitou Shingu made with 'Kyo Wazarashi Mensya' airy cotton.
Sommelier-selected teas from Wazuka-cho in southern Kyoto Prefecture — one of Japan's most celebrated tea-producing districts. Three varieties provided per room.
Extensive list of complimentary rental items available on request before arrival: adapter, extension cord, iron, steam iron, trouser press, mobile phone charger, champagne glasses, cake plate and serving set, camera tripod, curling iron, flattening iron, bed guard, crib, yoga mat, first aid supplies.
A traditional sweet said to have been favored by warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, prepared by Kameyakiyonaga — a Kyoto confectioner established over 400 years ago. Placed in each room.
Staff proactively helps with luggage forwarding to next destinations. Transport company requires 24-hour notice.
BUILD YOUR THE JUNEI HOTEL KYOTO IMPERIAL PALACE WEST PLAN
Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
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