ELLE Decor Checks In: Kyoto

Opened in April 2024, this urban resort in downtown Kyoto is well situated near Gion and the Kyoto National Museum, but it feels like a world apart thanks to its thoughtful design by Singapore’s BLINK Design Group.

The property’s 81 guest rooms and suites look inward onto a series of courtyard gardens, and feature design touches—from Washi paper partitions to Edo-style plasterwork—sourced in Kyoto.

My favorite touch: the outside of every door has a papier-mâché sconce shaped like a fox, a beloved symbol in the city. Light indicates “please make up the room”—a clever detail.