Bamboo, precise Zen-inspired gardens, a waterfall and pond 850 years old: these are the images one associates with Kyoto, Japan’s ancient and elegant capital.Combine these traditional Japanese elements with the high-style, 21st century design of Super Potato, one of the world’s hottest interior design firms, and the result is the new Hyatt Regency Kyoto, the city’s first luxury hotel.

Recently celebrated by Academy Award winning director Rob Marshall’s screen adaptation of “Memoirs of a Geisha,” the city of Kyoto is a visually stunning juxtaposition of old and new well worth the trip.

Historically, Japanese culture has had an uncanny ability to express the timelessness of art: no matter how ancient a painting, a building or a garden, there is a surprising relevance and appeal for today. Nowhere is this more true than in the 189-room Hyatt Regency Kyoto, located in the traditional cultural heart of the city, where Super Potato succeeds in celebrating Japan’s traditions by incorporating distinctively Japanese contemporary style and the most modern of amenities.

Guestrooms offer a comfortable and relaxed environment, combining traditional Japanese aesthetics, natural colors, kimono fabrics and a simple functional concept with modern amenities such as flat-screen televisions and high-speed broadband Internet access. Room rates start at 35,000´ ($295) for a Standard room and 39,000´ ($330) for a Deluxe room.

The hotel’s stylish, innovative restaurants and bars include The Grill, with its contemporary interior, visual open kitchen, wood-fire ovens and view of the traditional Japanese garden; the Trattoria Sette, a casual Italian restaurant with a show kitchen; and the adjacent Pastry Boutique.

Modelled after a traditional Kyoto home and decorated with a wide range of antiques, the Japanese restaurant, Touzan, provides three choices of cuisine and experience: Charcoal Grill, Sushi bar and Touzan Bar as well as three semi-private and one private room. All menus feature the freshest seasonal produce from the local market.

Hyatt Regency Kyoto’s RIRAKU Spa and Fitness center features the latest exercise equipment, a steam room, sauna, and 10 treatment rooms to replenish body and mind. RIRAKU’s highly trained therapists can provide consultations, treatments, and individually designed diet program tailored to each guests’ needs. The hotel’s banquet and meeting space includes a main ballroom, two junior ballrooms and function rooms, as well as a wedding chapel, wedding gallery and family rooms.

Hyatt currently operates six hotels in Japan including Park Hyatt Tokyo, Grand Hyatt Tokyo, Century Hyatt Tokyo, Hyatt Regency Osaka, Grand Hyatt *censored*uoka and Hyatt Regency *censored*uoka. The new Hyatt Regency Kyoto is conveniently located in Higashiyama Shichijo district, a neighbourhood with the Sanjusangendo Temple, the Kyoto National Museum and many temples and landmarks. The hotel is just a few minutes drive from the Japan Railway Kyoto Station.
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