Hyatt Regency
Kyoto

The Hyatt Regency is a stylish and lively hotel located in the Kyoto’s historic Higashiyama sightseeing district, just a short walk from hallowed Sanjusangendo (temple of 1,000 Kannon) and a short taxi ride from the Geisha quarter of Gion. The light and airy interiors by acclaimed Japanese design studio 'Super Potato' are playful, well considered and imaginative with delightful re-interpretations of traditional zen concepts.

The 189 rooms and suites are soothing and comfortable with lots of clever touches, including the recent innovation of room cleaning and room service via your iPad using the complimentary in-room Wi-fi. The bars and restaurants have a real buzz and are a pleasure to dine at, with their Italian offering garnering particularly good reviews. The team at the Hyatt have embraced the fact that their client demographic has changed markedly, as foreign visitor numbers increase whilst the number of Japanese visitors has started to fall. The breakfasts are a great example of the Hyatt's positive response to this - gluten-free, halal, soya milk and so forth are not common in Japan but all can be found here. Throughout the hotel, the staff are friendly and efficient, with a higher than average level of spoken English due to ongoing training. All in all this hotel is a real gem!

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson