In this milestone 135th anniversary year, Imperial Hotel is announcing its expansion into Kyoto with a remarkable Spring 2026 opening in the historic Gion district, bringing the group’s first new property in three decades.
A careful approach to growth
The announcement feels particularly significant given Imperial Hotel’s careful approach to growth. Since 1890, the group has built just three hotels: the flagship Tokyo property (Imperial Hotel, Tokyo) that famously survived the Great Kanto Earthquake on its opening day thanks to Frank Lloyd Wright’s engineering brilliance, the seasonal mountain retreat at Kamikochi (Imperial Hotel, Kamikochi) that’s been drawing poets and artists since 1933, and the Osaka riverside hotel (Imperial Hotel, Osaka) that opened in 1996.
In the heart of historic Gion
Now comes Imperial Hotel, Kyoto, housed within the restored bones of Yasaka Kaikan in Gion, where cobbled streets echo with the soft clip of wooden geta and paper lanterns cast their warm glow over traditional tea houses. This is the district where geishas still glide between ochaya at dusk, where centuries-old traditions play out daily against a backdrop of perfectly preserved machiya townhouses. Since the Edo period, Gion has flourished as an entertainment district at the gates of Yasaka Shrine, maintaining its rich history whilst evolving with the times.
The 1936 cultural venue that will become the hotel was originally funded by contributions from local geiko, maiko and teahouse associations, making it a beloved community landmark that has hosted theatrical performances, concerts and countless cultural gatherings across generations. Its architect, Tokusaburo Kimura of Obayashi Corporation, was renowned for his mastery of theatre architecture, creating the building’s distinctive multi-tiered roof and tower-like front section that forms part of Gion’s beautiful townscape.
An extraordinary architectural lineage
What emerges from the renovation story is an extraordinary architectural lineage. Kimura was deeply influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the scratch tiles he used for other projects had originally been brought to Japan by Wright himself for the construction of the original Imperial Hotel. The connection runs deeper still through shared terracotta from Tokoname and contributions from craftspeople who worked on Wright’s celebrated design. Rather wonderfully, Obayashi Corporation (the same firm that built the structure nearly 90 years ago) is handling the renovation.
Thoughtful restoration meets contemporary design
Architect Tomoyuki Sakakida of New Material Research Laboratory is overseeing interiors guided by an “Old is New” philosophy, with 16,387 original exterior tiles being meticulously preserved and reinstated. Guests will choose between three distinct room styles across 55 accommodations, each reflecting different aspects of the building’s architectural evolution. Beyond the rooms, there will be spa facilities, a pool, dining spaces, and what promises to be a rather special bar where evening drinks might be accompanied by the distant sound of shamisen music drifting from nearby establishments.
Guests might step from their rooms into Gion’s streets for morning walks to Yasaka Shrine, or evening strolls through paths where the city’s most skilled artisans have practised their crafts for generations, all set against the backdrop of the Higashiyama Mountains.
Sustainability and recognition
The timing coincides with Imperial Hotel’s 135th anniversary celebrations and a renewed focus on sustainability. All three existing properties recently earned the highest “5 Sakura” rating from Japan’s ESG certification system, whilst Imperial Tokyo became the first hotel to receive Forbes Travel Guide’s VERIFIED™ Responsible Hospitality certification.
Chairman Hideya Sadayasu frames the Imperial Kyoto opening as preparation for the company’s 150th anniversary in 2040, describing it as “a new stage where the next generation of hotel staff can welcome guests with warmth, pride, and innovation.”
The property joined The Leading Hotels of the World in April 2025, and room reservations begin this autumn. For a group that has moved deliberately and thoughtfully for more than a century, this Kyoto debut represents both continuity and evolution. Exactly what you’d expect from Imperial Hotel.
Imperial Hotel, Kyoto opens Spring 2026 in the Gion district.
Website: www.imperialhotel.co.jp
