Located in Nishinotoin Town, Kyoto, Dusit Thani Kyoto is a luxury hotel brought to Japan by Dusit Thani, a five-star luxury brand that exudes Thai tradition and hospitality. True to its name, "Dusit Thani," which means "City of Paradise" in Thai, and specifically refers to the capital city on the fourth level of paradise, this was a space that provided us with the ultimate experience.

A comfortable space where you can keenly feel the similarities between Thai and Japanese aesthetics

Dusit Thani Kyoto is located about a 12-minute walk from the central exit of JR Kyoto Station, in the temple town of Nishi Honganji Temple, a World Heritage Site. As you walk through the bustling streets of Kyoto, you will come across a design reminiscent of a Kyoto machiya townhouse.
The beauty of the building, which blends the world of elegance with modern contemporary design, makes you excited about your stay in Kyoto.

Kyoto and Ayutthaya, Thailand, share the common feature of being ancient capitals that are both home to many World Heritage Sites.
Both cities are cities of wisdom that have preserved their unique cultures while carving out history and passing on the traditions they have accumulated over the years to the present day.
Dusit Thani Kyoto pays homage to these two cities and values design and hospitality that express their aesthetic sensibilities.
Therefore, the design was commissioned to Japanese and Thai designers, resulting in a space that blends the cultures and histories of both countries.

Once you pass through the entrance and step inside the building, you will find yourself in an open lobby.
The hotel lobby is built around a courtyard and features lattice windows, a feature of Kyoto machiya houses, offering views of the Japanese garden beyond.
There is a silence here that helps you forget the hustle and bustle, and a sense of beauty that calms the soul.

One of these is the design, which incorporates many traditions and designs from Kyoto and Ayutthaya.
We are warmly welcomed by the traditions and techniques that have been carefully preserved since ancient times, such as walls and pillars that are designed with the beautiful curves characteristic of the roofs of Thai chedis and Kyoto's five-story pagodas, silk walls and delicate carvings, and the texture of wood and stone.

The warm smiles of the staff are also exceptional. Thai hospitality, known as the Land of Smiles, seems to gently embrace us.

Further inside, you'll find The Gallery, a lounge where you can enjoy afternoon tea, and the Tea Salon, a tea room. The tea room also offers special events, such as tea ceremony experiences, to help you fully enjoy your stay in Kyoto.

The guest rooms are located around a courtyard, creating a space enveloped in tranquility.

When you take the elevator from the lobby to the accommodation floor, there is a door in the hallway leading to the guest rooms that can only be opened by swiping a card key, so security is guaranteed.

There are 147 guest rooms in total, including Deluxe Rooms, Premier Rooms, and Suite Rooms, and each room is a sophisticated space that combines modern comfort with the beauty of the ancient capital.
The soft light filtering in through the open shoji screens, the wooden walls that exude a handmade feel, and the high-quality silk fabrics make you feel like you're immersed in nature, and it's so comfortable that you might not even want to go sightseeing.

Guest rooms are stocked with Japanese tea grown using organic farming methods at Dusit Tea Garden, the hotel's own tea plantation in Wazuka Town, Kyoto Prefecture, so be sure to sample it during your stay. This Japanese tea, made with care, is sure to touch your heart.
In addition to tea fields, Dusit Thani Kyoto also has Dusit Farm in Ohara, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, where they cultivate vegetables, including coriander, an essential ingredient in Thai cuisine, and the vegetables harvested are served at the restaurants and bars of Dusit Thani Kyoto and its sister hotel, ASAI Kyoto Shijo.

Guests can also participate in vegetable harvesting if they wish. This is part of the hotel's efforts to become more sustainable, and it was impressive to see the hotel staff excitedly talking about how they would like to help out as well.

Dusit Thani Kyoto takes on a new challenge in the world of food. An experience you can only have here

There are three main dining areas on the basement floor of the hotel.
At the all-day dining restaurant "Kati," you can enjoy Thai cuisine as well as other dishes from around the world.
At the signature restaurant, Ayatana, you can enjoy a variety of innovative Thai dishes that are a modern take on Thai royal cuisine. The restaurant's name, Ayatana, means "six senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and heart)" in Thai. This comes from the teaching in Thai Buddhism that the heart is the sixth sense.

In addition, from July 2025, Ayatana will be changing from a traditional Thai service style to an "omakase course" style, where each guest is served individually, similar to kaiseki cuisine.

The chef's choice course, which changes with the seasons, consists of 11 dishes.
This small dish is packed with seasonal ingredients and techniques, and the stunning worldview that overturns the concept of Thai cuisine is truly impressive.
Although each dish is based on Thai cuisine, it uses local vegetables and incorporates an essence of Japanese cuisine, elevating the cuisine to a new level. The beautiful tableware and presentation truly satisfy all six senses.

Across the courtyard from Ayatana is Chef's Table Momiji, which reflects the changing of the 24 solar terms.
This time, we went to Ginza's Sushi Ishibashi Masakazu, a newly opened restaurant at the back of the store with a counter-style teppan grill.
I heard that this restaurant was newly started to meet the demand for delicious sushi in Kyoto.

In a space with only a few seats and a counter made of a single piece of cypress wood, skilled craftsmen carefully prepare each dish. The ingredients are natural and sourced from all over the country, so the ingredients change daily depending on the availability.

On the day we visited, we were treated to red snapper from Wakayama, alfonsino from Hachijojima, white squid from Shimane, scallops from Aichi Prefecture, conger eel from Nagasaki Prefecture, tuna from Nagasaki Prefecture... The careful work of grilling the ingredients over straw and marinating them in kelp is the result of skilled skill, bringing out the full flavor of the ingredients, and of course the taste was superb.
This will surely appeal to not only overseas guests but also discerning Japanese palate.

The restaurant basically only offers the chef's choice course, but in the future they are considering offering dishes that transcend the boundaries between teppanyaki and sushi.

There is also another place at Dusit Thani Kyoto that you shouldn't miss.
Den Kyoto is a hidden bar that many people come all the way from the neighborhood to visit.

In addition, the spa, Devarana Wellness, offers traditional Thai massages along with the hospitality unique to the Dusit Thani brand, which has close ties to the Thai royal family.
The spa also features a pool and a 24-hour fitness gym to help you have a fulfilling stay.

Experiencing Dusit Thani Kyoto, I felt that luxury is not just about being extravagant, but also about cultural and spiritual richness. And this is exactly what is embodied here.
Thai elegance and Japanese hospitality intertwine to create a truly luxurious atmosphere. What is it? Here you will find clues to the answer.

Text by Yuko Taniguchi