Starwood’s First Luxury Collection Hotel in Japan to Open March 2015

Starwood has signed its first Luxury Collection property in Japan.

Scheduled to open in March 2015, Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kyoto is being developed as a ryokan-style accommodation.

Located in the Arashiyama district in the western part of Kyoto, the hotel occupies part of the grounds of Tenryuji Temple, a World Heritage site that since the 1960s housed ‘Rantei,’ a well-known traditional Japanese ryokan long used by the Japanese government to entertain VIPs.

In addition to the newly built guestrooms and facilities, Suiran will retain elements of its esteemed past, including the preservation of two original structures: ‘Enmei-kaku’, built in 1899, and ‘Hasshoken’, constructed in 1910 – both of which are currently undergoing extensive renovations and will ultimately house a signature restaurant and cafe.

With only 39 rooms, the hotel will offer an intimate experience for those in Kyoto – a city steeped in tradition with numerous historic palaces, temples and shrines. Each guestroom will be designed in culturally significant hues and traditional motifs. Amenities will include a lobby lounge, signature restaurant, meeting room, fitness center and spa.

Suiran is located adjacent to the Hozugawa River, Kameyama Park and the Hogonin and Tenryuji Temples. Arashiyama houses and the famed Bamboo Grove on the southern side of the river – declared a National Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty – are also both in close proximity to the hotel.

“We are thrilled to welcome Suiran to The Luxury Collection portfolio – an ensemble of more than 90 of the world’s most extraordinary hotels and resorts,” said Lothar Pehl, Senior Vice President, Operations and Global Initiatives, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia Pacific. “With its intimate scale and idyllic setting, the hotel will further strengthen Starwood’s luxury portfolio in Japan. As part of The Luxury Collection, Suiran will effortlessly blend renowned Japanese hospitality with the brand’s captivating proposition, offering guests an authentic way to experience Kyoto.”

Starwood currently operates 14 hotels in Japan.