Review: Park Hyatt Kyoto | Prince of Travel

The Park Hyatt Kyoto is one of Kyoto’s most attractive properties and one of three Park Hyatt hotels in Japan. It only recently opened in 2019, so I was keen to experience it on my second visit to the city.

The property is nestled in the historic district of Higashiyama, where staggered hillside buildings transport you back in time to feudal-era Japan.

The setting appeared equal parts beautiful and surreal from the outside, so I was intrigued to stay here as a Hyatt Globalist member and to check off this aspirational property from my bucket list.

Park Hyatt Kyoto – Booking

I was able to book this stay for 35,000 World of Hyatt points for a one-night stay.

This is a Category 8 property under World of Hyatt, so there’s separate pricing for off-peak, peak, and regular pricing. Regular pricing at the time was 40,000 points, while off-peak pricing was 35,000 points.

I just so happened to find the one day within a two-week period with off-peak pricing instead of regular. Naturally, I arranged my stay here at the Park Hyatt Kyoto for that particular night, and saved myself 5,000 points by doing so.

When booking with cash, this property goes for around ¥100,000–150,000 yen ($1,000–1,500 CAD) per night.

I was confident that I was getting excellent value for my World of Hyatt points, which we value at 1.9 cents (CAD) per point, as I achieved a redemption rate of over 3 cents (CAD) per point with this booking.

Park Hyatt Kyoto – Location

Higashiyama is located on the eastern side of Kyoto, past the Kamo River. It’s a small tourist town, preserving the atmosphere and feel of feudal Japan, and the Park Hyatt blends seamlessly into the distinctive setting.

Higashiyama has plenty to offer, from traditional pottery stores, tea houses, and many restaurants. Plus, the Kiyomizu-dera Buddhist temple is situated right on its doorstep, only a five-minute walk from the Park Hyatt.

Kyoto’s other popular attractions, including the gates of Fushimi Inari-taisha and Nijo Castle, are both a 15-minute taxi ride from the Park Hyatt.

It’s a bit further to other attractions such as the Kinkaku-ji golden Buddhist temple, where it’ll take approximately 30 minutes by vehicle to arrive.

For those travelling from within Japan, you’ll likely arrive at Osaka Itami Airport, which is a 25-minute journey to and from the hotel. On the other hand, international…