Visited April 2025 • Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan

You can watch our full hotel tour and experience here:

Overview

On our spring trip to Kyoto, we stayed at Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel — Marriott’s traditional Japanese-style property in the Arashiyama district, on the western side of the city.

We arrived on the Haruka Express from Kansai Airport (KIX) — about a 40-minute journey to this green corner of Kyoto. Suiran is a very intimate hotel built in traditional Japanese architecture, and it felt like a world apart from the city’s busier districts.

📍 Arrival & Check-In — ★★★★★

The hotel’s traditional wooden gate sets the tone from the moment you arrive.

You pass by the cafe and wind through the gardens to reach reception — the walk itself is part of the experience, with manicured greenery and quiet paths everywhere. Check-in and check-out felt personalized rather than transactional.

🏨 Room 101 — Kyotsukikoto Japanese-Style Guest Room — ★★★★★

We stayed in Room 101, the Kyotsukikoto Japanese-style guest room — notably the only room in the hotel that can accommodate up to 6 guests, which makes it a strong pick for families or groups.

The room centers on a large tatami space with a large, low dining table that serves as the daytime living area.

In true ryokan fashion, the futons come out in the evening — you pick a daily time for them to make the beds, and the staff convert the room while you’re out.

The coffee/tea mini-bar was well stocked, with proper Japanese tea sets.

♨️ In-Room Hot Spring Bath — ★★★★★

The standout feature of this room: it is one of the few rooms in the hotel with an in-room partially-open hot spring bath.

Having a private onsen right in the room — with a window that opens to the outside air — is the kind of luxury that’s genuinely hard to find. This alone justifies the room choice.

🚿 Bathroom — ★★★★☆

The bathroom was well stocked with luxurious extras.

Everything from the marble vanity to the Suiran-branded amenities felt thoughtfully done.

🥂 Cafe — Complimentary Champagne Hour — ★★★★☆

From 5–7 PM, the cafe serves complimentary champagne — a lovely pre-dinner ritual.

It comes with fancy canapes, so the hour feels properly indulgent rather than like an afterthought.

🍳 Breakfast — ★★★★☆

Breakfast arrives with an appetizer and juice spread — fresh juices, fruit, and small Japanese dishes.

We picked the Western-style breakfast, which was complimentary for Platinums — a nice Marriott status perk.

The pancakes and waffles were excellent — and somewhat surprisingly, we weren’t charged for the 3rd person onwards.

There’s also an à la carte menu if the set options don’t appeal — the avocado toast looked great.

🌙 Location & Atmosphere — ★★★★★

The setting is extremely quiet and peaceful — at night, the garden and moonlit trees make the hotel feel completely secluded.

For getting around Arashiyama, the location is hard to beat:

• Togetsu Bridge and the river are right nearby
• A short hike through the park leads to the famous bamboo grove — get there early, by 8 AM, to avoid the crowds

• Tenryu-ji Temple is a 5-minute walk away

⚖️ Final Verdict

Suiran is a rare combination: a genuine traditional Japanese ryokan experience with the polish and perks of the Marriott Luxury Collection.

Ratings:

• Location: 5★
• Room: 5★
• In-Room Onsen: 5★
• Breakfast: 4★
• Cafe / Champagne Hour: 4★
• Atmosphere: 5★

Bottom Line

We would absolutely stay here again.

If you’re visiting Kyoto and want Arashiyama’s temples, bamboo groves, and river scenery wrapped in a serene, traditional stay — with a private hot spring bath in your room — Suiran is very hard to beat.

🎥 Video Review

If you’d like to see the room, the onsen, and the Arashiyama surroundings visually, check out our full walkthrough on YouTube (linked above).

For more luxury travel reviews, follow along on our journey.