The project site was once home to Hotel Ryozen, a long-established hotel with over 60 years of history. The property featured a natural hot spring source - rare in Kyoto - and was beloved by many actors and public figures who frequented Kyoto’s Minamiza Theater and Toei Kyoto Studio.

To inherit the memories, history, and assets of the past and pass them on to the next generation, we pursued redevelopment that could only be realized at this location. To best express the land’s cultural and historical identity, we invited Banyan Tree, introduced to Japan for the first time through this project.

A defining facility of this hotel is the Noh Stage. The Ryozen area of Higashiyama, where the hotel stands, lies on Kyoto’s edge between the city and the mountains. The site is bordered by Ohtani Sobyo Mausoleum to the north and Toribeno to the south, a place historically recognized as a boundary between this world and the next. For this reason, we believed a Noh stage - traditionally hosting performances where spirits, gods, and otherworldly beings often take leading roles - would be the most fitting motif to reflect the land’s culture and uninterrupted history.

Unique among Kyoto hotels, the stage offers architectural appreciation as well as live performances, including Noh plays, contemporary art performances, and musical programs. Combined with the hot springs and Kyoto’s refined culinary culture, we continue to provide experiences designed to remain vividly in our guests’ memories.