Aman Kyoto

Tucked away within a century-old garden, Aman Kyoto feels less like a hotel and more like a place that gently slows you down. There is something incredibly special about waking up surrounded by ancient trees, moss-covered pathways, and a stillness that is increasingly rare to find. What made our stay truly unforgettable, however, was the people. Every interaction felt warm and genuine. From remembering our names to anticipating the smallest details, the team made us feel cared for in a way that was both thoughtful and effortless. Aman Kyoto wasn’t just where we stayed—it became a meaningful part of our Kyoto story, and one of the places we’ll remember long after this journey comes to an end.

Aman Kyoto is set on a remarkably valuable and expansive piece of land, surrounded by beautiful gardens that create a true sense of serenity. The architectural design is exceptionally well aligned with Japanese culture and aesthetics. Aman’s signature minimalism allows you to experience Kyoto in a more authentic and local way, making the entire stay even more enjoyable. The rooms were excellent, and the location within the property felt very special. One of the highlights was the spa, particularly the outdoor hot spring, which was absolutely wonderful. Aman Kyoto is a truly distinctive hotel with its own character and atmosphere, and it is definitely worth staying at.

I’m giving the two stars for the location, the views and cleanliness. We booked the hotel for 2 nights, they told us we have dinners included - two options: Japanese or European. We of course wanted the Japanese. 10 mins later we found out it’s fully booked. May be then you need to let people know before they come for only 2 nights and book it ahead of time. Also hotel cars were fully booked too. These arrangements could have been made in advance. I mean paying over 3k a night you expect a certain level of service. No one here wants to go out of their way to make you feel like every penny you spent is worth it. We didn’t like the hotels service so we decided to go back to Tokyo next day. Of course we knew we wouldn’t get refunded for the second night, didn’t even ask for it. we booked a car for a full day to go sightseeing not knowing we will want to go back on that same day. When we made the decision to leave we asked about to change the car reservation from 7 hours to 4. They said it was too late at night so they would try in the morning. At the checkout we found out we are still paying for the full 7 hours. No cancellation policy they said. Customer service on this lever sometimes means you need to go around your policies for the customer to want to come back. People who can afford hotels like that don’t care about the money, they care about the way they feel spending that money. If they don’t feel good, they don’t come back. We certainly won’t. Everyone smiles and politely tells you they can’t help you with anything

Having stayed at Aman Tokyo(and being OBSESSED with it!), we decided to try Aman Kyoto this trip to Japan rather than the 4 Seasons and we are so glad we did! At the tail end of the autumn season, fall colors welcomed us we came to this idyllic haven away from the bustling chaos of central Kyoto. For many this may not be acceptable but we were perfectly thrilled to be staying away from the busy areas. Rooms are quiet with beautiful view of the forest. Soothing Japanese style of immaculate rooms that mimic ryokans. But all rooms have all modern conveniences like power shades,USB wall chargers, wonderful light controls,Toto toilets, mini fridge with complimentary soft drinks, water etc. There are 2 restaurants on site plus a tea pavilion!- The first is The Living Room which is really the central gathering place and is open for breakfast and all day dining with a lovely central fire place and an outdoor sitting area with another fire place and individual tables with heaters and blankets as needed. The whole atmosphere is inviting and cozy! the food is equally wonderful and there are both Japanese and western choices all prepared equally well! Taka- An is the more formal restaurant wit Japanese kaiseki cuisine where we had one of the most delectables meals of our lives. It was snow crab season which we had requested in advanced thanks to the concierge service! The chef cooked each course in front of us so it was very intimate and personalized. We are most grateful to Yua our server that night (and the second night we ate there) for patiently and painstakingly translating throughout both evenings. We relished the snow crab prepared fresh, as sushi, in a dumpling, grilled,in rice, and chawanmushi. WOW!!! The Aman spa is unlike any other place we have stayed in and I highly, highly recommend it. From massage to facial, it is calm and restorative. The most exquisite experience was our private use of the onsen. What an incredibly beautiful, setting that was one of the highlights of our trip. Lastly,Service is inimitably Aman and exceptional and most of all personalized! From arrival to departure, everyone addresses you by your name! We are especially in awe of and grateful to the Butler/concierge service who were helping us seamlessly arrange tours, guides, restaurant reservations, private manicure, and so much more and appear to be available 24/7!! THANK YOU seems inadequate for their patience and support!! I wish I could thank everyone by name but the culture here is really seamless service and team work!! We truly cannot wait to go back!

Let’s start with the great: The location and the scenery are stunning. It is tranquil, and recharging. Going in peak autumn is an absolute mess. Don’t go in spring if you want to see Sakura blossoms because they don’t have any on the property. Autumn and winter are the best seasons to come here. The spa is absolutely lovely, although note that the onsens are separated by gender, and you have to book a private visit you want to enjoy the hot spring with your spouse or family. Still, I spent an amazing 3.5 hours here. I could hear some people in the hallway during my treatment which wasn’t too bad.. The food is quite good, and well prepared. Please take the garden tour with Sakura san who is an absolutely fabulous and intelligent woman. Spending time with her was the highlight of our stay. She is a beautiful orator of history and a very interesting person. The food is quite good as well. The average: If you’re staying here, you’re willing to drop over $3000 a night. We are fortunate to be able to do that for some nights, however going from another Aman property, where our expectations were set high, to this one was slightly disappointing. We just left the Aman in Vietnam where it was about one third of the price of Aman Kyoto and the rooms and service were exponentially better than at Aman Kyoto. Here, they barely cleaned our room, only coming in for turn down service. We got incorrect orders, they served the wrong items to us, there is hardly any attention to detail like other Aman properties. I completely understand there is an exclusivity to this place BUT it is extremely expensive for pretty terrible service. Additionally, you can hear guests in the hallway very loudly. It is as if they are inside our room. So again, we paid about $3500/night and there is almost no insulation between our walls and the hallway. Come here for no more than 2-3 nights to experience the gorgeous and historical property but don’t expect much service. We stayed in the Kaede King room, which I recommend because it’s not on the ground floor, so you get more privacy. I still can’t believe how much noise you hear from the other guests in the hallway. Maybe if we stayed in a suite or residence the service would’ve been better?