HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO

The place

André Fu’s Kyoto is one of wood and marble, understated to the point of hush. The lobby rises to a lofty ceiling and looks straight into the garden at the hotel’s center.

The 126 rooms and suites take their cue from the traditional tea room — dark wood, artisanal furnishing, touches of dark green. Some come in tatami style. Each holds a stone bathtub, a writing desk, a Bose sound system.

The quiet centerpiece is the thermal spring: a natural onsen pool fed by the hot spring directly beneath the property. A 24-hour gym waits nearby, as do three places to eat and drink — TOKI, the innovative French restaurant, chief among them.