IHG Hotels and Resorts will develop a new luxury Regent Hotels branded property in the Japanese cultural city of Kyoto, in partnership with GI Capital Management.
The signing takes IHG’s pipeline for the ultra-luxury Regent brand to six globally, building on the existing portfolio of seven.
Upon its opening in 2024, Regent Kyoto will feature 86 rooms and will be set within a garden originally landscaped more than a century ago by famed Japanese gardener Kumakichi Kato, who worked across parts of both the Showa and Meiji periods in Japanese history.
The hotel will be constructed around the city’s famous Tsuruya restaurant, recognised as one of Kyoto’s finest dining establishments with more than 100 years of history. The restaurant is housed in sukiya-style wooden buildings originally developed as accommodation for the Japanese imperial family and their invited guests. The buildings have played host to a number of foreign heads of state and royalty over the years.
Tsuruya will be one of several restaurants to be featured at Regent Kyoto, which will also offer guest facilities including a lobby lounge, fitness centre and day spa. The hotel will be located close to many tourist attractions including Heian Shrine, Nanzenji and Eikando Zenrin-Ji Temples and the Kyoto Imperial Palace.
Following IHG’s acquisition of the brand in 2018, the company has gradually expanded Regent Hotels to several major Asian cities including Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Phu Quoc and Bali, with a major two-year renovation currently also underway in Hong Kong.
IHG Hotels and Resorts VP Development – Australasia, Japan & Pacific, Abhijay Sandilya, said with the signing of Regent Kyoto, a legend in Japanese culture will soon be born.
“We are so honoured that GI Capital Management has placed their trust in IHG to open Japan’s first Regent Hotel under IHG management in one of Kyoto’s most affluent areas, with the added privilege of sharing our address with Tsuruya, one of Kyoto’s most celebrated restaurants,” Sandilya said.
“Regent blends Eastern and Western nuances so naturally, and we know that it will resonate with travellers from Japan and around the world who are looking for extraordinary experiences, discreet luxury and exceptional service.”