The Onyado Nono Kyotoshichijo onsen creates a welcoming atmosphere in Kyoto, Japan. (Dormy Hotels)
Visitors to Kyoto can experience traditional Japanese culture with a stay at a modern hotel designed in the style of a ryokan — a traditional Japanese inn — in the former imperial capital.
Onyado Nono Kyotoshichijo emphasizes a calm, minimalist atmosphere, most notably in its two-story onsen, or hot spring bathing area.
The mood is tranquil inside Onyado Nono Kyotoshichijo, an onsen hotel in Kyoto, Japan. (Dormy Hotels)
The lower level features a white silky bath, individual soaking tubs, a cold plunge, two large communal baths and a sauna. The upper level serves as a tranquility room, with dim lighting and ambient nature sounds. In total, the facility includes six baths — five hot and one cold — of varying temperatures.
The hotel’s onsen is classified as a true hot spring rather than a sento, or public bathhouse, because its water originates from a natural hot spring. Sento facilities typically use heated tap water.
Onyado Nono Kyotoshichijo, an hot spring hotel in Kyoto, Japan, features a two-story onsen with six pools of varying temperatures. (Dormy Hotels)
Guests are encouraged to familiarize themselves with onsen etiquette before bathing. While many onsens in Japan prohibit tattoos, Onyado Nono Kyotoshichijo provides adhesive covers for small- to mid-size body art. Guests with larger tattoos may use their own waterproof coverings.
Onsen etiquette centers on cleanliness and respect for shared space. Bathers are required to wash thoroughly at shower stations before entering the communal baths.
This bathing experience is quiet and contemplative, marked by minimal conversation and the sound of flowing water and ambient nature audio.
Breakfast is served buffet style at Onyado Nono Kyotoshichijo, an onsen hotel in Kyoto, Japan. (Dormy Hotels)
A one-night stay costs about 13,500 yen — less than $90 — and includes access to the onsen, full-body massage chairs, unlimited matcha and other hot beverages, as well as ice cream and Yakult, a fermented probiotic milk, available after bathing.
A breakfast buffet is offered for an additional 3,000 yen. Served from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., it includes traditional Japanese breakfast items such as sashimi, tempura and natto, along with Western options.
On the QT
Directions: A six-minute walk from Kyoto Station. Google plus code: XQQ6+JW Kyoto
Times: 3 p.m. check-in 11 a.m. checkout. The hotel onsen is open daily, 3 p.m. to 10 a.m.
Costs: 13,500 yen per night; breakfast buffet is an additional 3,000 yen.
Information: Online: dormy-hotels.com/dormyinn/hotels/nono_kyoto
