3-Night Stay at ROKU KYOTO, LXR Resorts & Hotels

We stayed at ROKU Kyoto for three nights during the first half of February 2022 using two free-night certificates from the Amex Hilton Aspire Card and 95,000 points. The hotel was completed in September 2021, only five months ago, so it is in pristine condition. 

After greeting us and taking our temperature at the hotel entrance, we were escorted into the check-in area, seated on a sofa, and brought tea and sweets while waiting for staff to check us in. I was told that because of my Hilton Diamond status, we would be upgraded from the standard Deluxe Room that I had booked to a Premium Deluxe Room on the premium forth floor. Having researched the rooms beforehand, I knew that the premium floor rooms had no in-room hot spring onsen baths, so I asked if we could stay in a room with an onsen bath (actually a slightly lower cost Garden Deluxe Room on the first floor) instead, and was told that it would be no problem. 

Check-in area

We were guided to our room by both Japanese and native English-speaking staff so that we could have the room features explained to us in our language of choice. The Garden Deluxe Room is a spacious 538 sq. feet (50 sq. m) and also includes a 182 sq. feet (17 sq. m) private garden glassed off next to the in-room onsen bath (this is the only room-type with an in-room onsen bath). All the other rooms have tap-water baths. The sleeping area is beautifully appointed in wood (which imparts a pleasant warmth to the room) while the bathroom and bath/living room area are mainly of stone panels. A 55-inch LCD TV is mounted on the wall in front of the bed(s). The shower and washbasin area is attractively and efficiently designed not to take up too much space but is still of adequate size. In many other luxury hotels, I find that this area, where less time is spent, needlessly large. The room was very comfortable and we enjoyed spending our time there with our private garden view and hot-spring bath. There are also four rooms adjacent to the pool with walled-off outdoor decks and doors that open to the onsen pool area, giving its occupants direct anytime pool access from their rooms.

One of two washbasins

In-room garden, onsen bath, and living room area

The hotel has only been open for five months, a time when hotels are still ironing out their service kinks, but I found hotel staff to be proactive, polite, friendly and eager to please. Although it’s clear that some are still in a training phase, overall the staff paid great attention to detail and went out of their way to provide personalized service. The attention to detail I thought went beyond what I’ve experienced at other luxury hotels I’ve stayed at.   

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served in Tenjin, the main dining venue. For breakfast you have a choice of one menu entrée and a buffet, which normally costs 5,600 yen. Entrée items include eggs benedict, omelets, steak (at extra cost), a Japanese and a vegetarian option, all of which are sizable portions. Being Japan, of course, there was also the standard breakfast salad buffet. The juice options were a really delicious fresh tomato juice as well as green leafy vegetable juice mixed with fresh apple. All food ingredients were very fresh and of high quality. Since we were always full after breakfast, we never ordered lunch. 

For dinner, you can opt for the “Chef’s Table” with special counter seating that includes wine pairings and is priced at around 34,000 yen/person and must be reserved two days in advance. Or you can order your choice of dinner courses (starting at around 13,000 yen) or order a la carte from the menu. On our first night, we ignored Kyoto convention and ordered a wagyu hamburger and club sandwich, which were both fresh and filling but bland. On our second night, we had planned to order in-room dining but after drinking too much champagne during cocktail hour we fell asleep early in our room. On our third night, we decided to eat a light meal and drink in the bar (see below). The resort also provided a 25% to Diamond members for all food and drink at its restaurants.    

Breakfast - Eggs Benedict & Japanese breakfast

Breakfast omelet

Dinner - Wagyu burger

Guests can use the Tea House between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm to sit and relax with a cup of self-service tea. However, only guests staying on the premium forth floor and HH Diamond members can access the Tea House during cocktail hour between 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm. It is very a very comfortable and nicely appointed space that can seat around 32 guests. During cocktail hour, free-flowing Pommery champagne from France is on ice for self-pouring accompanied by an assortment of snacks on small plates. There were also a couple of juices available for those who don’t wish to drink alcohol. On our first night (a Saturday), there were about 22 guests in the Tea House for cocktail hour. Never one to resist free champagne, we drank with great abandon and ODed on it our first and second nights. 

Tea House cocktail hour

The bar is located at the far end of the dining room down a few steps of stairs. We went there on our last night after cocktail hour in the Tea House to try their signature cocktails and eat a light meal. I’m not a fan of Japanese cocktails because of their small volume and high cost, though there are people who will swear that modern Japanese bartending and cocktails are unrivaled, I beg to differ. That said, we really liked the friendly and courteous bartender here and enjoyed his drinks. The cocktails here start at the low 2,000-yen price range and were perhaps about one-half to one-third the volume of what you might receive in the US for the same cocktail. However, the presentation, which Japan excels at, was excellent. I ordered a signature cocktail that contained matcha and yomogi (mugwort) liqueurs along with a couple of other ingredients topped with gold flakes (see photo below) whose taste was subdued and intriguing, perhaps something you might expect in Kyoto. For my second drink, I ordered a Margarita that while good was served in a small Japanese cocktail glass and would have tasted better on ice. I’ve had better Margaritas in Hawaii with twice the volume for half the price, but this is Japan where small is better. My wife opted for a non-alcoholic glass of wine. To accompany our drinks, we ordered a chicken Cesar Salad, which was exceptionally good, and minestrone soup with toasted garlic bread. The bartender was very kind and divided these two orders into individual servings for two of each of the items without our having to ask. The minestrone soup’s taste was weak and disappointing, as was the small piece of garlic bread. Overall, though the ingredients were fresh and of high quality, the food taste was inconsistent.

Signature cocktail

Margarita

There is a large outdoor hot spring thermal pool that is open between 8:00 am and 9:00 pm year round. To access it, you must make a reservation and then go to the spa reception desk to check in and be assigned a locker. As it is mixed bathing, men and women must wear bathing suits, which can be rented on site. You are assigned a locker in the locker room where you can change and shower before and after your bath. There is also a sauna between the men and women’s locker rooms but it was closed due to the pandemic. The pool is not deep (water comes to just below chest level) and the temperature is a very comfortably warm 37 degrees C. I used the pool on three successive days for about an hour to an hour-and-a-half each time. Staff laid towels down on the outdoor reclining chairs for us but it was too cold to exit the pool, so we walked its circumference numerous times and just sat on the pool steps and talked. We were the only people in the pool every time we used it. The pool can accommodate a maximum of 20 people at one time and there is no charge to use it. 

Thermal (onsen) pool

The fitness center overlooks the pool and is open 24/7. I wanted to use it but didn’t because too much time in the onsen pool made me lethargic. Considering that this is an onsen resort, I can’t imagine too many people using it.

Fitness Center (free weights are also availavle)

Spa reception area

The hotel is located within the Shozan Resort, which includes a large Japanese garden (500-yen entry fee), a residence club, and two Japanese and one Chinese restaurant outside the hotel. The nearest major sightseeing spot to the hotel is Kinkakuji, about a 15-minute walk. There are also a number of other notable sites (such as Ryoanji, famous for its rock garden) within a short taxi ride. Located to the north of Kyoto, there are fewer temples and sights in close proximity than in central Kyoto. Still, it is in a quieter and verdant part of the city that is more conducive to relaxation. About a 5-minute walk up the street from the hotel is the entrance to Aman Kyoto. 

We really loved this hotel’s aesthetically pleasing and sophisticated design and would like to stay here again but were sorry to see so few guests. On Saturday, we counted about 22 guests (all Diamond or forth floor guests) at the Tea House for Cocktail Hour, so it was hard to guestimate the total, but after the weekend, we and two other guests were the only ones eating breakfast in the restaurant. On Sunday, there were about half as many guests at the Tea House, and on Monday, we were the only ones there. I really hope the hotel can weather this difficult time. Perhaps it needs to hire a Japanese travel influencer who can draw millions of views with their hotel stay. Considering the price of other luxury hotels in Kyoto, ROKU appears to offer a more competitive price than the Park Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, and Aman while also being an onsen resort, so I think it’s product is uniquely positioned, and is an especially good value for Hilton Aspire Cardholders who can use free night certificates there, not to mention the Aspire Card's $250 resort credit (29,000 yen), which goes a long way with the 25% discount I was provided on all food and drink as a Diamond member. The only other hotel that I’ve stayed at that perhaps it can be directly compared is the Ritz-Carlton Nikko, another onsen resort. 

As I said, I like ROKU Kyoto and would stay here again but I must say I was disappointed at check out. We were simply presented our bill without anyone asking about our stay and if we enjoyed it, which we did. I suspect that the staff may have been embarrassed by the low occupancy and did not want to engage in talk that might touch on a sore point so they just decided to ignore it. Only the email receipt I received from the hotel after check out said “We hope you enjoyed your stay at the ROKU KYOTO – come again soon!” but it would have been nicer to hear from a real person. I’m also surprised that I haven’t received an email from the hotel asking me to rate my stay. 

Restaurant and Tea House view