At the tail end of our trip, my significant other requested a couple of days of downtime after a busy few days in Tokyo and Osaka, and the Roku Kyoto seemed like a resort that fit the bill of just relaxing and lounging around before heading back to Canada.
We have had limited experience with the LXR Hotels & Resorts brand, only having stayed at the Oceana Santa Monica LXR the year prior, so I was looking forward to checking out another hotel in their lineup without much in the way of expectations.
Let’s take a look at the Roku Kyoto, LXR Hotel & Resorts to find out if it’s worth staying here on your next trip to Kyoto.
Booking & Check-in
We booked our two-night stay at the Roku Kyoto, LXR Hotels & Resorts using two Hilton Honors free night certificates. Standard award availability for Hilton Honors points redemptions seems pretty good at this property at a nightly rate of 110,000 Hilton Honors points, but we did book 10 months out which didn’t hurt either in finding the availability we needed.
Cash rates are around ¥150,000 per night for a base-level room, so our two-night stay would have cost us $2,770 CAD.

The two free night certificates were earned thanks to the American Express Hilton Honors Aspire card (US) which offers an annual free night certificate just for holding the card, and the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass card (US) which offers one annual free night certificate upon spending $15,000 USD in a calendar year.
The American Express Hilton Honors Surpass card (US) earns Hilton Honors points and offers cardholders benefits such as instant Hilton Gold elite status, a quarterly $50 Hilton credit, and ten complimentary airport lounge passes per year.
130,000 Hilton Honors
$3,000
$630+
$150
No
–
One day in advance of our stay, I reached out to the hotel via chat on the Hilton mobile app. Being a big advocate of asking for the hotel room upgrade you want, I noticed there was availability for the Onsen Garden Room King so I asked if they could upgrade us for our stay as Hilton Honors Diamond members.
They said they would see what they could do, and sure enough, we did see our room type upgraded in the app in advance of our arrival. As always, it never hurts to ask, and for a resort stay where I knew we would be in the room quite a bit, an upgrade was definitely a big win.
After taking a brief train ride from Osaka to Kyoto station, we took a cab to the Roku Kyoto resort. As an English-speaking tourist, it can sometimes be difficult to communicate with cab drivers so we proactively had the Roku Kyoto address in Japanese available and showed the driver that. For anyone who is visiting the Roku Kyoto, the Japanese address is:
〒603-8451 京都府京都市北区衣笠鏡石町44-1
The cab ride costs around ¥3,500 (~$32 CAD) and is the best way to get to the resort. Cabs are much cheaper in Kyoto compared to Tokyo and obviously much more convenient, so I would just recommend splurging on a cab versus taking public transportation which doesn’t drop you off at the resort.

As we arrived at the Roku Kyoto, the initial decor made it clear we were in for a relaxing, catered, and zen stay.

Guests will be escorted to check in either at the lobby or the tea house upon arrival. It was incredibly quiet when we were checking in, with no other guests in sight.
The lobby is a well-designed area and sets the tone for your stay; the whole resort is consistent with the vibe and feel, and I knew we had a relaxing stay ahead.


While we were checking in, a staff member escorted us to the tea house. They took our passports and a credit card, and we had a few minutes to soak in the tranquil environment.


The tea house also has tea and chilled water with fruit available at all hours.


Once the staff member returned with our passports and credit card, she also brought us a cold towel and welcome beverage. Cold towels were always greatly appreciated during our travels as Japan is very hot and humid in September.

The staff member walked us through everything we needed to know about the resort, including breakfast hours, pool hours, and details about the resort. We were also provided a sheet containing all the relevant information for reference later.


They also shared details about what we were entitled to as Hilton Honors Diamond members, which included daily complimentary breakfast for two and a number of complimentary minibar items that were replenished daily.
Way back when the resort first opened they used to have a complimentary champagne hour for Diamond members, which was eventually swapped over to a daily experience credit that could be used for anything at the resort including spa services and dining. That experience credit has also since disappeared and we are now left with free minibar items, which obviously pales in comparison to what was offered previously.
The complimentary minibar items included a selection of soda, snacks, and one kind of beer. They were denoted on the provided minibar menu with a Yen price of zero.

The biggest value for Diamond members at this resort is the daily breakfast, which also was a disappointing offering compared to the Conrad Tokyo and Conrad Osaka. More on that later.
Location
The Roku Kyoto is located in the Northern part of Kyoto and is somewhat isolated.
If you are staying here and want to explore Kyoto, keep in mind you will most likely end up paying for a cab both ways, which can add up.
Parking
On the rare occasion that you require parking at the Roku Kyoto, self-parking is complimentary and valet parking has a cost of ¥1,000 per day.
Room – Onsen Garden Room King
After checking in, a member of the staff escorted us to our room where we would be staying the next two nights, an Onsen Garden Room King.
Directly to the right upon entering was a walk-in closet with luggage storage space and robes.


There were also pajamas and sandals available.


Across from the closet was the water closet, which contained a small vanity and the toilet. This is sectioned off from the rest of the room and the remainder of the bathroom.


Moving onwards, the room opens up to the main bedroom area, outfitted with a comfortable king bed.


To the right of the bed is the minibar area, with many of the items located in a slatted wooden cabinet.

The usual offerings of liquor, wine, and salty snacks were all available. A complimentary carton of water was also available, plus a coffee machine and various cups.

Below the minibar cabinet was the minifridge, containing additional beverages and chocolates. A variety of Nespresso pods and teas were also available.


Additional glassware, plates, cutlery, and a kettle were also provided.


Both nightstands housed various literature and both USB and normal plugs.


If you required additional amenities, a list was left on the nightstand and could be ordered by pressing the “Housekeeping” button on the phone.

All lighting in the room was easily controlled by a panel above the nightstand.

The television was directly in front of the king bed and offered smart TV capabilities, including Netflix and YouTube as streaming options.

One of the more unique features of the television was that you could view the busyness of the main amenities on the property, including the fitness center, thermal pool, and restaurant.



Past the bed is the focal point of the room, a patio-like space with a table, Onsen, and a rock garden.

The Onsen piped in steaming hot water and is the perfect spot for a relaxing soak.



The table in the patio area was the only place to reasonably set up to work, and it was adequate. This is also where room service was set up when we ordered dinner both evenings of our stay.


Upon arrival, we noticed there was a small welcome amenity left for us consisting of a welcome note and a snack.

The outdoor area was nice, and the large walls created a sense of privacy and exclusivity.

If you want to block off the patio and onsen area, there is a wooden screen door that can be extended to do exactly that.

Moving back inside, the bathroom is constructed as a long narrow hallway which was an interesting but efficient design choice.

Instead of a double vanity in the same counter space, one vanity was located on each side of the walk-in shower.

Mouthwash, dental kits, shaving kits, and additional amenities including a high-end hairdryer were all available.



The walk-in shower offered both a rainfall showerhead and a more traditional showerhead.

Full-sized bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were available.

The room was excellent, and a standout part of our stay. There was one snag during our stay, as we noticed a large amount of ants in our room on our first morning, but the staff was happy to move us to another room without an issue. Problems happen, but handling issues at hotels with tact goes a long way in getting the resolution you want.
Restaurants & Bars
With the Roku Kyoto being a smaller property, there is only one main restaurant and bar available, with additional options provided via room service and at the pool.
Tenjin – Hilton Honors Gold Complimentary Breakfast
Tenjin is the only restaurant on the property and offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, we only enjoyed the complimentary Hilton Honors breakfast benefit for Hilton Honors Gold members here and opted to eat by the pool for lunch and room service for dinner.
Tenjin is located just across the way from the lobby and the tea house. Breakfast is offered from 7:00 am to 11:00 am, with the last order being taken at 10:00 am.


Indoor seating and outdoor seating are available, but all guests chose to sit inside during our two visits as the September heat and humidity were sweltering, even in the early morning hours.


After the luxurious breakfast experiences at the Conrad Tokyo and Conrad Osaka, the breakfast menu and buffet at the Roku Kyoto LXR were a bit of a disappointment.

The buffet is small and contains pretty much all cold items, with no hot food in sight. There was a much heavier focus on Japanese cuisine here, with some international items and pastries.







We kept to pretty basic orders off the menu, selecting an omelette with bone-in sausage, and a tofu steak. They were both just okay at best and when compared to the other hotels we stayed at, this breakfast was at the bottom of our list and very forgettable.


Tenjin Bar
Part of Tenjin is focused on cocktails and snacks, aptly called Tenjin Bar.
The best deal on property is the happy hour at Tenjin Bar which runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm nightly. All cocktails are ¥1,000y (~$9 CAD) which is a stellar deal when you consider how much a night costs at the Roku Kyoto.

Bar seating or traditional seating was available, and there was always more than enough seating available.



The cocktail menu was nothing short of spectacular, and we worked our way through quite a few options.

Considering you are most likely spending the majority of your time on the resort, it is definitely worth carving out some time in your schedule to visit Tenjin Bar during happy hour, as the deal is just that good. Out of everything we ordered, the Yuzu Mojito was the highlight, with it being fresh and incredibly tasty.

The bar was a great place to watch the sunset and there was at most one other table both times we visited; most of the time at the resort, it felt like we were completely alone which was a nice break after the busyness of Osaka and Tokyo.
Room Service
On both nights of our stay, we opted for room service as we wanted something a bit simpler as we specifically booked this stay to wind down at the end of our trip.
Room service can be ordered via the television in the room, and you will need to select a 30-minute time slot for delivery when you are ordering. Note that you may not be able to order for the immediate time slot, so you might want to browse and order roughly an hour in advance of when you want to eat.

The prices for room service were all-inclusive of taxes and fees and were completely reasonable for a resort of this level.

The food always arrived on time and a staff member was happy to set the table while making some small talk with us. Everything we had was tasty and portions were more than adequate. Since it was the end of our trip, we were definitely gravitating towards more Western options at this point.


Poolside Dining
If you are planning on visiting the pool during the day, you can also order food and drinks from a small poolside dining menu.
Immediately upon entering the pool area, there was a small bar set up. Staff are happy to take food and drink orders and bring them to wherever you are sitting.

The food menu was consistent with what I would expect poolside, including classics such as hamburgers, pizza, french fries, salad, and fruit.

The drink menu was more extensive, offering a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Note that everything is canned or bottled, so there is no option for handcrafted poolside cocktails which I felt was a bit of a miss at a resort of this quality. I would have loved to be able to get a Whiskey Highball or something a bit more creative than anything canned.

Needless to say, we did enjoy both the blood orange and mojito sparkling wine cocktails, plus a pizza and some fries.


While it did take quite a while for the food to come out, everything was tasty and decently priced so this felt like the way to do lunch at the resort. A pizza, fries, and a few drinks were more than enough for two people.
Facilities
Resort Grounds
While not a traditional facility, it has to be mentioned that the resort grounds at the Roku Kyoto are stunning and incredibly enjoyable to walk around during both day and night.


There is lots to see, including a creek that runs beside the length of the resort.

The resort is consistently picturesque and when combined with the fact that it simply wasn’t busy at all, we enjoyed exploring and taking a few pictures during our stay.


Fitness Center
The fitness center is available 24 hours a day and is accessible through the same entrance that you would use to get to the spa or the pool.
Guests will need to scan their keycard to enter the Spa building, and then scan their keycard once again to enter the fitness center.

The fitness center was small however decently equipped, but the resort is also small so I don’t think this was a big miss. There were a few cardio machines including an elliptical, spin bikes, treadmills, and a rowing machine.


There was able a sizable free weight area, including medicine balls, kettlebells, and traditional free weights and benches.


The fitness center also had chilled towels, chilled water, and complimentary earbuds for use.


Thermal Pool
The thermal pool is the highlight of the property and is open from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm daily. Children from ages 4 to 16 are allowed to access the pool until 6:00 pm.
Reservations can be required during busier periods, including Saturdays, Sundays, and Japanese national holidays. If you need to make a reservation, you can do so by pressing the “Spa” button on the telephone in your room.
Guests can access the thermal pool via the main Spa entrance. Simply go down the set of stairs, and a staff member will check you in to use the pool. If this is your first time using the pool, you will need to sign a waiver for the guests in your room.
We visited the thermal pool a few times during our stay, both during the day and at night.


Nighttime was the best time to visit, as it was much cooler and less busy. The pool lights up at night, making for a gorgeous environment to relax before turning in for the evening.



There are quite a few loungers around the pool, and there was never any issue in finding seating.

The thermal pool was our favorite part of the property and is well worth checking out during your stay.
Spa
While we didn’t partake in any spa services during our stay, the Spa is located in the same building as the fitness center and the pool.

You can view the Spa menu and prices here.
Conclusion
The Roku Kyoto LXR filled a much-needed spot at the end of our Japan trip, which was a good resort to relax at before heading back to Canada.
While the breakfast wasn’t great and the Diamond status benefits are ok, the resort, rooms, and pool are all fantastic. I would never consider paying anything near the cash rate to stay here, but if you have a Hilton Honors free night certificate and are in the area, it could be a good option for a brief one or two-night stay.

Josh Bandura

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