Space x Hospitality Touch the real thing and enjoy the time

For “THE HOTEL HIGASHIYAMA by Kyoto Tokyu Hotel”, which opened in July 2022, NOMURA Co., Ltd. was in charge of the planning and interior design of the hotel. Hatae (pictured right), who was in charge of directing and curating the various tools in the guest room from the perspective of "Kyoto's cultural experience", what is the idea behind "hospitality in the space"?

Sugimoto (left in the photo), who has experience planning multiple hotels himself as a planner, will visit the site and discuss the hospitality of the hotel.

Related article: Space x Hospitality Enveloping guests with "consideration of space"[The Royal Park Canvas Sapporo Odori Park]

―Visiting Suite Room “higashiyama”―

Hatae
There are 4 suites in total, and based on the story of "What if there were 4 owners in 4 guest rooms?" I'm here.

This is the room of the "ceramic artist", and the setting is "I like coffee". As "key items" to feel that, we have a pottery apron, a pottery coffee dripper, and a mug cup. Centering on the work of a ceramic artist named Hanako Nakazato, who is close to the image of the owner set in fiction, the styling was done with the cooperation of Amaharu, a craft store that handles household goods.
The other rooms are styled according to the tastes and preferences of different owners, such as tea and matcha, so you can enjoy the story in each of the four rooms.

Sugimoto
It's all about writers who can create really good works.

Hatae
That's right. The tableware in the drawer is also selected one by one, mainly from the artist's work, and in this room, the base color is indigo, which reflects the owner's personality. In addition, although the four guest rooms are composed of almost different items, we wanted to make sure that each item would be neatly and beautifully stored in the drawer. .

The items embedded in this wall were upcycled by the designer, picking up fragments of pottery that had actually fallen in the rivers of Kyoto. This area used to be an area where pottery was made, and it reminds us of that history.

Sugimoto
It's an interesting idea to embed a piece of pottery that was actually popular in Kyoto on a daily basis.

Hatae
The idea of the designer and the efforts of the site made it possible, but I think the space design is a combination of the owner's tastes and tastes and the unique identity of this area.

－Visit the standard room－

Sugimoto
This is a popular tea box among guests.

Hatae
The guest rooms are equipped with a "tiered box-shaped tea box" in which tea and seasonal sweets are stored. With the idea of "enjoying tea by carrying it anywhere in the room", we added a handle and made the box itself lighter by using paulownia wood. It is a completely custom-made tea box made in collaboration with Takano Chikuko, a long-established store in Kyoto who makes bamboo and wood products with their own craftsmanship. (Chabako design: our designer, Tosaka)

* Houhin: A teapot without a handle, perfect for bringing out the flavor and aroma of Japanese tea. Japanese tea is brewed at a low temperature of about 50 to 70 degrees, so you can feel the gentle warmth of the tea that comes from Houhin.

Sugimoto
What made you want to make tea?

Hatae
In this hotel, "culture" unique to this land is an important keyword. As one of the ways to enjoy the daily culture of Kyoto, we had the desire to "enjoy real delicious tea with real tea utensils*". Temperature and time have a big impact on how delicious tea tastes, so we made an original hourglass together with the tea box so that you can actually measure the time when brewing.
(*Tea set｜<Treasure bottle/Yunomi> Shinji Terauchi, <Tea spill> Yuichi Takemata)

Sugimoto
It says how to brew tea.

Hatae
I think that there are many young people who have never experienced this kind of careful brewing, so I would like you to enjoy following the guide when you arrive at the hotel and take a break.

Sugimoto
Shall we have some tea?

Hatae
Would love to see you!

Sugimoto
(The electric pot) is amazing! You can set the temperature and let it boil! Is it 80 degrees Celsius?

(While waiting for the water to boil)
I love these room shoes. I use it at home too!

Hatae
I like that the bottom is thick.

Sugimoto
Common cloth room shoes are disposable, but guests from overseas in particular are very conscious of the environment. It feels different to relax. Why did you put these room shoes in addition to the cloth room shoes?

Hatae
There is a private spa in the hotel, but by setting up shoes that can be walked freely in the hotel instead of using your own shoes, you can relax in any area of the hotel. We have selected designs that do not compromise the quality of the hotel even when guests walk around in room shoes. And as Mr. Sugimoto says, it is also an item that can be used for a long time while maintaining hygiene in terms of environmental considerations.

Sugimoto
Which one should I choose, Sencha or Kabusecha?
These tea bags are cute and make great souvenirs. I have two, so if I can't finish it, I'm happy to take it home.

Hatae
Tea leaves are from Gion Tsujiri, the same as the tea & bar in the public space. Please enjoy the tea brewed in Houhin, which is perfect for enjoying authentic tea!

Sugimoto
(sip of tea)
temperature is just right...

Hatae
In the room, we place an emphasis on "enjoying the time spent alone", and we want you to "enjoy the tea and aroma" in this way. In the deluxe rooms, there are original cultural items such as a wooden spinning top called a "kaoru top", where aroma oil spreads when it is spun.

In addition, the room key case is in the shape of a bookmark, with the message "I want you to spend a relaxing time in your room and enjoy your time in the room." We hope that you will cherish the experience of “appreciating time” through your stay here.

In addition, we use real bamboo to sign guest rooms that convey requests for cleaning, etc., and use materials that are as carefully selected as possible for items that guests can touch.

Sugimoto
It's very nice to have materials that make you feel history.

Hatae
When selecting the items in the guest room, I consciously focused on cultural items such as speakers, kettles, and other electrical appliances, which are black and hide their presence in the shadows, as if they were slow and slow.
Guests who stayed at the hotel highly rated the experience of brewing tea in their rooms.

Sugimoto
(brew to the last drop)
Attention to detail means "to the last drop".

Hatae
I think that the reason why I want to come to this hotel again is that such a small thing might give me a lot more than I expected.

Sugimoto
Small things like “That tea was delicious” or “The tea box that was left there was lovely” can become big memories.

I would also like to read the story of the authors (Mr. Terauchi and Ms. Takemata) who created the tea utensils. People who choose to stay here will surely have a strong interest in the history and culture of things and places, so I feel that even if there are individual stories, it won't be intrusive. The background of "the site of an elementary school" also leads to "learning". If there is a commentary on each one, it will be more enjoyable.

Hatae
I was just talking with Tokyu about introducing backstories for writers and tea utensils.
Here in the Okazaki area, there are many cultural facilities such as the ROHM Theater Kyoto and the Kyocera Museum of Art, and we are targeting people who are interested in culture, so I would like them to enjoy themselves.

Sugimoto
Normally, the basic idea of a hotel is to "let guests relax" from the point of view of hospitality, but I think it would be nice to have a hotel that actively encourages guests.
One of the interesting things about Kyoto is that its rich history and culture are an extension of everyday life. I thought it might be good. Especially in the suite room, I could see each and every detail very well.

Hatae
Then I put different books in every room. I also checked the cover visuals one by one and directed whether they were suitable for the hotel.

Sugimoto
A photo collection of Kyoto where Bowie spent *! Good selection! It is interesting.
(enjoy reading for a while)
It's a luxury to have 3 books.
* "Time ~ TIME BOWIE x KYOTO x SUKITA – David Bowie and Kyoto photographed by Masayoshi Sukita -"

Hatae
We asked the Aoyama Book Center staff to select books that fit the concept of the hotel, one by one, with the hope that people would enjoy encountering books in their rooms.
I'm glad that someone like Mr. Sugimoto, who is used to traveling, is enjoying himself slowly like this!

Sugimoto
I think that many people are particular about staying at a hotel when they come to Kyoto. I think it's very interesting to experience such a connection with the local culture after coming back from outside.
It's comfortable, but I think it's rich to be able to experience the cultural character of the city at the hotel.

Hatae
While hiding in the shadows, this hotel shines a light on the city and its guests, and is a place where people in Kyoto can experience the real thing, such as tea, which they are familiar with on a daily basis. In order to cherish it, we considered items and experiences while taking over the thoughts of Mr. Miyazaki (our planner) who was in charge of the overall planning of this project.
Even if there are no people there, I would like to feel the hospitality through the space and items, and provide an experience that warms the heart.

Sugimoto
(I heard it was a long effort) What was the most fun part of working on this project?

Hatae
It was fun to think about how it would be if the guests who actually came would feel this way, and to create everything down to the smallest details that the guests could touch. I myself like hotels, so I was able to enjoy both the user's perspective and the planner's perspective, going back and forth.

(Finally to the courtyard: On the day of the event, lanterns were displayed in the gallery space adjacent to the courtyard.)

Sugimoto
This gallery is a great place to strongly feel the culture unique to this place.
The background of being an elementary school is still alive and well, and you can feel the traces of the memories of the land that you have cherished so far, the children's activities, and the local festivals.
Each person who visits this hotel accumulates their own experiences and thoughts on the culture and history of the city of Kyoto, and these memories are accumulated in this place and renewed when they return. I thought it was a hotel where the town and guests became intimate, and the town, the hotel, and the guests each matured through the time they spent here. I am very much looking forward to coming back.

Hatae
Through the time spent at the hotel, you will notice the charm of the land, and the memories of your trip will become special. We will continue to be a hotel that will continue to be loved for a long time as a link that brings positive benefits to both guests and the community. I think I want one.
As a creator of the space, I would like to carefully put consideration that warms the heart, down to the smallest details, in the points of contact with the community and guests.

Taku Sugimoto

After joining the company in 2018, he has been involved in the planning of local community facilities, community development projects such as ARTBAYTOKYO, lifestyle hotels, etc., and basic concept work for large-scale redevelopment. In the future, I am looking to get involved in regional development projects in Asian countries.
nomlog article｜Grand design for urban development through art

Hikaru Hatae

Joined in 2018. First-class architect.
At university and graduate school, he majored in architectural design, and as a hobby, experienced designing, designing, and producing theater stage art. After joining the company, he was involved in planning work centered on hotels, specialty stores, and libraries. We aim to create a space that continues to spin the thoughts of both parties down to the smallest detail, while carefully considering not only the one-sided thoughts of the creator, but also the thoughts of the user.
nomlog article｜Theater and its space｜Regional revitalization through “theater”

 

Planning and editing: nomlog Editorial Department Satoko Yokota