A 3-Michelin-Star Chef Is Opening a Restaurant Inside a New Luxury Hotel — in Kyoto’s Most Secretive Neighborhood
Capella Kyoto, the ultra-luxury brand’s Japan debut, opens March 22 with 89 rooms, private onsen suites, and a restaurant from SingleThread’s Kyle Connaughton.
Capella Hotels and Resorts will open its first Japan property on March 22 in Kyoto’s Miyagawa-cho kagai — one of the city’s five remaining geisha districts. The 89-room Capella Kyoto sits on the site of a former elementary school, alongside the restored Miyagawa-cho Kaburenjo Theatre.
The SingleThread Connection
The culinary headline is SoNoMa by SingleThread, a 12-seat counter and 20-seat lounge led by Chef Keita Tominaga. SingleThread, the 3-Michelin-star restaurant in Healdsburg, California run by Kyle and Katina Connaughton, brings its farm-to-table philosophy to Kyoto — a pairing that makes more cultural sense than it might first appear, given Connaughton’s deep ties to Japanese culinary traditions.
Design and Amenities
Architect Kengo Kuma designed the property, with interiors by Brewin Design Office. Six suites feature private onsen, and the Auriga Spa offers three private onsen treatment rooms. The hotel’s Capella Curates program promises access to Kyoto’s closely guarded cultural traditions — the kind of experiences that are notoriously difficult for visitors to access independently.
Timed for Cherry Blossoms
The March 22 opening is no accident. Cherry blossom season in Kyoto draws visitors from around the world, and launching during peak season gives Capella maximum visibility in a market where Four Seasons, Aman, and Park Hyatt already compete for the ultra-luxury traveler.