Hilton has signed an agreement with Heiwa Real Estate to open Japan’s first Motto by Hilton hotel in Kyoto in 2029.
The 108-room Motto by Hilton Kyoto Shijo Karasuma will be managed by Hilton and feature an all-day restaurant and a lounge with an open terrace. The signing will bring Hilton’s operating and planned portfolio in Kyoto to seven hotels.
Central Location Near Shijo and Karasuma Stations
The hotel will be a two-minute walk from Shijo Station on the Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line and Karasuma Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line.
The location provides access to Nishiki Market, the shopping and dining district of Shijo Kawaramachi, and the historic streets of Gion and Higashiyama. Connections to Kyoto Station will also serve guests arriving from elsewhere in Japan.
Hilton expects the property to attract domestic and international leisure travellers as well as business guests.
Motto Brings Its Lifestyle Concept to Japan
Motto focuses on locally influenced design and shared spaces where guests can gather. For the Kyoto property, the concept will draw on the city’s culture and neighbourhood character.
Hirohisa Fujimoto, Hilton’s Vice President of Development for Japan and Micronesia, said the hotel would offer a flexible stay suited to families, groups of friends and solo travellers.
The signing follows recent Motto openings in Brazil and Nashville, alongside agreements for properties in Paris, Shanghai and Sydney. Hilton reports 13 Motto hotels operating worldwide, with more than 24 in development.
Hilton’s Kyoto Portfolio Continues to Grow
Hilton entered Kyoto in 2021 with ROKU KYOTO, LXR Hotels & Resorts, and has opened five hotels in the city over the past five years.
The planned Motto and an upcoming Curio Collection property will take that portfolio to seven.
For Heiwa Real Estate, the project forms part of an expansion into the hotel business under its WAY2040 long-term strategy. President and CEO Kiyoyuki Tsuchimoto said the partnership would support the company’s approach to developing buildings alongside communities and new opportunities.
Motto by Hilton Kyoto Shijo Karasuma will participate in Hilton Honors, giving members access to the group’s loyalty programme and direct-booking benefits.
