Book and Bed — Kyoto, Japan

It may not have room service or Egyptian cotton bed sheets, but one thing Kyoto’s newest design hotel does have, are books.
Following the success of its Tokyo outpost which opened in 2015, this is the second Book and Bed hotel for real estate company R-Store, who chose the central Gion district for its Kyoto location. Dressed by Makoto Tanijiri of Suppose Design Office, on the surface, the hotel has the appearance of a bookshop, with floor-to-ceiling shelves that are packed with over 3,500 tomes curated by local bookstore Keibunsha Ichijoji. However on closer inspection, 20 blue curtains can be pulled aside, to reveal integrated capsule-like rooms, each with their own mattresses, clothes hanger and power socket.
The perfect hideaway for the solo traveller, bookworms can spend the day visiting the city’s sites, before retiring with a novel and a beer from the small neon-lit bar. And for locals who don’t need a bed for the night, the rooms can be rented hourly during the day, for that quick solitary reading fix.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
9F Kamogawa Building
200 Nakanocho-Nishiiru
Higashiyama-ku
Kyoto
-
Volvo EX30 squeezes new materials and world-leading safety into a compact EV
The new Volvo EX30 is the smallest car in Volvo’s range. The full electric SUV provides a compelling mix of forward-thinking interior design with innovative materials and Google technology
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
Jewellery artist Lucy Anderson charts a new path in minimalist wearable art
Lucy Anderson plays with abstract geometrical concepts for simple and elegant jewellery pieces
By Mazzi Odu • Published
-
A beachside home in the Dominican Republic is both private retreat and design destination
Arkina Architectural Design has created a vast beachside home for hire on the shores of the Caribbean, carved from concrete and set within a tropical garden
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
Bulgari Hotel Tokyo showcases the Italian art of living in Japan
The new Bulgari Hotel Tokyo unites the consummate craftsmanship of Italy and Japan
By Susan Chikuba • Published
-
‘Where To Now’: Zara and Wallpaper* launch offbeat travel guides
Zara and Wallpaper’s ‘Where To Now’ travel guides launch with five off-the-beaten-track adventures, from California to Naoshima, for armchair and actual explorers, available to buy now
By Simon Mills • Published
-
Kyoto's Maana Kiyomizu boutique hotel is the epitome of modern craftsmanship
Maana Homes’ latest boutique hotel with a twist opens in Kyoto, including suites, a café, and a shop specialising in modern Japanese craftsmanship
By Danielle Demetriou • Last updated
-
Kai Yufuin by Kengo Kuma revisits Japanese farmhouse architecture
Hoshino Resorts has launched Kai Yufuin, a hot spring ryokan hotel by Kengo Kuma on the island of Kyushu in the Ōita Prefecture
By Feride Yalav-Heckeroth • Last updated
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico
By Chadner Navarro • Published
-
Teruhiro Yanagihara creates terroir-inspired interiors for new restaurant Sower in Japan
Sower, the new Japanese restaurant on Lake Biwa, features a minimalist design and a material palette inspired by its surroundings
By Danielle Demetriou • Last updated
-
Kengo Kuma’s Ace Hotel Kyoto opens in a converted telephone office
Discover the design details of Asia's first Ace Hotel, as realised by architect Kengo Kuma and Commune Design
By Danielle Demetriou • Last updated
-
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland
By Daven Wu • Last updated