Hotel (The Luxury Collection di Nara

The historical significance of this venue must be highlighted to illustrate its uniqueness in Nara - We signed up for the complimentary tour of the hotel offered to hotel guests on certain mornings of the week and had the pleasure of having Ms. Sato, the director of marketing, introduce the story of Shisui and its past-life as the residence of the governor of Nara between 1922 to 2017, then as Shisui hotel with guest-rooms designed by renown architect Kengo Kuma. The emperor of Japan had stayed on property in post-war to sign the San Francisco treaty. Sato-san's thorough introduction in fluent-english had me realise a stay at this hotel is a unique experience in the way that it is beyond just luxury. The staff had been wonderful and eager to please without pushiness. It was much appreciated, as it gave room for my wife and I to enjoy each other's company at this perfectly peaceful property. The staff had been amazing from the beginning, at check-in, we had Rika-san, a lady with eyes that can smile, to help us check-in while we rest our feet at the lounge with tea, then guide us to our room while briefing us on all its amenities. The rooms were modern with accents of traditional Japanese designs to remind me of the locations' history. Details like the washroom walls that look like zen-gardens and overall wooden decor made my stay at the room one of the most relaxing experiences ever at any hotel. The French-Japanese wine-paired dinner at Suiyou was also our culinary highlight of our two-week vacation in Japan. In summary, after the two night stay, my wife had requested that we should come back to Shisui in the spring, summer and fall to experience all the seasons at this venue.