Aman Kyoto

Making use of traditional, minimalist Japanese design, the Living Pavilion is home to the main restaurant, its walls lined withinky-black raku tiles. Seated around a circular fireplace, you'll be served an array of local and Western dishes (with a Kyoto flair) prepared with seasonal ingredients, some of which are foraged on-site. Taka-an offers authentic washoku cuisine while breakfast includes Japanese-style dishes like tamagoyaki rolled omelettes. The spa fits right into the surroundings with an open-air onsen and luxuriating, all-natural treatments.

A modern reimagining of authentic ryokan inns, the rooms feature traditional elements like tatami mats, shoji screens, intricate scroll paintings and Wabi Sabi vases filled with blooms from the garden, all elevated in the Aman way. Speaking of which, floor-to-ceiling windows reveal a spectacular view — even from the bathtub. Wooden screens provide privacy in the bathroom and the Japanese-style tub certainly takes first prize (it's big enough to need two plugs!). Two of the pavilions can be booked exclusively, each with two bedrooms, a living area and kitchen.

Spend as much time as possible wandering through the pretty gardens — you can even enjoy a lesson in miniature garden design — in between admiring Kyoto's splendid sights. The famous Golden Pavilion is a short walk away, as is the Ryoanji Temple and its beautiful rock garden. A little further away, see the Zen gardens at the Ryugen-in Temple and marvel at the thousands of torii gates on the hills beyond the Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine. You can even enjoy a private Geisha performance in a traditional teahouse.