We recently had the opportunity to interview MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS and they shared the captivating story behind their breathtaking accommodations. Take a look!
Could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS?
MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS currently offers over 60 traditional Japanese-style machiya accommodations throughout Kanazawa & Kyoto, Japan. We renovate traditional machiya architecture (traditional Japanese wooden townhouses) and transform them into accommodations so that our guests are able to experience the rich & unique history of each city during their stay with us. We also strive to include each city’s culture and local life into our guests’ stay as much as possible so that every stay is a memorable experience.
From private machiya holiday house rentals (traditional Japanese townhouses), to boutique machiya inns, machiya design hotels and more, MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS has an accommodation style to suit every traveler and every need.
How did you come up with the idea of offering traditional Japanese-style machiya accommodations? By the way, we’re in love with the traditional designs!
In addition to having a great appreciation for beautiful machiya architecture ourselves, we wanted to contribute to the process of preserving these cultural symbols as well as the historical townscapes of cities such as Kyoto & Kanazawa. In Kyoto alone, there are approximately 800 machiya townhouses that are torn down every year, and thousands of machiya that have been abandoned and remain unoccupied.
By renovating the machiya and incorporating them into our accommodations, we are able to help preserve a part of our history, and also allow travelers from around the world to learn more about Japan and our culture by experiencing a stay in our machiya accommodation.
Could you tell us a little bit more about the different accommodations? Where are they located? What are the benefits of staying with you?
MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS is currently located in Kyoto and Kanazawa city (but will be including another city very soon – so stay tuned!). In both Kyoto & Kanazawa city, we are located throughout the city center, allowing for great access to sightseeing attractions.
We categorize our accommodations into 4 categories:
- Private Machiya Holiday Houses (pictured below): Rent an entire self-catering machiya townhouse for a uniquely Japanese experience. Perfect for families, groups, and guests who would like to fully immerse themselves in local life.
- Boutique Machiya (pictured below): Exclusive suite rooms featuring striking Japanese architectural design for an experience different from the rest. Great for guests looking to have the machiya experience – groups can reserve several rooms together, a suite for couples or friends, and more.
- Design Machiya Hotels (pictured below): Experience personalized guest services in our modern, Japanese-style designed hotel. Add a sophisticated touch to your travels. These accommodations have our friendly guests services staff on-site 24/7. Every room and suite incorporates traditional Japanese design and aesthetics.
- Machiya Inns: Easily immerse yourself in local life and the machiya experience, whilst you explore Japan to its fullest. Ideal for our most active travelers who want to spend the entire day exploring the city, and return to a stylish machiya-inspired room at night.
Whilst our ‘Design Machiya Hotels’ are our only accommodations where our guest services team is on-site, guests who stay at any of our accommodations will still have the support of our multilingual guest services team 24/7, and will be able to get in touch via telephone or email.
In addition to assisting with restaurant and taxi reservations or questions regarding your stay, our MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS staff are always happy to share our favorite “hidden local places” throughout the city.
We also saw that you offer some really exciting additional services such as the Machiya Breakfast Bento Box! Would you be able to share more information about these?
At MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS, in order to provide our guests with the most authentic experience, we try to work with local businesses (restaurants, cafes, shops, etc.) as much as possible. With our MACHIYA Breakfast Bento Boxes, we’ve collaborated with local chefs to create original breakfast meals – such as Kyoto chefs specializing in traditional Kyoto cuisine. These breakfast bentos are delivered to our guests’ machiya accommodations and are currently available only in Kyoto city.
In Kanazawa, depending on the reserved accommodation, we do offer breakfast options that we have created in collaboration with local bakeries that are frequented by locals! Our breakfast options are exclusively available for guests staying at MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS.
What kind of travelers would love Machiya?
As MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS has been welcoming guests to our cities for more than 10 years, we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming all kinds of travelers from around the world over the years – travelers who are looking to not only explore the city, but to also make their accommodation just as much as a part of the experience. The great thing about MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS is that since we have so many different types of accommodations spread throughout the city, we really do have an accommodation to suit every traveler and every need. We promise that no matter where you stay with us, we will be able to make your stay a memorable experience!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Although traveling may not be at the forefront of your mind at the moment, we hope to continue to inspire your future travels to Japan via our machiya photos, our social media, and our e-newsletters. Please continue to stay safe and healthy, and we look forward to accommodating you at MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS in the very near future! – MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS
We hope you enjoyed learning more about the fascinating story of MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS! Be sure to reserve yourself a machiya next time you visit Japan! Until then, check out their social media and their website!
Social Media and Website Links:
Website: machiya-inn-japan.com
Instagram: @machiyajapan
Facebook: @machiyajapan
Twitter: @machiyajapan
YouTube: Machiya
Want to book a stay at this hotel? You can do so here!
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