Until recently the city was not quite equipped for large incentive groups due to its lack of hotel stock. However this is slowly changing with international brands beginning to establish themselves in anticipation of more foreign groups coming through.
One of the most recent openings is the 189-room Hyatt Regency Kyoto. The lowrise building is a remodelled business hotel and its facilities are first class.
The huge foyer's lattice work is designed
to resemble the expensive patterns of Japanese
kimonos. This theme is carried through to
each guestroom, with the wall panelling having
been tastefully covered in material from
old kimonos.
"Each of our 189 rooms combines traditional
Japanese aesthetics with modern facilities,"
says Ken Yokoyama, general manager
of the Hyatt Regency Kyoto.
The Hyatt also has an excellent 860 sqm
ballroom that can fit 530 people theatre style
and three restaurants that have become some
of the most popular dining venues in the city.
Incentive options
Kyoto was the capital of Japan from 794 to
1868, hence its name — 'Kyo' meaning capital
and 'To' meaning city. The city is a real
city in the physical sense, but it doesn't feel
quite that way in terms of the rest of urban
Japan — ironic considering it is a snapshot of
what much of Japan used to look like before
World War Two.
Kyoto is small enough to get around in a
day or two of incentive sightseeing. If a group
only has a single day, then the Hyatt Regency
or local convention bureau can arrange an
itinerary including lunch.
Traffic is easy to navigate and crowds are mostly restricted to weekends and public holidays.
The best times of year to go are spring,
which is cherry blossom season, or autumn,
when the leaves have turned golden.
Here are some of the incentive highlights:
Kiyomizu Temple: this beautiful wooden temple
built on a mountainside is one of the most famous
in Kyoto. Its name, 'kiyo mizu', translates to
'pure water', which comes from the waterfall
within the temple grounds. The temple originated
in 798, but the current construction was built
in 1633. Amust see on any itinerary.
Yasaka Shrine: also called the Gion Shrine, this
temple of yellow-papered lanterns dates back
to 656 and is most popular at New Year's
when thousands of people attend the temple to
bring in the next year.
Sanjusangen-do: this temple is home to more
than 1,030 standing lifesize Buddha statues.
The main Buddha, a seated 1,000-hand creation,
was hand-sculpted. The temple literally
takes its name from the 33 spaces between the
pillars in front of the main altar. It is also the
longest wooden building in Japan.
Nijo Castle: built in 1603 as the original residence
of the Tokugawa Shoguns (local warlords), it
has been destroyed by fire several times since.
It is a national treasure in Japan thanks to its
brilliant architecture and interiors.
Golden Temple: Kinkakuji, or the Temple of the
Golden Pavilion, is the most well-known symbol of Kyoto. The famous UNESCO-listed building dates from 1397 although fire destroyed the original in 1950. The upper stories are covered in gold leaf and the roof is topped by a bronze phoenix.
Kyoto offers high-quality incentive attractions
Japan is a country that has more than its fair share of beauty and Kyoto is one of its most beautiful spots. To walk through the streets of this city is to turn the clock back several hundred years as you pass old houses, lanes and temples - not to mention catching sight of some of the local geishas.
