Dusitthani Kyoto (located in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City; General Manager: Makoto Yamashita), a luxury hotel operated by Thailand's leading hotel and real estate development company Dusit International, has received a 4-star rating for the second consecutive year in the hotel category and a new 4-star rating in the spa category in the Forbes Travel Guide 2026, announced in February this year.
Forbes Travel Guide, which rates the world's finest hotels, spas, and restaurants, was established in the United States in 1958 and was the first travel guide in the world to introduce a 5-star rating system. The rigorous evaluation covers more than 900 items, and the hotel is honored to have received such high recognition as the only hotel brand originating from Thailand to maintain this evaluation continuously since its opening.
Anonymous inspectors from Forbes Travel Guide conduct objective evaluations, which are widely recognized as authoritative standards in the travel industry. This award demonstrates that the hotel's fusion of Kyoto's traditional hospitality and Thailand's refined Gracious Hospitality, along with its unique services, have been highly evaluated according to international standards.
Additionally, the wellness facility Devarana Wellness, which received a 4-star rating for the first time, means "heaven's garden" in Sanskrit. Based on the concept of fusing East and West, it offers treatments combining Thai traditional therapies and Japanese delicate techniques. Located near Kyoto Station yet providing an oriental and high-quality space that makes guests forget the hustle and bustle of daily life, visitors can enjoy a quiet and deep healing experience.
In 2025, the hotel's second year since opening, the property focused on further enhancing the culinary experience to improve the overall guest experience. The signature restaurant Ayatana won three categories at the World Luxury Restaurant Awards: Best Asian Cuisine in East Asia, Best Luxury Sustainable Restaurant in East Asia, and Best Thai Cuisine in East Asia. Furthermore, it became the first restaurant in Japan to receive the highest three-star rating in Thai Select, a certification by Thailand's Department of International Trade Promotion, Ministry of Commerce, for authentic Thai cuisine restaurants worldwide. The restaurant has renewed its dinner courses and begun offering afternoon tea served in Benjarong porcelain, providing a dining experience where Thai aesthetics and Kyoto sensibilities resonate throughout the entire stay.
Moreover, Chef's Table Kureha has newly established a sushi counter, offering an omakase sushi course that inherits the techniques and spirit of Ginza's renowned Sushi Ishibashi Masakazu. Additionally, through collaborations with world-renowned Michelin chefs, the hotel has continuously created diverse and high-quality dining experiences linked with accommodations. These efforts to continuously refine the overall hotel experience are understood to have contributed to this international recognition in the hotel category.
"We are greatly honored to receive 4-star ratings in both the hotel and spa categories in the Forbes Travel Guide this time. Since opening, we have endeavored to provide exceptional and special moments beyond the framework of accommodation facilities, based on the four pillars unique to the Dusitthani brand: Sustainability, Locality, Service, and Wellbeing. This year, we have further deepened these efforts, promoting initiatives to enhance locality, including collaboration with our own farms and tea gardens, improving the experiential value of food and beverage services, communicating the appeal of Kyoto's diverse tourism resources, and strengthening cooperation with local community associations. We feel that such evaluations are the result of the accumulated efforts of each staff member who has sincerely engaged with guests and the local community. Taking this award as encouragement, we will continue to improve our services further and strive to remain a hotel loved by guests from both Japan and abroad," said Makoto Yamashita, Area General Manager of Dusitthani Kyoto and ASAI Kyoto Shijo, Kyoto District.
The hotel offers special accommodation plans and events for each season. For details, please visit the official website.
https://www.dusit.com/dusitthani-kyoto/ja/specialoffers/
About Forbes Travel Guide
Forbes Travel Guide is a globally authoritative rating organization in the field of luxury hospitality. It has established a unique evaluation process where professional inspectors anonymously visit hotels, restaurants, spas, and cruise ships to evaluate them based on rigorous standards of up to 900 items. All customer experiences from reservation to departure are evaluated, including cleanliness, efficiency, staff knowledge, comfort, luxury, wellness, and commitment to sustainability. The evaluation criteria are reviewed annually and evolve to adapt to customer expectations and industry trends.
For details, please visit the Forbes Travel Guide website (https://www.forbestravelguide.com/).
About Dusitthani Kyoto
Dusitthani Kyoto opened on September 1, 2023, in the monzencho area where the World Heritage site Nishi Hongan-ji Temple is located. The hotel provides the finest hospitality that weaves together Japan's delicate traditional culture and the elegant hospitality of Thailand, Dusitthani's homeland. In addition to beautiful and comfortable guest rooms, the hotel offers three colorful restaurants and a tea salon where guests can savor traditional Thai cuisine and the delights of vibrant Japanese food, a hideaway-like bar, Devarana Wellness where guests can feel the fulfillment of mind and body, and experience programs that touch the essence of Kyoto. With unique services that provide "Everything You deserve," the hotel not only conveys the charm of Kyoto as a travel destination but also creates facilities that serve as a quiet oasis where visitors can experience fullness of mind and five senses. Since 2024, for two consecutive years, the hotel has become the only hotel brand originating from Thailand to receive the Michelin Key as an accommodation facility selected by the Michelin Guide as "providing exceptional experiences." Furthermore, in February 2026, the hotel received 4-star ratings in both the hotel and spa categories of the Forbes Travel Guide 2026, which rates the world's finest hotels, restaurants, and spas.
For more information, please visit the hotel's official website (https://www.dusit.com/thanikyotojp), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/dusitthanikyoto/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dusitthanikyoto/), X (formerly Twitter) (https://twitter.com/dusitthanikyoto), and LINE Official Account (https://lin.ee/k4n3Dx7G).
Original products are sold at the Dusitthani Kyoto official online store Dusit Online Japan. https://dusit.online/
About Dusit International
Established in 1948, Dusit International, or Dusit Thani Public Company Limited (DUSIT), is a leading hospitality group listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Its operations consist of five distinct and complementary business units: hotels and resorts, hospitality education, food, real estate development, and hospitality-related services. The group's portfolio of hotels, resorts, and luxury villas includes over 300 properties operating under seven brands (Dusitthani, Dusit Devarana, Dusit Suites, dusitD2, Dusit Princess, ASAI Hotels, and Elite Havens) in 19 countries worldwide. The group operates culinary schools and hospitality colleges in Thailand, as well as catering companies for the education sector in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Dusit International's diverse investments in real estate development, hospitality-related services, and food divisions are part of a long-term strategy for sustainable growth, focusing on three key areas: balance, expansion, and diversification. For details, please visit https://www.dusit-international.com/en/home. Official photos of Dusit Hotels & Resorts can be downloaded from https://medialib.dusit.com/.
