9.9.19 / Kyoto / Tokyo

BnA Alter Museum Offers a Liminal, Artistic Hotel Experience in Kyoto

From elaborate minimalism to trippy decadence, all under one roof

Japan’s hotel scene has been getting more an more exciting, with the Trunk Hotel, the DESGIN AWARD hotel, and even the new Muji Hotel all driving new energy in Tokyo. That energy is now extending to Kyoto, where the third BnA property opened this summer, the BnA Alter Museum. Despite its name, it is in fact a hotel, but this one has a serious artistic flair. Each of the 31 ‘art’ rooms were created by 15 Japanese artists with 9 art directors, ensuring a distinct experience each time you stay there. The rooms feature everything from psychedelic swirls of color to dimly lit black and white modernity to an underwater-feel with a room soaked in turquoise. Where those descriptions may not suffice, Tokyo-based creative agency Monopo created a new video showcasing the breath of creativity within the hotel walls and capturing the “Liminal Experience,” in which guests move through the various feelings and thoughts each part of the hotel evokes.