A hypertonic sodium-calcium-magnesium chloride spring. Richly mineralized at 14.34 g/kg total dissolved solids — the bath leaves a salty mineral film on the skin and a long-lingering warmth typical of high-salt chloride waters. Known by its legacy name as earth-chloride / common-salt-type, an 'earth-chloride / common-salt' spring in which calcium and magnesium share the cation load with sodium.
305. Sora Niwa Terrace Kyoto
A hotel with an onsen in Kyoto. It has some Japanese vibes style-wise, but it's still a modern fusion place. Located in one of the best spots in the city — the prime riverside area, near Gion, Maruyama Park, restaurants, the nightlife street, 20 minutes by public transport to Fushimi Inari, 30 minutes on foot to Kiyomizu-dera. On New Year's there was a small special program with events. On the hotel's rooftop there's a great terrace with a foot bath and views including iconic city landmarks. Sunrise looks great both from the rooftop and from the onsen. There were booking issues with breakfast through Trip.com, so with a late check-in we could only book a special New Year's treat for 5k (not worth it). The onsen sets rotate between M/F.
1. Main set of baths with a view on the balcony.
1.1. Round carbonated silk bath, white water color, temperature around 39. View through a lattice fence.
1.2. Transitional zone of the main bath, shallow, clear water. Temperature around 42. View through a lattice fence.
1.3. Bath with a view, clear water. Temperature around 40. Nice city view, though slightly limited around the sides and there's a canopy fragment under the window that prevents an infinity view.
2. Second set of baths. Also on the balcony, but no view — the line of sight is blocked by separate shutters. Worth visiting when they rotate M/F, but it's important to get the first main set during your hotel stay.
2.1. Round carbonated silk bath, white water color, temperature around 39.
2.2. Transitional zone of the main bath, shallow, clear water. Temperature around 40-41.
2.3. Far bath, clear water. Temperature around 40.
In my opinion, the best hotel with onsen option in Kyoto — top location, decent onsen (though fusion), great rooftop terrace. You could upgrade for more money through a room in the adjacent Bettei, but the terrace and onsen infrastructure is shared. I'd recommend considering it for accommodation.
