Hilton runs 50 hotels in Japan with 15 more in development, 12 of them in the luxury and lifestyle segments. Skift reported the figures on 28 September 2026 alongside Hilton’s agreement to open Motto by Hilton Kyoto Shijo Karasuma in 2029.
The Kyoto hotel holds 108 guest rooms and will operate under Hilton management. Hilton’s release calls Japan one of its key growth markets.
The pipeline behind the signing
Twelve of the 15 development hotels sit in the luxury and lifestyle segments. The set includes a Waldorf Astoria in Tokyo, four LXR Hotels & Resorts properties and Conrad hotels in Yokohama and Kobe.
Two stations within a two-minute walk
The site sits a two-minute walk from Shijo Station on the Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line and Karasuma Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line. Nishiki Market, the Gion and Higashiyama districts and the Shijo Kawaramachi shopping and dining area sit within reach of the address. Kyoto Station connects by rail.
Hilton positions the hotel for domestic and international leisure travelers and for business guests.
An all-day restaurant and a terrace lounge
The announced program holds one all-day dining restaurant and one lounge with an open terrace. The brand’s room product includes connecting guest rooms that combine up to nine rooms and book as one unit.
Kyoto reaches seven Hilton hotels
Hilton entered the city with ROKU KYOTO, LXR Hotels & Resorts in 2021 and has opened five hotels in Kyoto since. An upcoming Curio Collection by Hilton property and Motto by Hilton Kyoto Shijo Karasuma take the city count to seven.
Thirteen Motto hotels trade
Motto by Hilton operates 13 hotels, and recent openings include Brazil and Nashville. Hilton’s release states more than 24 hotels under development, and the brand’s own page states more than 20 additional properties. The brand trades in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, Tulum, Rotterdam, Cusco, Bentonville and Nashville.
The opening year
Hilton’s release dates the opening to 2029. Heiwa Real Estate dates it to fiscal 2029, the year that runs from April 2029 to March 2030.
Hirohisa Fujimoto, vice president of development for Japan and Micronesia at Hilton, said the debut reflects the company’s commitment to a key growth market. He described a flexible stay for families and friends traveling together and for solo guests. Kiyoyuki Tsuchimoto, Heiwa’s representative executive officer, president and chief executive officer, tied the project to the company’s WAY2040 long-term vision and to hotels as a new area of growth.