Hotel Kabuki - JDV by Hyatt

Character and identity

Tucked into the heart of Japantown, Hotel Kabuki blends Japanese design cues with Western cool across 225 rooms. The lobby sets the tone: 19-foot ceilings, rustic Douglas fir beams, geometric cane-back chairs, patterned rugs and open metal-and-wood shelving stacked with books and objects. Rooms lean moodier, with dark gray walls, traditional and modern Japanese art, Scandinavian-inflected furniture and oversized windows, many opening to balconies. Kabuki Bar pours sake flights, Japanese whisky and green-tea mocktails, while one-Michelin-starred Nari turns out vivid Thai cooking. A private Japanese garden with a koi pond grounds the property.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The pull here is the neighbourhood and the in-house drinking and dining: Nari and Kabuki Bar do real work, and the design gives the property a personality most San Francisco hotels lack. Couples who value cocktail culture and Japanese sensibility over a central tourist address should book, ideally upgrading past the smallest category and reserving Nari well ahead.