Did you know it’s possible to stay overnight at the original Nintendo Headquarters in Kyoto? Since 2022, Marufukuro has welcomed guests into their beautiful 5*, all-inclusive hotel. This is what staying here was like.
On my very first trip to Japan in 2018, I highlighted the location of what is now the Marufukuro Hotel – years before it turned into the 5* boutique hotel it is today. This building is a piece of Nintendo history, the very first headquarters. A place I was desperate to see, especially since the original company plaques were still attached to the walls. Sadly, that first trip proved busier than expected and I couldn’t make the pilgrimage after all.
Little did I know that a few years later, this building would be transformed into a beautiful boutique hotel and that I would have the incredible opportunity to stay here and write about it.
While its historical ties with Nintendo, a company that shaped my childhood and fuelled my interest in Japan, is what brought me to this hotel in the first place, it’s the service and atmosphere that will make me come back in the future. It was incredible.
Here is my review of what it’s like to stay at the Marufukuro Hotel.
* My stay at Marufukuro Hotel was part of a press stay. All views and opinions are my own.
Marufukuro’s Story: From Nintendo HQ to Boutique Hotel
Kyoto is known for many things, but the fact that it’s the birthplace of Nintendo is often overlooked. While Marufukuro Hotel has no ties to Nintendo, the building is still owned by the founding Yamauchi family.
The family sold their shares in the company nearly a decade ago, and the hotel is run by PDS Hotels. There is no flashy “Nintendo” branding, but instead, it gives you a look into the history and legacy of the Yamauchi family. On top of that, this boutique hotel is a top-notch luxury stay with prices starting at a few hundred dollars per night. It almost gives you that private, luxury ryokan feel, packed into a beautifully renovated hotel.
Named after Nintendo’s playing card distributing company, Marufuku, this hotel pays homage to its history and influence. Even though the hotel isn’t owned or run by Nintendo, staying here has proved to be an unforgettable experience.
With careful renovations, the hotel has stayed true to its original atmosphere. The Art Deco style, popular in the early Showa Period in Japan, is seen throughout all buildings. Most of the old buildings have been used, alongside many Nintendo artefacts, making it an absolute joy to stay in as a Nintendo fan.
But let’s rewind a little. How did this building come to be?
Nintendo dates back to the year 1889. Founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi, the company started its journey manufacturing and selling Japanese-style Hanafuda playing cards.
As the company grew, the former headquarters was built between 1930-1933. It consisted of multiple buildings, an office space, a residential wing for the Yamauchi family and a warehouse. However, the company kept growing. So much so that in 1959, they outgrew the building and moved the headquarters to the outskirts of Kyoto, where it still stands today. Some parts of the company, including the accountancy team, stayed in the former HQ until the 1990s.
Since then, this beautiful Art Deco building has been empty. Nintendo staff continued to maintain it, especially as the Yamauchi family wanted to preserve the building. It was their idea to turn it into a hotel, however, they needed help from specialists.
The project of turning the former Nintendo HQ into a hotel started in 2016-17. A contest was held to determine what company could help the family turn this dream into a reality. This ended up being won by PDS (Play Do See) Hotels, a perfect fit.
It took about a year to finish the renovations. Most of the old buildings were used to stay true to the charming spirit of the former HQ. Only the second building was rebuilt, as it used to house the kitchen and bathrooms. The new building was designed by internationally renowned architect Tadao Ando – he even signed the walls in some of the rooms.
So much of the original building has been treasured in these renovations. For example, the original lift still sits in the building that used to be the warehouse. The 1930s decor, Nintendo memorabilia and emerald green (the favourite colour of Nintendo’s second CEO’s wife) found throughout the hotel shows how much love and effort has been put in to make this place feel as authentic as possible.
The hotel opened its doors on April 1st 2022 and has been welcoming guests ever since. During my visit, I discovered that a former Nintendo employee stopped by not too long ago and looked around. She said she had no idea it had turned into a hotel but was very happy to see it looked nearly the same as when she worked here.
Staying in Nintendo’s Former HQ: My Stay in The Marufukuro Hotel
Marufukuro, the former Nintendo HQ, is located near the Kamo River in a quiet neighbourhood in Kyoto. A short 5-minute walk from the nearest bus stop or a 6-minute taxi ride from Kyoto Station makes it easy to get to.
Walking up to the building, the beautiful Art Deco building stands out on the corner of the street. Two red flags with the hotel’s logo flapping in the wind at the entrance next to the two original plaques. The plaques read “Playing Cards, The Nintendo Playing Card Co.” in English and Japanese. This is a building seeped in history, you can already tell.
“The reception is my favourite part of the hotel, as it looks almost exactly like what the office used to look like,” a staff member told us. There is a YouTube video dating back to 2007 where someone entered the empty building and took some footage. And indeed, it looks almost identical!
At reception, we were welcomed by the hotel staff. Two big signs caught my attention. “These were the original signs that used to hang outside the building”, we were told. Little pieces of history like this keep popping up during our stay here. The love and respect that has been put into putting together Marafukuro is unmatched.
I received the key to our room. Marufukuro was inspired by the original keys of the office building, rather than your usual swipe card. The physical key also comes with a keyring, a replica of the iconic Nintendo Playing Card Company signs outside the building. You can buy these at reception as a souvenir.
We were given a small tour of the hotel and its history after check-in. The hotel offers 18 rooms across the four buildings, including seven suites. Each of the four buildings is named after one of the playing card suits – a nice little detail that ties in perfectly with Nintendo’s history.
The art-deco style can be seen throughout the hotel and starts in the lobby. Here, you can also find a LEGO replica of the four buildings, along with a piece of art made out of the original office keys. As Marufukuro is an all-inclusive hotel, all drinks in the lounge can be enjoyed free of charge.
Behind the reception sits the dining lounge, where more drinks and snacks are available. Works of art by famous artists like Yayoi Kusama are hung on the walls here.
The building where you find the reception used to be the main office building for Nintendo. Of the four buildings, only the second one has been demolished and rebuilt – the other three are original. The “New Building”, the second building from the front, houses some of the more expensive suites designed by Tadao Ando. Building number three is where the Yamauchi family lived, and the last building was used as a warehouse to store the Hanafuda cards.
You can immediately see how much thought has gone into the renovation of the buildings. The nostalgic interior preserves Nintendo’s heritage without pushing any branding. The focus is on the Yamauchi family and its legacy.
Afterwards, we headed up to our room, located in the second “New Building” – The Residential Suite.
My Room: The Residential Suite
As mentioned, the “New Building” is the only building that isn’t part of the original Nintendo HQ. This part of the hotel has been completely rebuilt with the help of famous architect Tadao Ando. The rooms in this building have some of the key characteristics of his style – and you can even find his signature scribbled onto the walls.
If you want to stay in the original buildings, you can book a room in the “Existing Building”. This includes the Japanese Suite, Balcony King, Junior Suite, Deluxe, Superior King and Standard rooms. The Japanese Suite even comes with a tatami area and outdoor bath.
When we got to our room, our suitcases were already waiting for us. At nearly 75 square meters, the size of this suite is impressive. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area look out over the mountains and make it feel even more spacious.
The interior has a lovely mix of the Art Deco seen throughout the rest of the hotel with Ando’s architectural style focusing more on the beauty of simplicity. The hints of emerald green, Marufukuro’s brand colour, along with the modern concrete walls and wooden features show this mix even further.
There is a separate toilet, kitchen, wardrobe and bathroom. As it is an all-inclusive hotel, everything in the kitchen can be used for free. There is a minibar with beverages (including alcoholic drinks), coffee and tea, and snacks. Next to it, you can find a washing machine and washing powder, which comes in very handy when you’re travelling through Japan for a few weeks.
In the bathroom, you’ll find his and hers sinks, along with all the amenities you may need. The regular toothbrush, shaving kit and hairbrush are included, but you can also enjoy a special lady’s amenities kit and a skincare set.
There is a large bath and shower in the room next to it, with a window looking out over the Kyoto mountains. The package of magnesium bath salts helped me fully relax after a hectic journey from Hiroshima to Kyoto (we got on the wrong Shinkansen, delaying our arrival at Marufukuro by several hours).
The bed is the largest I’ve slept in during my travels to Japan. It almost felt like I had a double bed to myself, even though my husband was sleeping on the other side. This, on top of the incredibly comfortable pillows, makes for one of the best nights’ sleep I had on this trip.
This suite is pure luxury. And I feel like one night may not have been quite enough to enjoy everything in it – there was so much to see and enjoy.
dNa Library
Located on the second floor of the front building, one of the hotel’s highlights is located – the dNa Library. A capital N for Nintendo, of course.
The full collection is owned by the Yamauchi family and on loan in the Marufukuro hotel. All pieces have been curated by Banjo Yamauchi.
This library is not quite like a museum, it’s more of an homage to the DNA of Nintendo. There are books on Nintendo’s history, but it goes deeper than (video) games. You can enjoy books on art, design, Kyoto’s history and much more.
There are some specially commissioned pieces of art in between the books, including an original Famicon made entirely out of paper and other old Nintendo consoles.
You can only visit this area if you’re a guest at the hotel, it’s not open to outside visitors. And since the hotel only has 18 rooms, it’s never busy here. During my stay, I visited the library for a couple of hours in the evening and morning and only saw one other person there.
As the hotel is all-inclusive, you’re welcome to help yourself to a drink at the self-serve bar, located right next to the library. It even includes Yamauchi’s favourite whiskey and gin. You can even bring your drink into the library, pick up a book and have a read.
Carta Restaurant
The Marufukuro Hotel has packages that include dinner and breakfast or just breakfast. You can enjoy these at the on-site Carta Restaurant, located in the building at the far end of the hotel.
Again, you can immediately see the love that has been put into making this place come together. The hand-crafted tiles, the artisan glass light fittings and the earth tones create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. There are 23 seats, including two tables and spaces at the bar.
Under the direction of chef Ai Hosokawa, Carta offers set seasonal menus made up of “New Western” cuisine. With the use of traditional Japanese seasoning and fermented foods, these Western-style dishes are unlike anything you’ll have had before.
As the menus change seasonally, you may not get the same dishes I had during my stay here. However, we enjoyed a six-course meal, including carpaccio, clam chowder and hamburger steak. There was a selection of local wines and beers available too – I enjoyed a glass of a local Sauvignon Blanc and iced tea, while my husband tried the Silky Weizen Nishijin Beer from Kyoto.
For breakfast, Carta has two options – Japanese and Western. I decided to go with the Japanese breakfast, while my husband opted for Western. It was great to see both styles of breakfast side-by-side – we enjoyed them a lot.
The Western breakfast consisted of potato soup, a green salad, a hot dog, an omelette, yoghurt and an open fruit sandwich. The Japanese breakfast was made up of multiple smaller dishes too, including bamboo shoot soup, ohitashi (boiled greens in mustard), steamed sea bream turnip, kinpira, egg fried rice, kenchin soup and yoghurt.
Fresh coffee was brewed in front of us, as we sat at the bar for breakfast. I especially enjoyed the feel of the restaurant in the morning, as the warm morning light poured through the large windows while we enjoyed our food.
Marufukuro has a lunch menu too, which can be enjoyed in the lounge in the second “New Building”. There is a variety of dishes to choose from, including pancakes, salads, fries, curry rice and open-fruit sandwiches. This is on top of the light snacks at are available 24/7 in the lounge.
Conclusion – Marufukuro Hotel Review
My stay at Marufukuro Hotel is a memorable one. While my interest in Nintendo brought me to this hotel in the first place, it’s the exceptional care and service that made it stand out even more. This hotel is pure luxury and a tasteful homage to Nintendo’s history. A perfect preservation of what used to be the headquarters.
The stay almost had a ryokan-like feel to it. It’s like entering a little bubble for a day or so, a place to fully relax and immerse yourself in. With only 18 rooms, none of the shared spaces ever felt crowded. I never saw more than one or two other people at the dNa Library or the Lounge – I was often the only one there.
This hotel is a true gem, one that not only Nintendo fans, but anybody can enjoy thoroughly.