The Hotel Seiryu Kyoto Kiyomizu

What the classifiers highlight

Named for the azure dragon that watches over Higashiyama, the hotel occupies a converted 1930s elementary school, its academic bones left visible in the lobby and rooms. There are 15 room types plus one suite, and Forbes calls out the rooftop bar for its views. Benoit Kyoto, run by Alain Ducasse's group, is an outpost of the 1912 Paris original.