The Miyako Hybrid Hotel, designed by HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates, is bringing Japanese hospitality and style to southern California. The Torrance-based property, nestled within the U.S. headquarters for Toyota and Honda, is packed with green features, such as 97 solar panels that supply up to 5 percent of the hotel’s energy, tankless water heaters that reduce gas consumption, the use of local and recycled materials, and key card-based energy systems for guestrooms. The hotel also has nearly 5,000 square feet of meeting space.
Walking through the double glass sliding doors, guests are greeted with an open lobby sporting white marble flooring, wood, and glass walls. Design details include a distinctive wooden centerpiece table topped with white orchids, potted bamboo, wooden light fixtures suspended from the ceiling, and earth-toned lobby furniture accented by gray, green, and blue pillows. Distinctive abstract Japanese paintings also enhance the color scheme. In addition, the seating area is also flanked by a sandstone wall, featuring a glass fireplace that looks into the adjoining Gonpachi restaurant.
Adjacent to the hotel lobby, Spa Relaken specializes in Japanese-inspired spa therapies, including ganban-yoku, or "bedrock bath." The experience involves the guests reclining on a large stone (placed in a sauna-like room) made of ore mined from the mountains of Kyushu, Japan.
The upper floors of the Miyako Hybrid Hotel are designed for quiet comfort, with moss-green textured wallcoverings and plush neutral-tone carpet for the hallways. Historic black and white photographs depicting Torrance in the early 20th century add a unique visual touch to the common areas of each floor. Each of the 208 guestrooms—including the 12 suite—features a bathroom accessed through a sliding wooden door, with a deep tub and adjacent showering area, as well as heated water bidets. Rooms also feature a balcony, luxury bedding, workspaces, and eco-friendly cork walls.
