Wanted a very authentic experience in Kyoto. Loved this traditional Japanese hotel. Easy to walk from the Kyoto Train Station after taking a train from Osaka. Before entering the hotel, you have to clean the wheels of your suitcase, take off your shoes and place your shoes in the shoe lockers. No shoes allowed anywhere in the hotel for the duration of your stay. Toe socks provided. Luggage storage is free. Storage is in the lobby. Grabbed a cup of hot cocoa and matcha which is available all day. After a day spent exploring Kyoto, came back to check in and then enjoy the traditional onsen baths. Since the onsen baths are au natural, you get a code to enter the women's (or men's) spa. The indoor and "outdoor" spa pools were so relaxing. I went in the evening and again in the morning before breakfast where I almost had the entire spa to myself. Enjoyed the special spa soaps and shampoos. Free lockers are available to store your baskets as well as hair ties. No photos allowed. After the onsen, you can indulge in a variety of complimentary ice cream choices in the evening or Yakult probiotic drinks in the morning. Complimentary ramen is also available nightly from 9-11. Asked for vegetarian broth which was very warm and comforting. Loved the very traditional room with a tatami mat floor, the Japanese futon low mattress and a small low table and bench chair. Pajamas included. Definitely add breakfast. So many delicious options and everything was labeled. Sashimi. Tempura vegetables, noodles, salads, Kyoto pickles, mochi, puddings. Everything was served in small plates or had a small plate in which to add your selections. Sign up on your phone in the virtual queue for no wait for a table. Would definitely stay here again. Such great hospitality, delicious breakfast, and relaxing spa in a beautiful traditional Japanese hotel.

That we had to leave.

Great hotel with a great Onsen, friendly stuff and Japanese-style atmosphere. Free ice cream, free laundry and other refreshments Loved the shoes-off policy

Crowded with loud Americans, but somehow it still remained calm

I was looking for a more traditional experience and this fit the bill. I traveled with my 11 year old daughter for two great days in this hotel and we had a great time. You take your shoes off and put them in a locker in the lobby then check-in was easy. Staff spoke enough english to easily get us checked in and off to our rooms. Our room was big enough for the two of us and our luggage. The toilet and shower was in seperate closet-sized rooms, but were big enough to move around in. Room had great AC and kept it nice and cool when it was hot during the day. I used the laundry service (Free wash, 200yen for 30 minutes of drying) and although the dryer didn't do the best job, I just hung out the damp clothes in the room and they were dry by morning. I also used the public bath and it was a fantastic experience. The "No Tattoos rule" didn't matter to me personally. At 11PM, the bath was not busy and plenty of time to relax in the different bodies of water. Fully stocked shower-areas too so it was easy to get fully clean after a long day of touring. The price can't be beat and it's only a 10 minute walk from the station. I didn't care for the breakfast, it's very traditional Japanese, but there's plenty of cafes nearby that serve a great breakfast. The bus and local train were within a 10 minute walk from the hotel. Bus line can take you up to the Gion district within 20 minutes and they run about every 10 minutes during the day. The train can take you to the Fushimi Inari shrine within 15 minutes and the station is just down the street. From Kyoto station, you can ride the bullet train or any local train easily.

Onsen was great with multiple pools, tubs, benches. Some kids were noisy and their families didn’t control their volume. Pola toiletries. Everything seems well thought out and it’s a great introduction to onsen ryokan at a hotel price. Lots of freebies. Free Madeline in the room on check in. Free ice lollies at night. Free yogurt drinks in the morning. Free ramen at night. Free massage chairs. Free washing machines with detergent. Dryer is 100y, I think. Very convenient location. Walking distance from kyoto station but in a quieter part of town. Window can be opened a crack for fresh air. Great to cool down my room when I checked in.

Very small room. Daily cleaning is extra. Staff are not friendly.

There are so many complimentary amenities and services including free ice cream, nightly ramen, yakult in the morning, and the onsen. Breakfast is also a highlight and definitely worth paying for. There is a huge spread of food which is all delicious - mostly japanese food with some western food available as well. The entire facility is very clean and well taken care of, and the room is spacious and comfortable. It’s a very lush experience. Staff are also very attentive.

My only issue with this stay was the other residents. It’s almost exclusively foreign tourists who can be loud and disrespectful, talking loudly or allowing their children to splash or scream in the onsen. Breakfast can also be quite busy, but the information provided by the staff is helpful on how to queue and check the wait times.

Loved the attention to detail in maintaining cleanliness - removal of shoes in the hotel and a well-kept, well-organised shoe locker system, the staff cleaning our luggage upon arrival. Delighted by the hot & cold water dispenser and hot drinks dispenser at the lobby, the onsen and relaxation room with free ice cream and yogurt drink, and free laundry service. We also enjoyed a free bowl of ramen with drinks at night, it was an impressive service! The rooms were also beautifully designed.

Perhaps the rooms were dusty - we found ourselves coughing and sneezing a lot whenever we're back in the rooms, symptoms that immediately cleared once we were out of the accommodation. But good effort to keep it very clean nonetheless!

Natural hot springs! (If you want to avoid crowds use it between 3pm-5pm and in the morning until 7am) They provide free ice-cream in the evening and free yakult drink in the morning, you can relax in message chairs after using onsen. Free coffee machine in the lobby for guests to use. Walking distance to the Kyoto train station. We didn’t eat breakfast there but had free ramen they provide at 9pm each night Staff are amazing despite so many guests (hotel has 500 rooms and hosts tour groups) they always try to help and very efficient. Note: you can use TV in your room to find instructions how to use aircon, because ours was set on heating initially Also on TV you can see how crowded is onsen and restaurants and if there are free washing machines, very useful

Room was quite small and pillows are hard and thin, only one per person Big crowds of people when a group arrives, but staff manages everyone amazingly, controls lifts etc

The hotel was presented beautifully. The room was spacious and well set out.

It’s not the hotels fault but I found people in the onsen were often not respectful of others, with kids running around and people speaking very loudly sometimes across the whole onsen. Made it very difficult to relax, which was a big part of why we booked the hotel.

This was my first time staying in a Japanese Tatami that had a hot spring! It was a wonderful hotel with supportive staff and to be honest, I booked it for the various meals that were offered, which I found online. The food was amazing, the variety of Japanese cuisine for breakfast, to the late night sobas and ice creams were a hit. They had a variety of hot springs, so I recommend getting back to the hotel earlier to enjoy all the amenities. As a solo traveler, I felt very safe and would definitely come again!

Keep in mind that this is a very popular hotel with a lot of international tourists so checking in and out may take longer. I did expect more locals for an even more authentic experience, but was very happy with the hotel nonetheless.

Such an amazing stay! Onsen, massage chairs, beautiful rooms, complimentary amenities like ramen, ice cream, probiotics etc. highly recommend. I would note that the rooms are advertised as ‘shared bathroom’ but this refers to the natural hot spring onsen, every room has its own toilet and shower.

Everything was fantastic!