A room with a river view, spacious and comfortable, modern room design, bathroom that is next level and with elements you might not think would exist in a hotel that is “officially” rated two stars. Don’t be put off at all, be prepared to be delighted and thrilled to be in such a wonderful hotel. Beyond the facilities, the team makes Hotel Alza special and such a great place to rest your head, and to enjoy watching the world going by. The winning location in Gion on a quiet street is convenient to public transportation with a transit hub with subway/train/buses five minutes away. Easily one of the best places I stayed during my time in Japan.

Not an issue for me, but some might want a restaurant or food options at the hotel.

Wow, this accommodation was perfect for everything and it was so well located on the river in the Gion district. We booked the ‘Romance Room’ which was fabulous, very spacious and having the balcony was fantastic as we were able to have a view over the river with our Bento box breakfast which was provided each morning & included coffee and much more. Accessibility to all things we wanted to do was easy and the staff were so friendly and helpful with directions & suggestions to where we needed to go & helped us with booking a dinner reservation & other options. You can’t go wrong staying here!

Our room was very beautiful and very comfortable. The bath, shower and amenities were fabulous. The floor heating was fantastic and we didn’t feel over heated (unlike other hotels and buildings). The rooms are made for relaxation from the clay walls to the bathroom. Eye masks and face masks are also provided. The night lighting is fantastic (so few hotels have this). The foyer has a small 24 hour lounge area. The staff are very helpful and friendly. A good breakfast is available. We had a beautiful view of the river from our balcony. It was wonderful to be able to step out for fresh air.

The hotel was super for our family of four (with two under 5-yr olds). The room was absolutely amazing, the size was mich bigger than expected. Plenty of space for the kids to play and they even had their own little area with a table to colour etc. The bathroom was super as well with a great shower. Staff were lovely and extremely hospitable. In terms of location, this too was fantastic. The part of the street is just faw away enough for it to be quiet for the kids, but you are at the center of Gion within a 5-minute walk only. Hotel is super close to two metro stations, the main street of Gion with all shops etc and a 7-11 is literally down the street (1-min walk). Highly recommend this wonderful hotel to any families or couples!

Fantastic location walking distance to pretty much everything including a lot of great eating options. The room was spacious and well appointed with a delicious Japanese or western breakfast delivered to our door each morning. We opted to upgrade to a corner king room which I would recommend as the basic rooms are on the ground floor and lacking natural light and views. Ours was light and bright with a lovely outlook and we couldn’t have been any happier. The staff were friendly and helpful and we didn’t want to leave.

Nothing not to like here unless you are looking for a restaurant,gym,pool etc as there are no in-house facilities as such.

There was an issue with our original room but after we reported it we were upgraded to another room for our 2nd and 3rd nights, which I appreciated. The new room was very nice. The location is good and the staff very helpful. The decor is beautiful, as shown in the listing photos.

The breakfast arrangement is a bento box (choice of Japanese or Western) delivered to the room. That's okay. However, it has to be reserved in advance. We weren't able to decide to have it for the next morning when we checked in (4 pm), but could have it for the subsequent mornings. There is a fairly busy road on the river side. That will mainly affect you if you're on the ground floor (1st floor in Japanese terminology).

Everything about the property is awesome. The room that we booked, double bed is amazingly big. The bathroom is well equipped, has towel warmers and their washlet is the the best we’ve seen in Japan period

None

The Alza was by far our favourite hotel we stayed in during 2 weeks in Japan. The facilities in the room were better than any I have come across before even in 5* accommodation making it so relaxing and comfortable. Large triple room, multiple lighting options, switch controlled window coverings, movement-sensored night lights for bathroom use, separate toilet, washbasin area and bath/shower room, lovely tea and biscuit welcome pack, lots of small touches such as proper wine glasses, cutlery and bottle opener and all presented in an elegant Japanese inspired decor in western room. The location was also perfect for wandering around the Gion district and also between 2 stations for easy access to anywhere in the city. Can not fault this hotel and will definitely recommend it to anyone I know visiting Kyoto. Thank you for a wonderful stay!

1. The luxurious toilets. Better than most 5 star hotels. 2. The excellent location. One minute walk to sanjo Station which is along keihan line which will bring you to most famous sights in kyoto. 3. Close to car rental shop. Do a day trip out with driving. Taxis are everywhere as well. 4. Excellent location again. Walk to gion, nishiki, kamo river, pontocho, ninenzaka, kiyumizudera, shopping area at kawarachi. 5. Huge beds and room. Our room accommodated 2 adults and 2 kids for 4 nights comfortably. Rooms are quiet and clean.

Nothing

We LOVED our stay at Hotel Alza. The staff were friendly and helpful, the room was spacious and incredibly comfortable. I think it was the most comfortable hotel before I’ve ever slept in. It’s a great location, and the modern amenities coupled with the beautiful furniture and design made our stay feel luxurious. It was a wonderful sanctuary to return to each evening after busy days of sightseeing. If I ever return Kyoto, this is where I will stay.

I think the only thing that would’ve been nice in the room is a microwave. Given the hotel doesn’t have a restaurant or offer room service, this would’ve been a fantastic addition that would’ve been nice on the odd occasion we didn’t feel like going out for dinner.