We enjoyed our stay very much. The hotel is located in the old section of Kyoto near the geisha houses. So most of what we wanted from old Kyoto was within a 15 minute walk. There are nearby restaurants, a small grocery store across the street, an onigiri store a couple doors away, a small laundromat is less than a block away (bring 100 and 10 yen coins) and the Kyoto Sanjo metro and bus stop is an easy 5 minute stroll. The staff was wonderful and multilingual being both friendly and helpful. The rooms were clean and our bathroom had a tub with an adjacent shower area. Perfect after a long day of walking around. We'd definitely return to the hotel if we were in the area.

I do have one caveat regarding the room. Our beds were located on a low platform so for practical purposes you're sleeping on the floor. We were aware of this and have no problem with that however the mattresses themselves were extra firm and it made for sore spots on larger people like myself. If this doesn't bother you, then I do recommend staying at this hotel. And yes, we've slept on futons many times and this was not the case. Just extra firm mattresses.

The location is ideal at the northern end of Gion within walking distance of pretty much everything on the eastern bank as well as the central shopping district. 5 minutes walk from Sanjo station with tube and railway station. In the middle of a quiet street directly opposite a Lawson store which was very handy. 5th floor room with fast lift, only 3 rooms a floor.Beds were comfortable and room had air conditioning and heating. Blackout screens and double glazing to windows.Breakfast was good , western style and served in pleasant Japanese surroundings. Reception staff were exceptionally helpful and let us leave bags when we arrived early and again after checking out. Will stay again when next in Kyoto.

Nothing spoiled our stay.

The hotel is very well located making it a great base to explore Kyoto. Great value for money with a nice room, nice bathroom and both spacious. Near shops, restaurants etc. but peaceful. The staff were friendly and helpful.

The bed wasn't the most comfortable compared to our other hotel stays in Japan. Quite a hard mattress with flimsy pillows. Toiletries could have been nicer rather than a bottle of dove shower wash (but neither hugely problematic considering the great value).

My cousin and I had the opportunity to stay here during a family trip to Japan. It was a very wonderful experience staying at the Gion Misen. The staff was exceptional and kind, and were very thorough in helping us get settled. Our room had a wonderful small tub that was used to soak our legs after all the walking. The location was great too as we were able to walk to major sites or take the bus or the subway around key areas of Kyoto. One of my favorite things was that the staff at this Gion helped us forward a luggage to Tokyo. My luggage reached quickly to my next hotel and in exceptional state. I plan to stay here again when I visit Kyoto.

I really enjoyed my stay here! Everything was great.

Breakfast offerings were always plentiful as you could eat as much as you liked. We are very tall people so the room offered us more room than the average Japanese accommodation & was very comfortable. Absolutely loved the 'onsen' style bathing area. The Japanese have a superior understanding of bathing & toilets that make you want to go home & remodel ones bathroom facilities! The hotel was immaculate & well appointed; cleanliness was consistent throughout the facility. The staff consistently spoke very good English so communication was easy. The staff & in particular, Sachiko, who manages this chain of hotels, was so friendly, warm, welcoming, polite, & ready to help in any way needed. By the way our hotel has a small but delightful bar offering very good sake, Japanese beer & limited alcohol drinks. They will serve between 6 pm & 10 pm. If no one is in the bar area, ask at the front desk about the bartender. They also host different activites. While we were there, one night you could meet a Maiko (apprentice to a Geisha) & at the sister hotel an interactive art project. Highly recommend this place or their sister hotel which is only about a block away - Hotel Gion Misen.

The breakfast was exactly the same everyday which I tired of since we were there for 7 nights. If it would be possible, a hot breakfast option would be appreciated. Lighting in the room could be better in places. For example in the toilet closet & in the wardrobe where you can make a cup of coffee or tea.

Hotel was quaint and had a lot of character. Rooms we had were really nice with big windows. Upper floors were obviously much nicer as our 2nd floor room faced a wall. Room was very spacious. Nice tea/coffee bar in the lobby and free ginger ale's in the fridges. Location was on a quiet street but really close to popular busy spots.

Lobby space is very small. Not much room for a small group to gather at. The beds were very hard and pillows were very flat and small. Even though we really liked the hotel and location we were unable to get a good nights sleep during our three nights.

The staff at reception were lovely, kind and super helpful. We also LOVED going down for breakfast each morning. Really good variety.

The beds are hard and the window didn't open, which made the room feel claustrophobic. But I'm learning that's normal in Japan.

The location is very good. Close to the most active area of Gion. Across the river from the narrow "main" street with lots of bars and restaurants. The hotel staff was nice - mostly foreigners...which was a bit "strange" since we had become accustomed to the extremely friendly and attentive Japanese hosts at other hotels. The room was clean, relatively large and the garden view (although a tiny garden) was, for the atmosphere in the room, amazingly good. Japanese breakfast was in the sister hotel around the corner. It was very good. The western style breakfast was served where we stayed (buffet-style), and it did not look so impressive. I.e., go with the Japanese breakfast! :-)

The price / value ratio was not quite as good as the other places we stayed during our two week trip to Japan. Nonetheless a very nice hotel!!!

Great hotel in the heart of Kyoto (Gion). Very beautiful, semi-traditional, attractive, clean spacious, and comfortable hotel rooms in excellent hotel . Large room that takes up the width of the entire narrow hotel bldg :) Modern, very clean, and tastefully decorated rooms. Very, very comfortable beds. Modern bathrooms with great bathtub. Did not have breakfast (too many nearby options), but it looked great. Very close to convenience stores (it's Japan) and lots of restaurants in Gion and across the river. Close to metro stations. Quite street in Gion. Just a wonderful hotel!

Nothing!

Beautiful room with a low bed and tatami. There are slippers provided for the hard floor area. Clean facilities and helpful staff. They accepted my luggage 2 days early and helped me book a restaurant. I could leave my luggage there after I checked out as my flight wasn't until the evening. The location is excellent - there's a Lawson 100 in front of the hotel and Sanjo station is only 5 minutes away. I found myself doing a lot of walking because it was convenient, rather than needing the bus/subway. The bed was comfortable. The bathroom had lots of amenities plus a hairdryer. The facilities were of high quality.

The room and bathroom were smaller than I envisioned. Opening my luggage was a little awkward. In terms of space, I got more in a cheaper hotel I stayed at before this one. I realise this was part of the hotel's vibe, but I found the low lighting a bit frustrating. You can't see much in the bathroom mirror when doing skincare/makeup. A small portable mirror is provided, but it's inconvenient to keep moving my toiletries outside of the bathroom to get better lighting. While I enjoyed the tatami, next time I'd go for a regular floor as you have to keep taking the slippers on and off inside your room.