Hotel Ms Est Karasuma is in an amazing spot — just a short walk from Karasuma and Shijo stations, right in the heart of Kyoto’s shopping area. It’s close to major stores like the Apple Store, Nintendo, Adidas, among others, and just a couple of blocks from Nishiki Market with tons of local shops and food. You’ll also find plenty of convenience stores, cafés, and restaurants nearby. The hotel itself is simple and clean. The room was small (as expected in Japan) but the bed and pillows were super comfortable. Amenities are available in the lobby, and the staff spoke good English and were very kind. Note: there’s no breakfast. The location is great for day trips — from Karasuma/Shijo station (they are connected but are two different lines) we were able to reached Nara in ~45 minutes and Arashiyama in about ~20. Just be sure to check google maps and look for express train schedules for faster connections. Overall, a very convenient and comfortable base for exploring Kyoto and beyond.

One downside was the laundry machines — while washing was fine, the dryer is ineffective and takes a long time to dry and is rather expensive because of it. It cost us ¥1200 just to dry a small load of clothes. If you need laundry services, a nearby coin laundry might be a better option.

We LOVED the location! The hotel is just a couple buildings away from the main street Shijo-dori (lots of shopping); it was amazing to go from a crowded sidewalk to a practically empty street in the few steps it took to get to the hotel. A few blocks away from Nishiki Market; restaurants that open very early; the best tonkatsu we've ever had was less than 2 blocks away (eat lunch or early dinner). Multiple train stations and bus stops nearby. The AC didn't turn off at night; and we loved watching network tv, even the ads. (Didn't think this would be something to comment on; but we stayed at places where either the AC turned off in the middle of the night or the tv only offered pre-recorded NHK and a few movies.) There was always someone at the front desk, even when we woke up really early. We also appreciated having a place to lock our luggage after checkout.

Having laundry service in the hotel is normally a positive feature, but there were 2 sets of washers and dryers on the first floor to service the entire hotel. They are relatively fast, but people are not always great about taking their laundry out when done. I ended up waiting in the hot room for the dryer to open up because there were other people doing laundry at the same time, and I didn't want to lose my place. Note: The dryers have a cool down period that runs past the 30 minute time you paid for. Be considerate and don't lose track of time for your laundry! Or at least don't get mad if your laundry is not still in the dryer when you forgot to take it out 40 minutes after it was done. (So said the person in front of me; I didn't have the nerve.)

Loved everything except cleaning policy. But i can understand that The hotel is very central (for shopping), its cheap, spacious for what you pay (factoring in it being kyoto, NOT osaka) It's right next to a convinence store. The staff are super friendly and helpful.

Cleaning policy, having to remove all items from the bed is cumbersom but i can understand it Also did not like the luggage service they offer. Cumbersome, outdated website and systems and felt very risky to use. Hope my luggage arrives in tokyo

Short walk to the Nishiki markets, Teramachi Street and Pontocho ally, great access with a bus stop and kansai train line just around the corner, but situated down a small quiet side street. Hotel was clean and room comfortable, with enough space to store 2 medium suitcases and backpacks comfortably. Was easy to pick up our forwarded Luggage from reception and even dropped off our backpacks in the morning before check-in where we could store them for free.

Was a little more difficult to use the hotels Luggage transfer service displayed at reception. The form is easy to fill out online, but some reception staff did not know about the process when we brought our bags down for the transfer, so took a bit longer to check out. Know that if washing clothes the driers take a very long time, after 1.5 hrs we gave up and hung clothes around the room to dry, but may be an issue with most hotel driers (this was the only place we did washing)

Less than 10-min walk from Karakuma and Gojo metro stations, and to Nishiki market. The closest bus stop to Bamboo forest and Gion is less than 5-min walk (flat fare for the bus, 230 jpy pp. [July 2024] paid to the driver before getting off regardless of distance) The main road close to the hotel was a good spot for Gion matsuri parade. Surrounded by shops, convenient stores and shopping malls, and close to a popular ramen shop among the locals (Mensho Takamatsu Shijo Shop 麺匠たか松 四条店). Free delicious ice cream

The room was so not clean; the shalves was dusty. The fridge was old and not so cold.

The location was outstanding, right off a main street that was full of shops and restaurants and it was very walkable to most everything we wanted to visit in the area. The people were very helpful and friendly. The room was comfortable and quiet and the bed was cozy.

I think really the only tiny thing was that there was no underbed storage for bags, so I had to keep them around to go to sleep or get out the door. It's hardly a big deal, but other places I've stayed in Japan had them and it makes a big difference for these size rooms.

Great location, everything is extremely close, bus and metro stops as well close. I stayed in a number of hotels and can tell that the staff was most helpful. We had few small issues that were resolved no matter night or day. It was great having both washer and dryer downstairs. Smoking area close to washers was unexpected bonus! View that we had was not the worst either.

Rooms are quite small for two persons with each having a medium sized suitcases, however we kept it closed and had little issues moving around the room (while traveling in Japan we only came back to room for some sleep, shower and clothing tho) I wish they had option to use Netflix on their TV for some anime before bed :D

Returning to M's East Hotel in Kyoto for the second time was a decision I did not regret. Situated in a prime location, this hotel continues to impress with its convenient proximity to key attractions and transportation hubs. The amenities provided were top-notch, catering to both comfort and convenience. The room was well-appointed, offering a peaceful retreat after a day of exploring Kyoto's cultural treasures. The bed was particularly comfortable, ensuring a restful night's sleep. Overall, M's East Hotel remains my go-to choice in Kyoto for its excellent location, quality amenities, and exceptional service. Whether you're visiting for the first time or returning like me, this hotel ensures a memorable and comfortable stay in the heart of Kyoto.

Location is convenient, right next to Karasuma train station, convenience stores, and bus stop. The facilities were great, I liked that there were communal washing machines and dryers available within the premises. My room was cosy and comfortable. The staff were friendly and helpful when I asked about the mini fridge in my room, which was working fine but the plugs were switched, so it switched off whenever I left the room.

The dryers needed maintenance as, they didn’t dry clothes properly.

We were super pleased with our stay at this hotel! It was located in a lively area, just 5 minutes away from the Nishiki Market and it was really easy to access any touristic place without hassle. The rooms were clean, the bed was comfortable, and the room was spacious enough. We'll definitely choose here again if we visit Kyoto in the future.

It would've made our stay better if they had built-in plug converters, one of the hotels we stayed had had both normal plugs and a converter plug, and it was really convenient for us to charge multiple devices.