Staff was extremely polite, nice, and professional. Having the open-air bath in the room was truly an amazing experience. Excellent facilities.

It would have been great to have sunlight-blocking screens as an option, as well as open-close automation on the toilet seat which is common in Japan high-end hotels & ryokans we have stayed in. It would have been good to know the Japanese name of the hotel, Saka No Hotel Kyoto as it says on the lamp post in front of the hotel. The taxi driver from the airport did not understand when I showed a printout with Saka Hotel Kyoto, the address, even the map. After a while, he figured it out and told us "Saka NO"!

I loved this hotel! It is a bit on the pricier side but for obvious reasons. The room was huge (aspecially for Japan) and extremely clean. You also have access to a lounge with complimentary snacks and drinks. The staff does really take care of you. One of the best parts is obviously that it is minutes away from Kiyomizudera and Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka so you can really enjoy the area without the crowds early in the morning or later at night.

It is nitpicking at this point, but I was very exited about the wooden bathtub and I only used it once as it felt quite slimy and weird. It's very nice for the aesthetics but not very practical to clean I'm guessing.

Immaculate. The hotel is new and very cosy, with great location. Excellent cleaning (despite us constantly littering the place with souvenir bags etc we always came back to a nicely prepared room) The personnel was very friendly and patient to my endless requests and questions. We had three breakfasts (set menu only), each one was really a gourmet piece of art. Guest lounge is a nice touch (great ice cream and sparkling wine to cool down). The spa is amazing. Unexpectedly, what made me really feel like home was the coin laundry (with sweltering heat outside and so many sightseeing we had substantial heaps of laundry to do). Didn’t pay much attention to toiletries, but after 3 nights of trying this and that I’ve noticed that my skin and hair are in much better condition than before. Heating eye masks knocked us out into sleep within minutes, despite the jet lag! Overall highly recommended, we’re definitely going to be back next time in Kyoto (there is still so much to see!).

From the moment we walked in we were treated with the utmost hospitality from the staff. We were greeted with Japanese cookies and tea as our bags were brought to our room. The room we stayed in was very clean and had traditional tatami flooring which was an excellent touch to the vibe the hotel brought. We also enjoyed the free afternoon alcohol serving the hotel provided. The Saka Hotel is very well situated, bus and other forms of public transit are all very accessible as well as popular landmarks to see around Kyoto. Our experience was definitely memorable and will be back here if visiting Kyoto again.

This was easily our best stay of our entire two week trip. The location, cleanliness, atmosphere, and most of all the service were beyond exceptional. The hotel staff were very friendly and clear, even with the language barrier and our minimal Japanese skills. The hotel was so tranquil, and the bath in the room was DIVINE. We would stay again for that alone. The staff even provided sake for the bath, as well as face masks and skin care that were much appreciated. The location is spectacular and was close to a lot of trip highlights. We really liked the proximity to Kiyomizudera temple, it was only a block or two to the main shopping street by the temple. We also enjoyed the hotel breakfast with our reservation, it was plenty of food and the quality and variety were great. Overall, would definitely return and highly recommend!

This was certainly a wonderful stay given that we had a in-room hot tub bath, and we primarily booked the hotel given that option. However, I will note that the water was chlorinated (likely to keep everything cleanly), and it did detract slightly from the overall experience (was expecting a more onsen-like experience, given the word "bath" in their description...). We did not try out the option to book a private onsen room (extra cost) with the hotel, which might have been more in-line with what we were looking for. Otherwise, for ~$500/night, I do wonder whether the hotel is worth the price tag - the wifi only worked in certain areas of our hotel room, there was not enough lighting in the room making the room itself slightly dark at all times of day and difficult to get ready in the morning (i.e. put on makeup), and the complimentary breakfast was good but not quite the standard that I was expecting given where we were staying. Overall, I would recommend the hotel if you are looking to stay somewhere that has the option for a private onsen experience and there are no other more affordable or better options. Everything was fine, cleanly, and in working order, but just not amazing (which is what I expected given what we paid for).

Excellent location. Within walking distance to picturesque areas of Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka, Kiyomizu-dera temple, and other sites within the old-world area of Higashiyama. We had considered a number of other properties in the area and ended up walking by a number of the ones we didn't select...I like that this one has a smaller, more intimate, authentic feel. It has the feel/aesthetic of a traditional ryokan, but with hotel amenities as well. I saw some other reviews online that noted the staff did not speak much English. It was not a problem for us at all, and people can easily deploy Google Translate app if a complicated situation arises. The staff was very kind and helpful during our stay. I recommend waking up early and going to Kiyomizu before the many crowds arise. It's especially lovely and peaceful early in the morning...we were able to see/hear the monks doing a morning ritual and it was neat to hear their chants echoing through the temple and surrounding nature. The Higashiyama area is not all that close to the train station, however, I think that compromise was well worth it as it was very pleasant to explore this charming area that has retained its feudal-era Japanese look and feel.

I love everything about this hotel. I stayed in the open air onsen bath with breakfast and dinner included. The moment you stepped into the hotel lobby, you are welcomed warmly by the reception, who will guide you to take a rest at the lobby with green tea and matcha chocolate nuts, while they arranged your check in for you. The staff are so friendly, patient and detailed. Very impressed with their sincere service. The open air onsen bath is truly heavenly, esp in winter season. Esp after a long day of walking, the onsen bath helps in relaxing your aches. They even provide you a bottle of saka to pour into your onsen bath, felt so pampered. This hotel is truly thoughtful by providing so many amenities to prepare you well for your onsen bath, felt like I'm in a spa. To cite 1 example, they provided you with face mask, according to your guest's age(how thoughtful is that?). The key highlights are the breakfast and dinner. I'm a vegetarian and they prepared an awesomely sumptuous and yummilicious 9 course vegetarian omakase dinner and breakfast set for me. Every dishes are delicately prepared, not just only taste awesomely good but asethetically appetising, appealing, like a piece of art. I can feel Chef Ichikawa's effort in curating his food for his guests. Thank you for the great experience Saka Hotel, we felt very well taken care of.. My family and myself will miss our stay and definitely be back again!

Such a wonderful staff, readily called us taxis to take us to some of the farther places to visit as Kyoto’s attractions are spread out . The breakfasts were fit for a king. Close walking distance to the Kiyomizu-dera area and the major shopping streets. The room was beautiful and had a wooden soaker tub - they provided a bottle of sake to add to the bath. The daily refill of facial masks and products were a nice touch. Happy hour wine and bubbly were served daily in a nice gathering room. The private Onsen, for an extra fee, was well done and very clean. They provided yukatas (robes) that you were encouraged to wear around the hotel and even to meals was fun. This is a high end hotel with so many amenities.

Nothing

This was a beautiful Ryokan and so relaxing! Far nicer room than we had expected, with lovely garden areas outside. We loved having a big tub to take a sake bath after a long day, and loved all the small touches provided in the rooms (for example, an eye mask, so I could really relax in the tub). We also enjoyed the relaxation room with coffee, tea, snacks, and a massage chair. The front desk was very helpful when we needed to find somewhere to eat, and when forwarding our bags to the next destination. This hotel is far prettier than it looks in photos.

The only thing I didn't like was that the bathtub in our room was wooden, and looked a little bit moldy. The location is close to a few attractions, but otherwise quite remote. There wasn't much in the way of food nearby, after 6pm. So keep that in mind -- in hindsight, we wished we had booked their meal plan. We didn't because we weren't sure what we would be doing each day, and didn't want to feel pressure to come back. Also, if you are a fan of softer beds, you may find the bed a bit hard. But, the comforter was quite fluffy, so, I simply asked for an extra blanket, and slept on top of the comforter.