First, I have to state that I DID NOT stay at Machiya Kamiumeya but at the Ebisuya. So my rating is for Machiya Ebisuya. Not only did I not know that there is NO staff even during the day at the Kamiuneya, but what's worse, the guest is not even initially taken there by their staff to familiarise her with what's where. In an emergency a solo traveller is supposed to try and call the staff from an empty machiya? And how long does the staff take to get there? Nowhere in booking.com is it explicitly said that the guest would have to fend entirely for herself, even though one of the reviews did say there was a fire at night and the guests had to put it out themselves. This is a serious lapse on the part of the machiya. So when I expressed my displeasure during checkin, the Machiya Inns office arranged for me to stay at the aesthetically furnished and wonderfully maintained Ebisuya. It was a pleasure staying there. They even arranged for me to have the same room (very large, for four) on the second leg of my stay which made coming back seem like coming home! A minor misunderstanding was gracefully sorted with an apology by the manager. They also have complementary laundry facilities for guests. Much appreciated! The staff was most friendly and ready to help with insider tips. It made my stay most enjoyable!

Machiya Inns said on the booking.com page that their office is 3 mins from Kyoto Station. What they failed to mention is that it takes a good 30-40 minutes to fall out of Kyoto station. I, coming from India, have never seen surging crowds as in Kyoto Station. To add to the misery, the facilities the tourist needs are all on different floors of the station. Machiya needs to supplement its 3 minute line! And, as I said above, CLEARLY state that there will be no staff available at Kamiumeya at all. But hats off to the staff at their checkin office for working out a solution and organising my stay at the highly recommended Machiya Ebisuya. It made my impressions of Kyoto very special.

-The actual layout of the property was quite traditional and comfy loved sleeping on the floor. -The checking lady was really lovely and helpful although the checking location is further from the actual house. -Bit of walk to nearby shops but beautiful sceneries that made up for it. - Microwave on side with lounge area downstairs. - Spare umbrellas.

-Probably the lack of natural light, there windows had covers on them -Weird smell coming from the bathroom -We were told that we would be able to use the washing machine but who ever stayed in the house in another room was a idi**t and had put their clothes in and left it all day and of course didn’t take them out so we had to pay to use the external washing machine services. Maybe install more washing machines if you know you have 6-7 rooms in the house..

This little place is stunning. It is a traditional Japanese House known as a Machiya. It has been tastefully refurbished to provide rooms. Note, there is no reception at the house but there is an office around 10 mins walk which is helpfully located between the railway station and the accommodation. They will also deliver your luggage for you. The room was very tastefully decorated and there are USB slots for you to charge your phone and helpfully a shared washing machine. The shower was good and the bed was comfortable. You can also use the traditional Yukata as your bathing robe. The accommodation is on the outskirts of Gion around 10 to 15 mins walk from the famous Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka streets and the Kiyomizu-Dera Temples which must be seen. Its around 15 to 20 mins walk into the centre of Kyoto. If I am lucky enough to go to Kyoto again, this will be first on my list.

Not a problem for me, but the house is located in a very narrow and dark lane. But Kyoto is super safe and I didnt have a problem with this at all.

Incredible customer service, truly above and beyond (Special mention to Ko who made us feel like VIPs) Seamless check in/out experience with top notch luggage courier service which made our whole experience super smooth. We were travelling on our honeymoon and were touched to find a box of chocolates waiting for us upon arrival in our Machiya. The Suite was even better than pictured and we only wish we could've stayed even longer to really indulge. Really lovely quiet residential location! Staff also went to lengths to help us when we had to make a complaint about a particularly disruptive guest in the room above us.

Personally felt the bath water could've been hotter but other than that, really couldn't fault anything with our suite.

The MACHIYA we stayed at was uniquely atmospheric and an immersive experience. The layout was spacious and cozy at the same time. The garden view we had was indeed a gem and beautiful. The neighborhood was calm and quiet, perfect for unwinding after a day of exploring. Staff was incredibly welcoming and polite. Check in and checking out was very smooth and easy.

We stayed on the 1st floor, so sometimes noises could be easily heard from the neighbors upstairs. However, this is only a minimal detail. Still amazing overall. (:

- Overall great stay and value - Check-in location and luggage storage are at a different location than the hotel, but this was communicated prior to check-in and hotel offered convenient free luggage transfer. - Beautiful, clean, and spacious room with modern amenities but traditional decor - Quiet neighborhood but still walking distance to many attractions in Gion/Higashiyama

Room located close to the entrance of of the building, so can be a bit noisy when other guests enter. Otherwise, the neighborhood is relatively quiet.

We stayed in the Japanese suit, which was a nice room. The location was nice, and the facilities great! it was walkable for most parts of the city.

It was a bit unsatisfying to check in at the station before arrival and then not have the luggage service since we arrived at 15:20. Also, there was not enough coffee in the room. We were staying in the Japanese suit for 3 days, and I honestly think at least one room cleaning would have been proper for such a long stay. Also they only had coffee for two cups and two waters for this whole stay. (We were two persons)

The check-in counter is conveniently near Kyoto station, and the staff take your bags to your room for you which ia very handy because the rooms are about a 30min walk from the check-in place. The room itself is very clean and a good size, with comfy beds and a bath which is always a bonus. The amenities are great and presented in a cute bag. The hotel itself is in a central location down a small street with other homes so it's very quiet.

The front door has a strong magnet on it, so when other people were coming home late it did wake me up as it's difficult to shut the door quietly.

Beautiful house and rooms, we were in the suite which was very spacious and stylish. In the middle of a quiet residential area. You can walk to Yasaka Jinja or Gion in 15 minutes. Also there's a cobini close by (2min walk), and a bus station (10min).

I wasn't expecting the AirBnB Style. There's no staff onsite, you have to check in at Kyoto Station. Also limited restaurant options in walking distance.

The traditional room was very nice and had all the modern amenities needed. Futon was quite comfortable and we really appreciated the toilet bags and proper filter coffee. Also very handy to be able to drop the bags at the check in desk by the train station and have them bring it to the room so we could explore.

The door to the toilet was not very smooth sliding closed or open and could have been better. Insects also managed to get in despite the screen on the window leading to both us us getting bitten quite a lot.