Staff were friendly and helpful. A large majority spoke enough English to help with everything we needed. We left the key at the front desk every time we went out - an interesting experience but it did give us more opportunity to have pleasant interactions so it was kind of fun. Location is right in the middle of a lot of shopping districts, and a short walk to the river to find fine dining at Pontocho Alley and then across the river to Gion. Nishiki Market is super close, but not the only shopping street here; it's only one small section in a network of shopping streets that happens to be more focused on quick eats. Our room was lovely and they came twice a day to remove and replace the futons. We got nice little treats every night and the first night a lady came in and made us tea while explaining how everything works. The shower was big enough for me (6'4") and the rain shower was nice. Like everywhere in Japan, the toilet was amazing quality.

We only had one free night (Saturday) to try the Kaiseki Ryori dinner, but it was fully booked 3 days in advance. Only Saturday was unavailable so this was on us. This was a theme in Kyoto: good dinners need advance reservations, even places you might not expect. I'm a large dude and a side sleeper so the futons were a little thin for me. Luckily there were extra mats in the closet so I added one underneath me and slept fine.

Here are a couple things I couldn't find in other reviews when I was booking that might be helpful. Tattoos are ok at the onsen. The onsen is gender separated, and you go fully nude. You can certainly wrap a towel around you as you walk through, but you wash and soak naked. We had the beef Shabu Shabu dinner, which was served in our room. In addition to the beef and vegetables, it came with an appetizer of small bites, a beautiful plate of sashimi, white rice, and desert. Very good value, as our family of average appetite eaters couldn't nearly finish all if the food. With the appetizer and sashimi, there was a variety of things we had never tried, which added to the experience. Overall this is a nice place to splurge a bit on accomodations if you want a Ryokan in Kyoto.

Excellent location, only minutes away from Nishiki Market. The room is small, but sufficient for our family of 4. Hostess met us upon check-in, which was awesome kick-off and set the tone to our first trip to Japan. We also enjoyed the kaiseki dinner and onsen immensely. Having self service coin-op washer/dryer in the ryokan is very convenient especially when we travel light (save room for souvenir!)

I can see the both the appeal and challenges staying in a ryokan with minimal furniture/ storage organization.

This was the perfect Ryokan for my needs. The breakfasts in the morning were incredible and varied per day. The hotel has a bit of wear and tear which we felt added to the charm and the staff were the BEST. It was close enough to downtown Kyoto to walk to everything we wanted to do, but quiet enough to get a good nights sleep.

We really prefer a cold room to sleep in, since we were traveling in April it was a bit tough to get the room as cold as we wanted, but as stated, I like sub zero temps and it's a personal preference, not a fault of the hotel!

The hotel was cute. It has everything you would expect for ryokan. The room was big comparing to Tokyo and self serve approach to collect yukata and toiletries were good. The staffs were very helpful and able to communicate well. The location is good but not great. It required a kind of walk which was a bit tired with luggage. However, I think I will choose this place again if I visit Kyoto.

The water temperature was not constant. It was hot, too hot, too cold. The walking distance from subway station with luggage can be challenging.

Very beautiful and well-kept Ryokan, you really feel like you're in a traditional Japanese inn. I recommend the dinner experience, but you have to specify if you want a kaiseki dinner or another type of meal, we didn't specify and we tried a different dinner, however very good! Good traditional breakfast, different from occidental tastes but to try. The staff is wonderful, and the onsen is very good! Arigatou gozaimasu ♥️

It has been our first ryokan experience and we enjoyed it very much! The staff was super polite and make us felt confortable since the beginning of our stay. The room was really big, typical and so beautiful!! We enjoyed the dinner in the room, cooked by a very nice lady - it was delicious and the portions were probably for 4 people! :) The breakfast as well, delicious and typical with so many things to eat!! We strongly recommend this experience!!

Our stay at Watazen Ryokan was incredible, I can’t imagine it possibly being any better! Upon check in you are welcome to choose from a selection of amenities you might need for your stay, including a yukata to wear in the room. You are welcomed with a tea ceremony when you get to the room and there is a public bath for all guests to enjoy. The location for us was perfect, the room and futons were so comfortable and spotless. The staff were so helpful and kind. I 10/10 recommend this place to anyone looking for a more traditional type of experience in the heart of Kyoto. I hope to return next time we are visiting Kyoto 🩷

We will come back because The location is so great. A convenient quite corner within busy centre area The room size is generous compared to general in Japan Staff is extreme helpful, professional and speak well English The charm of traditional set-up vibe, very authentic Japan but modern service, facility and top cleanliness.

The internet can be improved but that’s not a big issue for travellers like us as we mostly sight seeing and on street.

A traditional Japanese ryokan experience. The staff very accommodating and friendly and the location was great. We had the kaiseki dinner which was delicious, as was the breakfast! Too much food was consumed, but our attendees were so lovely and friendly, they love the ryokan so much and want you to have a great time. Wearing the traditional costume adds to the experience. We didn’t have an onsen, but soaked in our bath tub instead. So grateful to have had this experience.

Nothing.