Very disappointed with the Motonago. It was certainly the most expensive and worst accommodation we had in 3 weeks in Japan. Luckily we only stayed 1 night - my wife would not have stayed longer and I still have not told her the price!

We stayed upstairs and the room was small but OK. The washing facilities were more like a hostel. The meals were an experience in themselves but nothing memorable. The ladies serving the food were of course very charming.

I last stayed in a ryoken in 1982 about 6 subway stops from the centre of Tokyo - that had a fabulous room in comparison.

All ryoken are expensive - but there must be better ones than this in the price bracket.

The location was excellent - could not have been bettered in Kyoto.

Did the others reviewers stay in the same place? No way this can be graded higher than 3 stars. No it was overpriced and disappointing.

If you stay in Tokyo don't miss the CENTURY SOUTHERN TOWER - it was wonderful - especially a corner room with two aspects. Fantastic views, views and staff. Location was also great.

All our other hotels in Japan were great

I know that I am going against the flow of positive reviews here, but I nevertheless have to say that Motonago was a disappointment in most respects...in fact, my wife's and my only disappointment in an otherwise wonderful trip to Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima.

By way of background, I travel a good amount overseas for work, especially in Asia, and I've been to Japan before. And my wife and I have stayed in a variety of places around the world over the years, ranging from rather basic to quite luxurious. My point is that we're not inexperienced travelers and I don't think our standards are unusually demanding.

In any event...

On the positive side, the hotel is well situated. And the staff were generally friendly and helpful. Those two factors certainly count for a fair amount.

Nevertheless, I'm rating the hotel poorly because it simply fell short in a number of respects, particularly but not only because it's rather pricey.

First of all, our en suite room on the first floor smelled moldy. Neither my wife and I have sensitive noses. I can't recall ever describing a room as smelling moldy, despite staying in some pretty basic ones. But that was our first and lasting impression of the room. Not overpowering to the point that we couldn't stand it, but upon reflection we should have asked for another room. (Though I don't know if any alternatives were available.) For what it's worth, when we were there in early November (for one night) the weather was dry...not that rainy weather would justify a moldy room.

As for the service, yes, on balance it was fine. But the woman who served our breakfast in the morning we were there was rather rushed and not particularly friendly. Not horrible, certainly. But not up to the usually gracious standards of Japanese of all stripes in shops, restaurants, hotels, etc., not to mention what one would expect from a good ryokan.

Her predecessor who served us the previous evening was certainly better in all regards. Even then, it seemed to surprise her that we'd request a chance to relax and lie down after we checked in but well before dinner, and it took some time for her to get around to setting up the bedding for us to do so.

Back to the room: Moldiness and stuffiness aside, it's basically a closed-in space with a window looking out on a very small, minimal (and I don't mean minimalist, aesthetically pleasing) garden area. Naturally, located in the middle of the property on the ground floor, the window was exposed to folks walking nearby, albeit not directly outside the room. So it's necessary to keep the shades shut for privacy.

As for the food, yes, the dinner was an experience, but more for the presentation and process than for most of the dishes themselves. I'd rank it below most of the other meals we had in Japan, a few on the pricey side but most of which considerably less expensive (such as delicious yakitori and udon). I actually like Japanese breakfasts, but the one at Motonago was fairly forgettable.

Finally, the aesthetics of the place did not wow us. I know that the charm of a ryokan is in the little details rather than any grand fixtures or features. But it's exactly in that respect that this place seemed to fall short. More of a hostel feel to it, as opposed to being a very special inn.

So...whereas attention to detail and quality of service are supposed to be two of the defining features of a fine ryokan, we found that Motonago fell short of what we experienced in most of our other interactions in Japan.

I regret being so negative. Most of my reviews here at TA are much more positive. And, again, the people were nice. Perhaps part of our displeasure was with the specific ground floor en suite room we had...though, again, Motonago fell short in other respects as well. Perhaps we're just not as wowed by the ryokan experience as many other visitors are, though we certainly were wowed by all other aspects of Japanese culture, hospitality and service.

At the very least, I'd suggest that potential guests seek another room if staying there. But really, I'd suggest seeking another ryokan.

The best location to be if you are in Kyoto for the first time. Its an amazing ryokan experience. The staff is friendly and eager to please. The food is good but you should try outside as there are a lot of options available. Clean and comfortable. We got the ensuite with a small shared garden on the ground floor. The bath experience was amazing, you can book it ahead of time an enjoy your privacy. We saw a lot of attention to detail which was impressive. Ask for a daily unlimited bus pass for Yen 500 at the reception. Guide books and maps are available at the counter. You can also smoke at the reception or in the room. A computer is available at the reception as well. We ordered diner for the first night and it was 13 course and the lady explained every item wile she served ..very impressive. When you check in they will do a complete orientation of the room and facilities and some japanese traditions. We loved the warming pads that they gave us every morning before we left for sight seeing. All ammenties ar egiven including tooth brush, shaver etc.... can be a bit noisy as the ryokan is wooden but they will leave a note to apologize.
Montonago is a stone throw away from some interesting attractions like Kiyomizu temple, Yasaka Shrine, Gion area and its easy access to all bus stops. English maps are available. One thing that there is no english signage outside so look for the ryokan on the corner of the street ..the entrance is in the small street, just go in.
If you check in early they will keep your bags for you ...pls remember prices are per person ..
Enjoy!

The Motonago is an amazing ryokan situated in a peaceful, traditional area of Kyoto, close to temples, shops and restaurants and a great walking area where you can walk down very quiet streets to the Heian shrine, Kiyomizudera temple etc in beautiful, peaceful surroundings. . The room was enormous-actually, three rooms linked by screens. The central room had a low table where we were served breakfast, the front room was the area where our futons were laid out for us to sleep on, and the final room was where we stored our luggage. There is a communal bath room, a traditional Japanese wooden bath which we could book for private use for an hour in the evening and half an hour in the morning. It was fantastic.We sat at the upstairs window in our room looking over the street below and saw Maiko posing for photos. The service was wonderful-discreet but observant. There was a computer linked to the internet in the lobby. The only drawback was the lack of en-suite facilities-toilets and washrooms were down the corridor. But this shouldn't put you off as this is a wonderful place to stay.