Loved my stay there (breakfast so so).
Tiny room but helpful staff.

Firstly the staff were lovely and helpful and spoke excellent English. However, the main thing to note is that the hotel have a small map on their website and looking at it, it looks like a fairly short walk from the train station. I walked for 40 minutes with a heavy backpack and was only halfway to the hotel, so ended up in a taxi to get the rest of the way, so the map on their website is very misleading as to it's location. Someone on trip advisor said it was a great location but I would strongly disagree. The rooms were ok and served a purpose but its at least a 20 minute walk to the main centre of Kyoto and it's a taxi back if you've had a few drinks.
The mattresses weren't too comfortable either so any back problems, sleep elsewhere.

I can't give this hotel an entirely negative review, because the hotel staff is excellent, as is their daily breakfast. This could be a very lovely hotel, but it's in major need of a renovation. The rooms are quite small, so if you're traveling as a couple, expect to be functioning in cramped quarters.

If you simply need a place to rest your head, this hotel will suffice. Something to keep in mind, this hotel is on the southwest side of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Keep this in mind when trying to locate the hotel for the first time. I got lost when I arrived in Kyoto, and wasn't anywhere close to the Imperial Palace.

The bed is quite hard and springy, the bed and bath linens are old, and the furniture fixtures are old. What this hotel lacks in appearance it more than makes up for with its staff service. Everyone was very lovely.

Take advantage of their bike rentals. It's a bargain, and exploring Kyoto by bicycle is a very unique experience.

The prices at Palace Side are very good, much cheaper than in equivalent hotels. Rooms are clean, comfortable and more than big enough. Plenty of useful facilities e.g. coin laundry, communal kitchen and meeting area, non-smoking throughout (unusual for Japan) but there is an area on 2nd floor for smokers to indulge - as a smoker myself I've never found this to be a problem. Free LAN Internet access in every room and 2 free to use PCs in the lobby for those without their own gear. The location is great, despite what some other reviews have said. 3 minutes walk from Marutamachi subway station and major bus routes. It's really easy to get to the rest of Kyoto from here. This is not a luxury hotel, if you want that experience then stay somewhere else - and pay for it! For ordinary mortals though, Palace Side has more than enough of what you need.
The best thing about Palace Side though is the staff. They are the most helpful and friendly bunch of people I have encountered almost anywhere. We've stayed here several times now and would never even think of staying anywhere else. A man from Hokkaido who I was talking to once summed it up perfectly ... "Palace Side is the best hotel in Kyoto".