I stayed hear after staying at the Monterey Hanzomon in Tokyo. In comparison this hotel did not feel that great!

- Definitely old and frayed with rooms smaller than our Tokyo hotel, smelt a bit musty too
- TV channel selection was ultra poor
- Front desk staff really bad at English , though they try!
- Washing machine/Dryer a huge help
- Breakfast really decent spread, a big plus - western+japanese.
- Location next to subway, so very convenient to connect to Kyoto Station
- It's not located near any of the major sights ( it's in modern Kyoto, sort of central Kyoto) so you will have to go to Kyoto Station and make your way from there.
- Can walk from Ponto-cho (eating/drinking atmospheric must-do area) in 15 - 20 mins

Strangely the bed lamp was a large clunky piece right on top, centre of the head of the bed - so we kept knocking our heads against it or warily getting in and out of bed. Most irritating.

If they did up the rooms a bit ( just a bit, I am not paying for the Four Seasons I know) - I would agree with the "Excellent" ratings and the 4 stars!!

If you go for the "with breakfast" option which I recommend make sure you are down at the buffet counter in time. They close at 10.00 am sgarp , sometimes even a bit earlier. They don't refund money for unused breakfast coupons. Though you could try to get a lunch or dinner from them to compensate!

We stayed here for the second half of a work/holiday trip in Kyoto. We got a really good last minute deal for a basic double room.

Although the lobby etc of the hotel is pretty nice looking the actual room was very dated in style and fairly small (limited space for clothes/luggage)

Nevertheless the room was clean and all of the amenities worked. It was a bit of a let down after a really nice week in the Best Western Kyoto which I would recommend.

The staff didn't speak much English on the desk but were polite. One bonus is the free bike hire which we really enjoyed. Certainly the best way to get around Kyoto (you ride on the pavement so feel very safe).

SO as another reviewer said, this place is totally forgettable- however you're probably not going to be in the room very much so if you just want a cheap and safe place to relax after a day of sightseeing then go for it. Also, there is a kettle and a fridge but no tea or coffee in the room.

Were staying in Kyoto mfor four days and this hotel turned out to be very convenient. Clean if not a bit small room which lacked much storage space. Service very good and food in restaurant was really good.

Stayed 2 nights to attend a conference in the northern part of Kyoto. This hotel is conveniently located on a subway line, so it was easy to get to the conference and to other parts of the city (i.e. the Nishiki Food Market and the big shopping arcade there). My room was clean, had no leftover cigarette smell (I had expressly asked for a non-smoking room in my reservation), was quiet and had a "semi-double" bed that was comfortable. Reasonably good breakfast buffet. Perfectly fine for a business trip or for sightseeing in Kyoto.