KYOTO Hotels
8 BEST HOTELS FOR EVERY WALLET
What every traveler needs to know when booking hotels.
Hotel reviews on:
Umekoji Potel $$$$
The Blossom Kyoto $$$$
sequence KYOTO GOJO $$$
Agora Kyoto (Karasuma & Shijo) $$$
Elicient Kyoto $$$
Hotel Kuu $$$
Hotel M’s Plus Shijo Omiya $$$
Tofukuji Riverside $$
Umekoji Potel
(4 star hotel) is located one train stop (Umekoji Kyotonishi Station) away from Kyoto Station. This is by far, THE BEST hotel I’ve stayed at in Kyoto. The park view, parking on-site and unlimited snack lounge were my favorite.
9.5/10 stars
I stayed in the Twin Room with Balcony and Garden View. Huge double size beds!
Location. You can either walk for 15 minutes from Kyoto Station or ride one stop on the train.
What’s nearby?: Toji Temple, the Aquarium, Kyoto Railway Museum, Sumiya Cultural Art Museum
Excellent for families. It’s near a huge open park. Super beautiful during cherry blossom season.
Keep kids occupied. Plenty of board games, playrooms, table tennis, rooftop, books, music record room, outdoor playground to keep them busy. If you are visiting friends in Kyoto, have them chill with you on the rooftop with an amazing view?
Workcation: For people who have to work 24/7 like me, there is a quiet meeting room. Good for zoom meetings or just go to your room. Wifi is fast.
Lounge bar: Free flowing draft beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks (chocolate rocks and nuts on 3rd level) coffee bar (2nd level). Most hotels don’t serve alcohol, just soft drinks so this is a treat!
Room tour: Check out this video for amenities and room (while learning Japanese lol)
Facilities were stylish and excellent. Showers don’t come off. Large indoor bath. Small outdoor bath. Wooden sauna is a plus! Especially after eating and drinking so much. The wooden sauna is what brought this hotel to number 1 in my list.
Breakfast Buffet: Every dish (western & Japanese) were delicious. Drink bar and dessert had assorted variety. Seating had different levels and window views for party of one to larger groups. Everything from aesthetic to culinary choices were well thought out.
Parking available. First come first-serve basis. 2000 yen all day from check in to check out.
Con: Not the vibe for a romantic couple’s retreat. Too many loud kids everywhere. If you can’t tolerate other people’s kids, better to go to an “adult only” hotel.
Heads up: I don’t know if this is the case with most places, but some places in Japan will charge 1000 yen for lost key card. Six months later, I returned it and was able to get my money back in cash. It was nice that they honored it. Hawaii would charge $25-$50!
My request for you: If you do decide to be around the area, be sure to try the Michelin rated ramen shop, called Kobushi Ramen, 5 minutes away on foot! (Directions here) It was closed when I went, since the entire staff attended the Tokyo Ramen Festival that week… WHY??? so lmk how it went for you!
For more info and booking use my affiliate link here: Umekoji Potel (Agoda) , Umekoji Potel (Booking.com)
2. The Blossom Kyoto
(4 star hotel) is located one subway station (Gojo Station) away from Kyoto Station.
9.2/10 stars
Welcome drink 3-6pm
Fitness Room B1F
Lounge area B1F
One of the best stays ever!… if only they had a sauna and free alcohol in the lounge bar, I would give this place a 10/10 perfection. Just don’t expect a nice view.
What’s nearby?: Nishiki Market, Manga Museum, viral ice cream (THISIS)SHIZEN, Mikane Shrine (pray for money success)
Aesthetic and stylish: Great for a couples retreat. Very quiet and peaceful. I only saw a few children, but very well behaved.
Welcome drink: Cappuccino and buttery croissant & matcha with strawberry Warabi mochi (unforgettable!) or one free drink at the bar for those checking in after 6 pm
24 hour Fitness Room: I need to do a short work out at least once during my trip to reset my body. They had the basic stuff, however no dumbbells which I think would be a great addition since it feels empty. Great if you’re a dancer and need a huge mirror.
Lounge bar: Free-flowing soft drinks, nuts, ice pop (matcha or vanilla), my fav matcha cookie rolls, biscuits, fun size Snickers, coffee, tea, great matcha latte! More snack options than Umekoji Potel.
Friendly bilingual staff: I asked where is the best place to grab dinner since their hotel restaurant was booked. One staff recommended Soba-No-Mi which is 2 minutes away on foot, if you like unagi, soba and tempura. This place gets busy with other foreign visitors by 7pm. Maybe because it was recommended by their hotel staff too.
Room Type: Moderate Room with a double bed on 4th floor
Pasta and Obanzai with miso soup and rice
Breakfast Options: Morning Bento Box delivered to your door or breakfast buffet. If you want the “Breakfast in Bed” luxury photo for the gram, opt for the bento box. *The portions are for two. If you prefer hot foods, opt for the buffet.
Light meal ticket: Available 10am~2pm. If the bento box was not enough, you can check out first and then enjoy another meal. This includes selecting a dish from 5 options. Plus you can go hard at the breakfast buffet’s drink bar and load up on caffeine or detox lemon water.
Con: 1) Not the best view. Just a busy street. 2) Not many shops around worth eating so you would have to head North to Shijo or Gion, if you don’t prefer the soba shop.
Check out my reel! Here
For more info and booking use my affiliate link here: The Blossom Kyoto (Agoda) , The Blossom Kyoto (Booking.com)
3. sequence KYOTO GOJO
(4 star hotel) is a lifestyle hotel that opened in August 2020 in Karasuma-Gojo, Kyoto, with a design aimed at presenting a contemporary interpretation of Kyoto.
8/10 stars
Location: Just one subway stop from Kyoto Station on the Karasuma Line. A 3-minute walk from Exit 2 of Gojo Station. 10-minute walk to downtown Shijo.
Late check-in/out: Check-in is at 5pm, and check-out is at 2pm, allowing for flexible stays
Twin Room (approx.24㎡) had an interesting layout. It didn’t feel luxury, but
Face recognition. Self-check in. No key card required. Convenient features such as facial recognition key for room access and cashless transactions within the facility, eliminating the need for carrying keycards or wallets.
STEAM SAUNA + BATH
Guests can enjoy unique thermal experiences, such as an aromatic steam sauna and a hot stone bedrock bath. Check-in is at 5pm, and check-out is at 2pm.
Large baths and hot stone facilities. Enjoy an authentic sauna experience, including a large aromatic steam sauna and a "Experience Shower" with various types of mist, such as rain or waterfall effects.
Bar Lounge: DJ event irregularly at night. You can have one complimentary drink per person.
Breakfast Buffet: consists of sandwiches, with deli items and soups served buffet-style. 7am to 12pm. Terrace seating is available for breakfast and/or bar time, depending on the season.
4. Agora Kyoto Karasuma &
Agora Kyoto Shijo
(4 star hotel) Agora is a hotel brand that has a location in Osaka (Namba) and Tokyo (Ginza). I had the pleasure of also staying at Agora Osaka Namba and loved it for the convenient location.
9/10 stars
If I had to pick between these two locations, I’d choose Karasuma for the vibe and Shijo for the location.
Karasuma has beautiful traditional yet modern interior design that makes you feel like you’re finding your peace in Japan. However, Shijo’s interior has a sexy modern vibe for the productive guests, and is close to the action: temples, markets, nightlife etc.
Note: Breakfast is not included
This hotel is booked all the time and is quite popular, esp the premium rooms.
Official website: https://www.agora-kyoto.com/shijo/en/
5. Hotel Elcient Kyoto
(3 star hotel) Great budget hotel that comes with breakfast
8/10 stars (I just had a small room, which made it feel like a business hotel)
Great location: Literally across the street on the left from Kyoto Station, where the airport buses are connecting from Kansai airport.
What’s nearby: Tofukuji Temple, Don Quijote, Animate store, Aeon Mall, Kyoto Tower, Horai 551 at Kyoto Station, Kiyo Ramen (great clam broth)
Room: I had a double bed for two. It was smaller than I’m used to or the layout could’ve been better. I don’t understand why there was a need for two TVs in the room, which was hilarious. If you can afford it, the bigger rooms look much nicer and it would make your stay better. I just needed a roof over my head that wasn’t the APA hotel.
Guests: It had an even mix of both International guests and Japanese salary men of all ages. I can imagine this is a great hotel for large tour groups.
Helpful staff: Check-in process was quick and the front desk was well staffed. When checking out, just return the key to the machine and there is a staff that can help you.
Facilities: I chose this hotel for the large public bath and wooden sauna (with cold bath). It did not disappoint! There was a lot of options for shampoo, conditioner and body soap instead of the generic brand at the public bath. For skin lotions, there was Pola and Sekkesei which are great classic Japanese brands.
Manga books: All in Japanese. You can take up to 5 books per person to your room.
Tattoos: Lots of foreign guests with uncovered tattoos, but no one really cared. It doesn’t bother me even though there was a small poster of the rules. A cleaning staff just looked the other way.
Breakfast buffet: It wasn’t great, it wasn’t bad. Had a variety of pickled vegetables which Kyoto is known for. It came with the room. I took some rice balls for the road (shhhhhh!).
Con: No view, so it felt like a prison but you can avoid that by getting a bigger room.
6. Hotel Kuu Kyoto
(3 star hotel) is where I stayed for my first female solo trip during Covid-19. The price was very cheap, but it has increased since then. Out of curiosity, I booked through @japan.explores where they have a secret list of discounted hotels up to 50% off. I believed I stayed for about $45 a night.
8/10 stars
Facilities: Outdoor, indoor, cold bath, sauna with cold bath. All boxes checked! Breakfast available but it wasn’t included in my room.
Welcome cookie: Nice tasty branding
Location: 10-15 minute walk from Kyoto Station or take a taxi if you have a lot of baggage.
What’s nearby?: Bike rental shop, Higashi Hongan-ji temple, Shosei-en Garden, Kyoto Tower
Tourist fee: 400 yen per person paid at the front desk machine upon check in. *Price may increase depending on your hotel room. Kyoto city tax(The accommodation tax used by Kyoto city to enhance the attractions of Kyoto as an International Culture and Tourism City.)
Prime location. Not directly across Kyoto Station, but far enough where it’s peaceful. Maybe a 10-15 min walk.
Room: Very spacious and clean. In between for business and tourism.
Manga books: All in Japanese.
Con: Not a place to admire the view. Apparently, the corner room only has the view of the temple across the street.
The view. At least there is a window for sunshine.
For more info and booking use my affiliate link here: Hotel Kuu Kyoto (Agoda) , Hotel Kuu Kyoto (Booking.com)
7. Hotel M’s Plus Shijo Omiya
(3 star hotel) I stayed here for two nights. Central to where the party’s at.
7/10 stars Just needed a roof over my head.
Price for a business hotel: for a little less than $100 per night, this was the cheapest place I could find the weekend of Japan’s national holiday.
Facilities: Nothing. No breakfast. Public bath. Just a big lounge area with a coffee station that had great American coffee. I saw many Asian guests eat instant ramen in the lounge, which I found ironic.
Tourist fee: 400 yen per person paid at the front desk upon check in.
Prime location. Gion is where the party is at which is 7 min taxi ride to this hotel. Check out ZAZA PUB if you’re looking for a bar with young people. Across the street, there is ZAZA Shishi bar which has western music (still loud though), but more laid back for those wanting to chill.
Room: It’s a business hotel, so I’m not expecting anything grand. Amenities can be brought from downstairs.
Lounge area: Equipped with a coffee and hot water machine. 100 yen for a paper cup to drink coffee, but you can also bring two mugs from your room.
Con: “Eco-friendly” house-keeping means housekeeping bring new towels and water bottles. They don’t make your bed.
8. Tofukuji Riverside Hotel
(3 star hotel) I stayed here for two nights. Located one stop from Kyoto Station. Tofukuji Station is minutes away.
7/10 stars
This felt more like a very nice AirBnB:
For the price, this is a great place for space traveling with a group, family and budget travelers. It has a kitchen and mini fridge. I can see myself living here as a single lady.
Great stay towards the end of the trip if you need to wash your clothes (no detergent provided), but the dryer sucks so gotta hang dry. THE BLOSSOM KYOTO has a better coin operated washer/dryer.
Location: A few minutes from Tofukuji Station and convenience store.
What’s nearby: Tofukuji Temple, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto Station, Dragon Burger
Self check in: There were no humans present at this place. All paperwork must be done online and prior to arrival. In addition to the room, you have to pay 400 yen per person- Kyoto city tax.
Triple room: Up to 3 people can stay if you use the sofa bed. The beds are singles so it might be too small for some guests. I move around a lot, so I almost fell over during my sleep!
Nice view: We watched the sunset as we ate vegan sweets with tea.
Great morning run along the river: Make sure you check out across the street to the stream! Beautiful! No bugs too.
Con: 1) Make sure to lock your doors with the key! It doesn’t automatically lock, so I left my door unlocked the entire day… 2) Check in is after 4 pm which is an hour later than most hotels. Check out at 10 am, an hour earlier. 3) Bathtub is not the heated type 4) NO ELEVATOR
The view from the third floor balcony
For more info and booking use my affiliate link here: Tofukuji Riverside Hotel (Agoda) ,Tofukuji Riverside Hotel (Booking.com)
