Ryokan Ohto — Attraction in Kyoto

Unfortunately our stay at this Ryokan wasn't very pleasant. We are students so we couldnt afford anything more expensive. We read the reviews and thought to ourselves, beggars can't be choosers. But we also thought it couldn't be soooo bad. To our disbelief, it can... I have to admit it lays in a good area, but sadly that's all there is to it. The room had a very moldy and stale stench to it. We checked for mold but luckily we didn't find any, altough I think it was hidden in some corners or under The tatami mats. The Futons had stains and after the first night we all had itchy and irritated skin. The power outlets felt like a safety hazard and from time to time a burned smell entered the room. During the night we heard strange pumping sounds from one of the walls and from time to time the AC let out a lightning like light which resembled a circuit problem. But now comes the best part! The Woman who gave us our Key, also entered our room every morning by unlocking our door which woke us up, it was a bit scary. When we left our room, the women, who spoke little to no english insisted that we have to leave our door open. We noticed that the doors to the other rooms were also open. Leaving all valuable belongings up to grabs, which was a very concerning feeling. After we came back we noticed that someone was in our room, probably the women, "for cleaning" (Towels weren't changed and neither were the sheets, she only emptied our trashcan), we knew because things were in different places than where we left them. Luckily nothing of value was missing. The day of our checkout the woman wanted to enter our room again, but this time we were awake so we stopped her. A few minutes later she banged our door multiple times and said some words in Japanese, after we answered her and asked her to tell us what she wanted in english, there was no reply... We than quickly left the Ryokan and decided to never come back. If you want to stay at this Ryokan I advise you to bring an air cleanser and to be ready for your privacy to be invaded day to day. I wish...

We wanted to try sleeping in a tatami mats and experience a Japanese home setting. This one fits the bill. It was exciting esp. to our 13 year old son. We booked a family room with private bathroom and it was comfortable; there's also extra space for our luggage. The bathroom was smaller than we expected but it didn't bother us because everything here is super clean. From the tatami mats, futon-like beds to bathrooms. The owner was quiet, doesn't say much but he is pleasant and helpful if talked to or if needed; the cleaning lady was also pleasing. ||Our challenge here is having to bend down or stooping low at all times. I have double back surgery so this set-up doesn't work well with me. I didn't realize this until we experienced it, of course. Another thing that no one has ever mentioned here is that they don't provide blankets. When I asked for blankets, both the lady and the male owner informed me that there's no need. He showed me how to use the heater in the bedroom. I'm thinking, Japanese wears Yukata's and then have the room heated so they don't need blankets? I don't know if this is just a misunderstanding on our part but they both really told me no blankets. We end up using the thick top part of the beddings for blankets. It was actually comfortable, even the remaining mattress. This Ryokan provides water and tea. They also have fridge, small microwave and even an old laptop in our room. ||The location of this Ryokan was also pretty advantageous. There's nearby eateries, convenience store and train station is just 5 mins walk. The Inari is very close by here as well. ||Overall, a fun and good experience for Westerners like us. I didn't regret it one bit. | However, this will probably be my first and last booking in a Ryokan, only because I can't bend and stoop too much. I honestly think everyone should try this place at least...

We wanted to experience a traditional Japanese home and sleeping on tatami mats, and this ryokan was the perfect fit. It was especially exciting for our 13-year-old son, Gabe. We booked a family room with a private bathroom, and it was comfortable with extra space for our luggage. While the bathroom was smaller than we expected, it didn't bother us at all because the entire place was impeccably clean, from the tatami mats and futon-like beds to the bathrooms.||The owner was a quiet man of few words, but he was very pleasant and helpful whenever we had a question. The cleaning lady was also delightful.||The main challenge for me personally was the constant bending and stooping. Having had double back surgery, I realized this setup isn't ideal for me, which is something I hadn't considered until we were there.||One thing that surprised us, which no one had mentioned in reviews, was that blankets weren't provided. When I asked, both the owner and the cleaning lady explained there was no need, showing me how to use the room heater. I wondered if it was a cultural thing, since locals wear yukatas and just heat the room, but we ended up using the thick top part of the futon bedding as our blankets. It was surprisingly comfortable, even the remaining mattress.||The ryokan was well-equipped with amenities like water, tea, a fridge, a small microwave, and even an old laptop in the room. Its location was a major plus—just a five-minute walk from a train station, with many eateries and convenience stores nearby. The famous Fushimi Inari shrine was also very close.||Overall, this was a fun and authentic experience for our family. I don't regret it one bit, but due to my back, it will likely be my first and last time staying in a ryokan. I genuinely think everyone should try this place...