京都古都庵 — Hotel in Kyoto

This place is perfect if you want a traditional experience, are ok with simplicity, and have experience in communal living situations. I’d your hoping for a western style hotel with a private bath and lots of space, this is not for you. Long breakdown of my review below:

ROOMS are small and probably only best for 2 people. The walls are thin and the bedding is a mat with very warm blankets. I was solo so I doubled up my sleeping mat (I was in a twin room) and it was luxurious for my boney hips. I slept with the window open and winter and the bedding kept me nice and cozy, it was fabulous.

HOUSE is old and traditional, so you can hear what goes on outside but it was generally pretty quiet except for a passerby every now and then. It really comes down to the respect of the guests you’re sharing space with. There is a no loud talking and walk quietly rule after 10pm. Even outside the building. My group were all respectful of this rule and things were great. There are 4 rooms in the building and you share a bathroom so showers need to be quick. You won’t be getting a 30 min bath here unless you’re being rude to others. There is a Sento bathhouse 2 min walk away for 500 Yen if you want to bathe for a while. There are 2 toilets and they were never full when I was there.

SERVICE was great. Reception is not onsite but you can contact them via WhatsApp anytime you need help or there is an issue. The checkin process takes some time bc of the rules so plan accordingly. I also recommend saving the location of reception in Google Maps before you arrive so you can find it easily. It’s 3 blocks away and they’ll provide map to the inn when you check in. Check out is super simple and you don’t even have to return to reception.

LOCATION I docked a star bc it’s not too close to many attractions. But it is near-ish the Shinkansen train (10 min walk) so if you’re coming from Tokyo, it’s a straight shot to get here. That being said, it’s also a quiet neighborhood. Even with the window open, I got great sleep and I’m really sensitive to noise. I didn’t even...

Very old style house, doesnt look like what others review before this. House window made from paper so can hear the noise outside and some of the people who stay there smoking outside the house so the smell can easily pass through the window. Super noisy when people walking around and everything is made from wood. U cnt check in at the hotel itself, u need to walk 8mins away to another building to check in and they randomly give u a room from 3 different hotels. Only 1 shared bathroom. Overall a very...

Loved the room K21. Short walk from the Gojo station, very nice and traditional room with tatami, we always bought our breakfast from the nearby store and enjoyed our breakfast in the room ( with a nice little table next to the window) before we headed out. In general we loved it! Even tho we were sharing the bathroom but we barely saw anyone else, there were only 4 rooms in the house we stayed. Other guests were polite and kept quiet during the stay,...