岩戸山ホステル / IWATOYAMA HOSTEL — Hotel in Kyoto

This hostel is located 7min walk to the kurawama subway line. Many convenience stores such as family mart 200m away (2min walk) and buses available to arashimaya. The bed was one of the better ones I've stayed in, thick blankets and mattress is really comfortable. I stayed here for 4nights and 2/4 nights I had the hostel completely to myself. Only con is that since it is a shared room, unlike a capsule with walls providing a little more privacy, sounds and lights are bound to be more disturbing depending on who you bunk with. I had no issues on this aspect; staff was friendly, and they cleaned the room every day, but do not replace your towels unless you pay a fee of 200 yen. Lounge is also rather small and only accommodate 5-10pax. Overall I would rate this stay a 8/10. Value for money, beds and blankets were comfortable, had lockers with keys and storage space for luggage behind your bed (lower bunk). Only cons are probably the shared toilet (2 on each level) depending on the pax load for that day. Toilets are also rather tiny so if you're biger/wider/taller/non conforming sized it may be a tight fit. Washer and dryer are available for use with free detergent on the 5th floor right beside the smoking room (enclosed room without ventilation) 200yen(wash) dryer 100yen/30min usually takes 2-3 dryer cycles to completely...

The enterance is nice and the prices are good to be in Kyoto, but if there is anything else available in the same price range, that workflow probably be a better option.

The smell of smoke in the corridor is amazingly strong even though no smoking is allowed. It does not get better when you enter the room, but you are also greeted by another smell of sweat mixed with the room not being vented for way too long. I did not manage to open the window ether.

The room felt dirty otherwise as well and there were a lot of stains on my mattress. Someone was also chilling in the bed assigned to me when I came to my room.

Unfortunately for me, I arrived after standard med check in time (at 22 which was fine, they can put out keys), so I had no one to ask if this was how it usually was.

I ended up waking up early, not being able to go back to sleep because of the smells. I thought I would get used to them, but I was wrong.

Maybe I was unlucky with the time I had here, but all my other experiences in Japan have been way cleaner and nicer. I would even choose a hotel pod in Medan, Indonesia over this.

Go somewhere else if you can, it can only be better than my...

Overall an excellent hostel, and reasonably priced. Very clean Comfortable beds In-unit shower and toilet (for the room we had) Very well positioned in Kyoto

NOTE: Very few outlets in the room - i.e. a single plug available. We had to buy a power bar to charge all our devices; I advise you bring one (or at least a 1-3 splitter). They were unable to provide an extra pillow - seems to be quite tight on those, they said they literally didn't have extra The room is very tiny - quite cramped. We were 3 (a couple + our teenager) and we could barely walk in the room. Kind of what we expected, but just an FYI. The curtains do not block the light - expect to wake up at dawn or bring a sleep mask The cicadas were absolutely deafening in the morning - again expect to wake up at dawn or bring ear plugs (it was July/August, FYI).

Overall a great hostel, just requires you to be...