祇園の宿 杏花 / Gion Kyoka — Hotel in Kyoto

This lodging facility is located in the traditional Gion district with a subway station nearby and bus stops on the Shijo Avenue all within minutes of walking distance. Nearby, you have Pontocho and Kawaramachi, where you have tons of selection of restaurants, bars (Sakaba), department stores and all sorts of shops in the sheltered shopping streets. It is very convenient for all kinds of activities. This lodging facility is remodeled from a tea house/restaurant back in the Taisho era. I stayed here for one night and the reception staff is so courteous. The room is exceptional and very spacious. It is super clean and elegant, and very relaxing. They even provide cosmetic kits, and small tea samplers from Tsujiri, the famous, luxury tea shop in Uji Kyoto. Just having a cup of tea with Japanese dessert in the room and bathing in the cypress bathtub is such an enjoyment that you don’t even feel like going out. My lodging plan included a dinner, and this is what surprises me the most. If you have ever stayed in a transitional Japanese Ryokan or ever dined in an authentic Kaiseki cuisine restaurant, you will find out that the service and experience you receive far exceed what you have paid for. The dining takes place in the co-op Kaiseki restaurant located also in the Gion district, about 5 min of walking distance. The day when we arrived, there were only 7 guests including us, and 3 chefs serving right behind the counter. The 8 dishes, chef’s recommendation Kaiseki course were prepared, cooked, and served right in front of you, and you know, the variety of ingredients used, the skills of the chefs, and the way how your dishes are prepared and presented, are truly an art and performance. The taste is undoubtedly exceptional and your experience will be even more rich if you know some Japanese and interact with the chefs because they are also trying to entertain you! The entire dining course took more than 2 hr and you can enjoy a very exotic atmosphere of the surrounding Gion area at night after dining. There are a couple of Kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto, but I don’t think many of them, if there is any, can offer such a lodging plan considering the price range and the quality of experience. I would say it’s a steal! I highly recommend the lodging+dining plan, especially the dinner plan. Of course, you can choose 2 meals plan (dinner and breakfast the next day), and the breakfast also takes place in the Kaiseki restaurant. You can check out there are Japanese reviewers who authenticate their breakfast is...

Staying at Gion Kyoka was a holiday highlight for my friend and I. It used to be a tea house and has such a lovely charm. The little gift bags and pyjama sets to wear were so sweet and we loved the tea. It was a relaxing and healing stay. I was sad to check out this morning. The location was so convenient and really good restaurants near by. We had the breakfast from the sister restaurant and it was really yum. The staff warned us about potential noise outside on the street but I didn’t hear anything. Our room was cleaned so well and every staff member was super friendly and kind. They helped us dry our shoes and clothes when we got caught in the rain and greeted us each morning. Special shout out to Yumi who was so kind and warm . Thanks for making our stay so memorable. I will recommend it to any of my friends who visit the lovely Kyoto! 🫶🏻🫰🏻...

Stayed here for six nights starting on the 18th of April 2025, and could not recommend this nice little Ryokan enough! We only used the room on offer, and I could not be more satisfied. The comfort of the beds, the calming atmosphere, high quality bath, and the friendly and polite staff, all of this made our stay in Kyoto amazing! It was the perfect place to come back to in the evening to rest and relax in Kyoto! 😊

Also just wanted emphasize the staff friendliness, everyone I interacted with from the managers to the front desk were just so kind and helpful, I think it was the best hospitality service we received in the entirety of our Japan trip! So thank you again to all the staff for the hard work and politeness 😁

Next time I’m in Kyoto I’ll be sure to be back, as well as try the dining options!

Thank you again for the...