DoubleTree by Hilton Kyoto Higashiyama — Hotel in Kyoto

I don’t think I’ve been as pleasantly surprised with a hotel like I was with the Double Tree in Higashiyama. This ended up being a VERY last minute booking for my work trip and I was lucky to snag one of their very last rooms that evening on a Saturday night. I had no idea what to expect, especially when Japanese hotels can be a total gamble of an amazing high end experience to an overpriced wash closet. This not only exceeded my expectations, I would gladly stay here a week on my own and it would be worth every penny.

Walking into the hotel was like stepping into an old Kyoto home, the decor was phenomenal. It had a classic yet modern Japanese style that permeated through the entire hotel. I felt like I was staying at a traditional ryokan but with the westernized hotel experience and amenities.

The staff was superior. Everyone spoke English, and one guy named Luck was SO nice and really helped me a lot. He even remembered my name and would address me by name every time I walked by or asked for something. It’s such a small thing but it felt like my experience was individualized and they appreciated my business even if it was just for one night. When I left another worker helped me get a taxi and she was so helpful, even writing down the taxi number. Every single interaction just enhanced the experience.

I was so surprised and excited to learn the hotel has its own bath house even! I couldn’t believe it! I was looking everywhere nearby online, and there it was right at the hotel. Be conscious to cover your tattoos while using the public bath. But if you can’t, it’s no problem because the rooms also have AMAZING tubs that are shoulder deep. The full on traditional Japanese bathroom with the shower and bath separate.

That leads me to the room. Truly the best part. To say these rooms were hand crafted with ingenuity is an understatement. The room can feel a little small at first walking in, but the way space is utilized it’s genius and made the room actually feel incredibly spacious! There were cubbies everywhere! Places to sit, a table to relax at. And there were even utensils and tea cups hidden away in a box that was right in the open. It became an adventure of figuring out what other thing was hidden in the room. They had slippers, high end soap and shampoos, a set of pjs (too small for my extra large size but that’s expected), and bottled water! These glass bottles were fantastic, but the best part is that they had refill stations for still OR sparking water. Sadly the sparking didn’t work when I was there, but that can’t be helped.

The hotel restaurant was very nice, but quite pricey even for Kyoto. I was exhausted so I didn’t mind paying a premium to not have to leave the hotel, but it was easily a 6000 yen meal and it was just me.

The location is fantastic, right next to the subway which took me right to Fushimi Inari. It was right down the road from Kyomizudera. Or if you want to take a taxi from Kyoto station it didn’t cost me more than 1500 yen. (Helpful when you have luggage) Or you can be really brave and walk there from Kyoto station in about 20 to 30 minutes. I made that mistake and wouldn’t recommend it. The only downside is it is right on the main road, so if your room is facing the street make sure to have your windows closed and ear plugs ready if you are a light sleeper like me.

Another tip is to make sure you give yourself plenty of time to check out. There are only 2 elevators and they get crowded and busy in the morning. Poor people on the 2nd and 3rd floor were out of luck multiple times in the morning waiting for the elevator. I was on the 4th floor and had to wait for several rounds and sat for probably 10 minutes.

Recommendation for the hotel would be on busy mornings have one elevator for floors 2 to 4 and the other for 5 to 7(?) or however many floors there are. That way during those times people on the lower floors aren’t stuck trying to get out and might miss their train. I gave myself time luckily, but was definitely rushed by the time I got to...

We stayed for three nights in a Tatami Deluxe Room at the DoubleTree Kyoto Higashima. Overall, it’s a good choice for tourists in Kyoto. The traditional style of the hotel really is something unique, and price value was great for our stay (we paid about $130 per night). With some caution regarding the room choice, I fully recommend this hotel. ||Key Strengths:|- The hotel is really beautiful for a Western chain hotel. Without a doubt, this is the most beautiful 4-star hotel I’ve seen, with all parts designed in a typical Japanese style. Similarly, the tatami room was very nicely designed and really made the stay not feel like staying at “just another chain hotel”. |- The location is good, depending on where you want to go. There are probably locations that are more in the middle of a vibrant area, but there’s anything around the hotel you need, including a subway, restaurants, and convenience stores. Some popular sights are also walkable. Overall, I would say it is a location that is “central” in the sense that you can easily reach all of the widespread sights in and around Kyoto. |- The breakfast is solid, with both Western and Japanese choices. I like that they had many different types of green tea, but also some variance in the buffet from day to day. ||Key Weaknesses:|- Some of the rooms are noisy. We had to change rooms after the first night in Room 404, a room with an emergency door to the outside. We could literally hear every car pass by, and so sleep was really bad the first night. I assume all rooms ending with 04 have the same problem, and these are not even the cheapest room category. Note also that all rooms of the next higher room category are even faced directly at the Main Street in front of the hotel, so bring your earplugs. The noise from the street is the main thing that bothered us during our stay. |- All of the public areas of the hotel (lobby, restaurant, spa) are below ground. While the hotel really does a good job in hiding that fact and all of these areas look beautiful nevertheless, it would of course be a little nicer with more daylight, particularly in the restaurant. |- The in-room TV has only Japanese TV channels available. For an international hotel chain with many international tourists, we found this...

Our 6-night stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Kyoto Higashiyama was truly memorable and nothing short of exceptional. From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed, and every part of our stay was smooth, enjoyable, and deeply appreciated.

A heartfelt thank you to Jerry and the breakfast team for the wonderful morning experiences — each day started off beautifully with a wide variety of delicious options. From proteins, veggies, baked dishes, miso soup, rice, congee, and dumplings — to the standout waffles and the delightful tea station and warabi mochi — everything was thoughtfully curated and delicious.

We’d also like to extend our gratitude to the incredibly kind and attentive staff. Whether it was Nisha-san, Tomo-san, or the reservation team, everyone truly went above and beyond to ensure our comfort. Their support, including helping with our luggage forwarding to the airport, made our departure experience seamless and stress-free.

The hotel itself is in a fantastic location — just a few minutes’ walk from the Kamo River and less than three minutes from Kiyomizu-Gojo Station, making it super convenient to explore Kyoto. It’s also just a short 20-minute walk to Kiyomizu-dera, and there are some lovely cafes nearby — we particularly enjoyed sOT Coffee.

Though we didn’t get to try the shared public bath (onsen) this time, as we already loved relaxing in our own spacious in-room bathtub, we still appreciated knowing that such amenities were available. Also worth noting is the outstanding housekeeping service — coming back to a freshly cleaned and tidy room every day after long walks in the city was such a comfort.

Even though we aren’t Hilton Gold or Platinum members (we’re currently waiting on a status match), we were never made to feel like we were treated differently. The team made us feel genuinely welcome and cared for throughout the entire stay.

Without a doubt, this is a hotel we would happily return to on our next visit to Kyoto. Thank you again to the entire team for making our...