Dusit Thani Kyoto — Hotel in Kyoto

There is a very good reason to rate this just 1 star. In a nutshell: Be prepared for garbage treatment.

In fact I'd like to rate it 0, despite the excellent interior design, comfortable, ultra quiet rooms, high end vibe, modern Japanese and Thai atmosphere blend. I am writing this after my second stay (stayed in November 2023 and Feb 2024) and actually feel sad I won't be coming here ever again, especially after raving about this place to friends and family. I am speculating the issue here is precisely the “wannabe high end vibe” and total lack of actually knowing who your customers are - which is precisely the core value of a high class establishment.

Breakfast service is a complete disaster. Our order was taken and they simply forgot. We waited 45 minutes. Staff have no clue what they are doing. Lots of other tables were complaining too. But that's not the main issue. Breakfast was just a small detail…

It's one of those few times, as a long term resident in Japan, where I experienced racism at its core. True discrimination based on (I am guessing) our slightly casual appearance, since we just got back to the hotel and we're still wearing our jackets and sneakers. I was excited about showing my partner (what I considered) the Den Kyoto bar, a beautiful place with a unique selection of whiskeys I got to taste last time.

What happened: we went to the bar (level B1) at 10 pm but were refused entry while half the seats were empty. The reason: “we're fully booked for tonight.” Another person right behind us miraculously got a seat. I said I was a hotel guest, spoke in Japanese but got a reply from the Japanese staff in English. He probably didn't believe we were staying at the hotel.

My assumption appeared to be validated. I went back up and asked the reception staff on the ground floor whether there was a booking policy for the bar. The staff ensured that reservations were not required. That is the first lie I was sold. I mentioned again I was a guest and asked the reception staff to check why we, as hotel guests, couldn't get a seat.

When the man came back up his response was: the bar wants to keep seats for hotel guests. The logic! When I made it clear I was indeed staying at this place, he invented an excuse: “it was probably a misunderstanding due to the language barrier”. That's the worst thing you can say to someone who's pretty fluent in Japanese. Lie number 2.

I was appalled by the reception staff's inability to give us a coherent answer after confronting them with the fact that someone else behind us did get in. “They must have been asked to wait”. Lie number 3: we were never asked to wait. We could have simply returned to the room and had a drink later. So I finally asked the bar manager to come up.

A blasé Kyoto guy did offer his apology; the robotic “moushiwake gozaimasen” is effortless of course. I found out that person had invented a policy to keep the bar half empty. That in itself again isn't a surprise; such ridiculous practices are commonly applied elsewhere in the country. But when I asked (in Japanese precisely to avoid “language barrier” nonsense responses) why 1) we were told lies about the policy 2) that we were actually hotel guests 3) that I mentioned explicitly to his bar staff that we were guests and 4) that I had actually stayed here before and visited the bar, I only got the same standard “whoops I'm sorry”, even with a nasty smile. Cheap.

I truly hope that Dusit understands there is a major issue here with blasé attitude, utter stupidity by incompetent staff due to a total lack of training, let alone moronic rules which hurt the business. Let me be clear: not filling up the bar can be a policy. But be explicit about it. 4 people lied in the space of 10 minutes. That is why I am disappointed - no, angry. I am not treated like garbage.

This is not even remotely acceptable. I will file complaints regarding unfair treatment to official government instances. This isn't some crappy cheapo hotel where BS attitude is...

We arrived at 1 PM, and although I knew that the Amex Platinum Card Fine Hotels program offers noon check-in, we were told that check-in was only available at 3 PM due to the hotel being fully occupied. This was understandable, but when I mentioned our reservation through the Amex Fine Hotels program, the staff seemed unaware of it. I had to remind them, and I was asked twice how the reservation was made, which was frustrating and did not reflect the level of service I expected for an Amex Fine Hotels booking.

When we returned to the hotel around 7:30 PM to request our keys, it was no surprise that there was no room upgrade available, even though the Amex Fine Hotels reservation provides a path for one. While we completely understand if upgrades were unavailable due to occupancy, the staff could have informed us that no upgrade was possible when we first inquired at check-in. Adding to the confusion, we were only given one room key, even though there were two adults in the room. This lack of attention to detail made the experience even more frustrating.

One of the main reasons we chose this hotel was for the spa services. After being told check-in was not available until 3 PM, we decided to visit the spa on B2 to make reservations. However, we were immediately told that nothing was available without the staff even asking what services we were interested in. When we asked for recommendations for spas outside the hotel, we were curtly told to “find out from the concierge.” The concierge did try to assist, but unfortunately, it was a major holiday weekend in Japan, and availability was extremely limited. We understand the impact of the holiday, but since these weekends occur every year, the hotel could have been better prepared for the increased demand in services, which is basic hospitality.

In addition to the check-in and spa service issues, I was disappointed with the lack of international news channels such as BBC or CNN in the room. When I called the front desk, I was simply reminded to watch NHK English, leaving very limited options for TV news or entertainment. For a hotel that caters to international guests, this was quite disappointing.

While the staff were extremely polite, the service did not meet the level of attentiveness that justifies the cost. We just checked in—more updates to follow after...

Mixed feelings.

The room is spacious and comfortable.

The staff service is excellent, although some staff members had limited English proficiency and required assistance from colleagues. This was generally acceptable.

However, the hotel's directional signage is challenging to read and comprehend. The dark brown wooden walls and small, similarly colored directories make it difficult to discern the information. The signage appears to be user-unfriendly.

The breakfast service could be improved as the majority (70%) of the breakfast items require an order, with only 30% consisting of cold salads, breads, snacks, and fruits. This can lead to extended wait times for guests who are looking for a quick breakfast before their excursions, potentially taking up to 1.5 hours due to the need to place an order, wait for the food to be cooked, and then served. While the intention to provide freshly-made food is commendable, it may be more efficient to have the majority of hot food items available on a buffet, as is commonly seen in many establishments worldwide. Additionally, there were instances where guests had to wait in a queue for tables during busy mornings, further exacerbating the issue of delayed food service. It is suggested that a review of the breakfast service be conducted to explore alternative approaches that can provide a more streamlined and efficient experience for guests, while still maintaining the desired quality of freshly-prepared food.

The restaurant staff appeared to be either part-time or inadequately trained, and they were unable to provide basic information about the ingredients in the food.

Dusit Thani is a Thai-based brand with a strong reputation for hospitality. However, my recent experience at one of their hotels in Thailand was better than here, particularly with regard to the breakfast service.

Despite this negative aspect, my overall experience at the hotel was generally positive. The hotel is less than a year old, and while there are some areas that could be improved, it is still a good option...