Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto — Hotel in Kyoto

One star for hotel design and well sustain The other star is for efforts to apologize.

I never expected this from any Four Seasons Hotels and for spending a lot to retreat during 2 nights in between long business trip.

I could enjoy the first hour after arrival around 4pm for luggage down from Taxi and check-in.

Luggage delivery to the room took a bit longer time than usual.

Parcel sent to us before arrival was mentioned that it had been put in the room but it was not.

Good welcome at the restaurant. Good menu presentation and that’s all. After that it was terrible service. See the pictures and time on each to know service attendance. I had been trying to gain attention from one of the staff for a wine list when the first glass was almost empty but not possible. (I sat next to the pond and didn’t want to step up two levels to call bit finally I needed to spoke loud ’Sumimasen’ to gain attention for the menu and drink list.

After another glass of wine was ordered for each of us, the service staff came back and poured white wine into the finished glass of rose wine.

Of course glasses were replaced

I informed that I wanted to pre-order the food when I finished half of the new glass of wine but that didn’t happened. I spoke round again to gain attention when my wine was almost finished and my colleague’s finished for some time.

When the food was ordered, I was informed the food would take long time and asked whether I wanted to order another drink and appetizer. At that point of time I wanted to leave the place as soon as possible as relaxing and good feelings had been spoiled. If the food service takes long time why they didn’t pay attention to let me order when half of the glass was finished to enjoy the service continuously.

In fact a liter of sparkling mineral water was pored at the beginning and self-service for all the time. The service happened another time when bottom up the bottle.

We moved inside and the staff said they would bring the glasses. The glasses followed but misplaced.

No attention to refill nor recommend a new glass of wine after 15-20 minutes of empty glass in the place they call ‘steal house’. A service staff asked whether more wine was needed at the time the food was brought to the table.

No dessert menu was presented when main course was finished. We decided to have the bill and leave without seeing the menu as it’s about time planned for Hot bath.

At Hot Bath - no staff at counter but popped out when we were about to enter the changing room. — No greetings but “we close 9pm, ok? OK?

We used the service from 8.45 to 8.55pm. The staff came in to check. We were about to leave and right after a Western father and his kid. The staff said Thank you and Good Night to them but not to us. — (Hello we are Thai but could understand English)

I decided right away to stay here only one night NIT two nights as originally planned and paid.

All relaxation holidays - super short time was ruined this much!?!?!

A Trolley of two pieces of cake came to the room with a card of Hotel Manager to apologize for restaurant service but we didn’t want any dessert nor cake at that time. We took the card to read and leave there.

Gladly the hotel allowed to shorten the stay without charge for the night we do not stay.

Front Office Manager met us upon check-out and gave two small packs in a bag as a gesture to apologize. I accepted it and gave to our taxi driver.

This note is to leave last memory of Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto. This hotel has many staff but no service and service without the sense of place. This hotel made me not want to return to Kyoto and wonder Four Seasons in dome other places I fo not know.

For the hotel: Time and experiences are more valuable than money if people want to spend. Please make money from doing your business.

For staff (local and overseas) as well as for the visitors, learn to know civilization of local culture and hep to sustain the charm. Know to respect different cultures and...

My wife, Cathy, and I booked a 13-day TAUCK Essence of Japan tour to celebrate our 41st anniversary which started in Tokyo and ended up in Kyoto, where we stayed 4 nights (one extra night after tour) at the Four Season Kyoto. TAUCK does everything FIRST CLASS and it is fitting that the tour ended in the 5-star rated Four Seasons Kyoto. Everyone, from the General Manager, Fanny Guibouret, to her assistant, Saiko Tani, to the reservations team, the concierge team, the porterage/greeting team, the housekeeping team, the dining/room service team, the spa team, etc. all performed flawlessly, efficiently, and professionally. The team makes you feel as though you are "at home" and attentively anticipates and looks after your every need. It is amazing that the team knows your name and addresses you, whether welcoming back from a cab ride or welcoming you to the dining room,. I don't know how they do it.

The facilities are SPOTLESS almost antiseptically clean, including the wonderful bathroom that has a wet room that doubles as a large shower with a soaking tub, and the amazing TOTO Washlet toilet/bidet that make you wonder why America lags so far behind (no pun intended) in this important area related to cleanliness.

The rooms are spacious with a full walk-in closet (with a safe) to your right immediately upon entering the room, followed by a toilet/bidet room, a two sink bowl counter, and the large wet room - for shower and/or bath. There is a wet bar with refrigerator as you continue down the hall where the room opens up to a spacious bedroom with a king size bed, end tables, a bed seat at the bottom of the bed, and a wonderful room length counter that runs to the built in desk. There is a large TV opposite the bed and a sitting room with sofa and ottoman opposite the built in desk by the floor to ceiling windows. Really spacious room and very well laid out. The hotel could expand its English speaking TV channels - perhaps Fox News or DirecTV. We watched very little TV in Japan and did not miss it a bit.

The electronically controlled shades and blackout curtains really work and you sleep in their heavenly beds until you awaken.

Room service is prompt and the food is delivered as ordered and HOT.

You definitely should try on, wear, and optionally buy the Yukatas (in the room or from the Spa) and bring them home with you. Wonderful Japanese robes that will look terrific on you. The Spa might order additional sizes of XXL and XXXL Yukatas for those who prefer a full wrap around Japanese robe. I settled for an XL, the largest size that the Spa had.

As the original capital of Japan before it was moved to Tokyo, Kyoto is a charming, bustling city of 1.475 million people that is rich in history. You easily can spend a week in Kyoto, starting and ending your days at "home", the Four Seasons Kyoto. You will be amazed at how courteous and patient the people are - and you will never hear a horn honk. There is an occasional siren.

We can recommend two very special restaurants, KAYCO and Nichigetsubou-TAN (our FAVORITE) if you are a special couple who would like an exceptionally authentic Japanese meal in a very romantic, intimate, fun, and personable setting. The Concierge can help you make reservations, which are needed in advance.

The General Manager, Fanny Guibouret, is an experienced, competent General Manager who quietly and unobtrusively watches over everything. She had developed a wonderful team of service-oriented professionals who want you to smile and be pleased with each encounter. She very much reminds me of Maria Jagla, a legendary Four Seasons General Manager who we have gotten to know, and rely upon, over the last 20 years.

IF you want to feel comfortable from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave the hotel, the FOUR SEASONS KYOTO is the place to book. We highly recommend it -...

We spent, at Four Seasons Kyoto, some days we’ll never forget. If you don’t have the patience to read my review, look no further, just consider Four Seasons the best choice you can make if you plan to visit Kyoto.|The hotel is a tasteful blend of Japanese style and western understated luxury, rooms are beautifully appointed and also functional, with a touch of pastel colors which is a lovely intermission from the Japanese all-neutral tones, highest quality of sleep and totally noiseless. Needless to say that the property is immaculately clean and perfectly maintained. |Since before our arrival, we were treated like royalties and our needs were anticipated in every way possible. That’s what you should expect from a Four Seasons and that’s the reason why we are loyal guests of this brand from more than 15 years; nevertheless, here in Kyoto, our expectations were truly exceeded. We arrived to Kyoto by train from Tokyo and the Four Seasons Kyoto Concierge Team was already in touch with our hotel in Tokyo to smooth things out for us, then we were greeted at the Kyoto station by the lovely Ms. Morgane Lehman - Guest Experience Ambassador - who also smoothly handled check in directly in the room and helped us with the planning of some sightseeing and interesting shopping: we enormously appreciated her delightful manners and her smart suggestions. Thank you Morgane for your valuable help and attention.|Food here was divine: an amazing buffet breakfast with the pleasant choice of both Japanese, western and Chinese delicacies and, most of all, a top notch chophouse - Emba - which we definitely recommend to try if you want to taste some fantastic wagyu beef and heavenly tuna. Also remarkable was the bar where we had fantastic cocktails for which we thank Mr. Takashi, the bar manager.|BUT, our experience would’t be the same without the outstanding talent, the remarkable professionalism, the incomparable warmth, the natural leadership of the one and the only Mr. Giovanni D’Alessandro - the F&B Director - who not only delivered an impeccable, high quality amazing food offer and coordinated - for any lucky guest of the hotel - an efficient and friendly team (among which we want to highlight and thank the talented Sous Chef Ms. Wen Li) but who is the ultimate game changer. Always there with a smile, always attentive with resolution, always intuitive, always caring for us in any single moment of our stay: his exceptional skills, special charisma and veritable passion really showed us the difference between doing a good job and putting your heart in what you do. He just made the magic happen. Hospitality, at the end of the day, is a business of relation and the more you believe in what you do the more you’ll be able to give other people memories which they’ll treasure for life. Thank you so very much, Giovanni, for everything you did for us, we felt recognized, cared and special, our experience won’t be ever forgot, our memories will never fade, our heart will always be grateful. We look forward to the next Four...