Gion Koh — Hotel in Kyoto

My husband and I just returned from a trip which included 4 nights in Kyoto. After some thought and searching we decided to book our stay at Gion Koh. To say the least, it was possibly the best decision we made. If you are interested in spending your time in the old district in Kyoto, this is a wonderful spot. It's a lovely little old style building full of charm and character. ||||The host, Hiro, was great and also spoke very good english. He also told us a little about the history of the guesthouse, it was his family home and his grandmother ran it as a guesthouse until about 30 years ago and now he's doing the same. When we checked in he went above and beyond, giving us a bus map to help us navigate the city, and a city map where he pointed out a variety of things we could do including good areas for food, shopping, and sites off the beaten path that we might enjoy exploring. He also helped us to ship our bags ahead to the airport so we weren't lugging them around when we left Kyoto for Koya. ||||We booked the traditional japanese room for two. It was well worth it. If you're used to sleeping in a bed and are worried about being able to sleep on futon mats, don't be. They are thin, but quite comfortable, and the room is well worth it. The paper door sliders overlook the courtyard which is a lovely view, especially at night when the courtyard lights are on. Even though it was warm at night, we mostly decided against using the ac in favor of leaving the windows open and closing the curtains so we could fall asleep to the running water in the koi pond. Although the walls are thin, as is typical for that age and style of building, we found the other guests to be rather respectful and quiet. Don't let the shared bathrooms or the thin walls put you off. We never had any issues with noise or falling asleep, even my husband who usually wears earplugs when he sleeps at home didn't wear them there. We also never had any issues with waiting for the bathroom or shower (there are 2 toilets and 2 showers and 3 sinks) it was actually rare that we ran into the other guests at all and then it was only in passing. There is a kitchen that guests are welcome to use freely and while there is no laundry on site, there is a small coin laundry just a few buildings down the street. ||||If you are planning to spend time in Gion, Gion Koh is a great place to be located. At the very end of the street, a 5 minute walk, is the entrance to Yasaka Shrine and a lovely little park that is situated behind it. Between Gion Koh and Yasaka Shrine is little alley that leads to Kodaiji Temple, and a 10 minute walk in the opposite direction will lead you Kiyomizudera Temple (if you can, visit around 6 or 7am, there's almost no one else there and it's a very serene surreal feeling). If you are planning to have a geisha makeover at Gion Aya, that's also about 5 minutes from Gion Koh, and Yasaka-Dori Enraku, who does a lovely evening with a Maiko dinner twice a week is also within walking distance. The famous Sanneizaka street with all of its souvenier shops, restaurants, and bustling activity is very...

My husband and I just returned from a trip which included 4 nights in Kyoto. After some thought and searching we decided to book our stay at Gion Koh. To say the least, it was possibly the best decision we made. If you are interested in spending your time in the old district in Kyoto, this is a wonderful spot. It's a lovely little old style building full of charm and character. ||||The host, Hiro, was great and also spoke very good english. He also told us a little about the history of the guesthouse, it was his family home and his grandmother ran it as a guesthouse until about 30 years ago and now he's doing the same. When we checked in he went above and beyond, giving us a bus map to help us navigate the city, and a city map where he pointed out a variety of things we could do including good areas for food, shopping, and sites off the beaten path that we might enjoy exploring. He also helped us to ship our bags ahead to the airport so we weren't lugging them around when we left Kyoto for Koya. ||||We booked the traditional japanese room for two. It was well worth it. If you're used to sleeping in a bed and are worried about being able to sleep on futon mats, don't be. They are thin, but quite comfortable, and the room is well worth it. The paper door sliders overlook the courtyard which is a lovely view, especially at night when the courtyard lights are on. Even though it was warm at night, we mostly decided against using the ac in favor of leaving the windows open and closing the curtains so we could fall asleep to the running water in the koi pond. Although the walls are thin, as is typical for that age and style of building, we found the other guests to be rather respectful and quiet. Don't let the shared bathrooms or the thin walls put you off. We never had any issues with noise or falling asleep, even my husband who usually wears earplugs when he sleeps at home didn't wear them there. We also never had any issues with waiting for the bathroom or shower (there are 2 toilets and 2 showers and 3 sinks) it was actually rare that we ran into the other guests at all and then it was only in passing. There is a kitchen that guests are welcome to use freely and while there is no laundry on site, there is a small coin laundry just a few buildings down the street. ||||If you are planning to spend time in Gion, Gion Koh is a great place to be located. At the very end of the street, a 5 minute walk, is the entrance to Yasaka Shrine and a lovely little park that is situated behind it. Between Gion Koh and Yasaka Shrine is little alley that leads to Kodaiji Temple, and a 10 minute walk in the opposite direction will lead you Kiyomizudera Temple (if you can, visit around 6 or 7am, there's almost no one else there and it's a very serene surreal feeling). If you are planning to have a geisha makeover at Gion Aya, that's also about 5 minutes from Gion Koh, and Yasaka-Dori Enraku, who does a lovely evening with a Maiko dinner twice a week is also within walking distance. The famous Sanneizaka street with all of its souvenier shops, restaurants, and bustling activity is very...

This guest house is one of the best places I have ever stayed in in the world. I have stayed in expensive hotels and budget accommodations. I can say that this one is certainly one of my favourites. (Remember, expensive hotels are not always memorable)||Gion KIoh is located in the Gion district, which means it is exceedingly easy to get to all the places of interest in Kyoto from here. Restaurants abound aplenty around the Gion district as well. ||I stayed here in winter, and yes the corridors can be cold, if you do not turn on the heating! (What do you expect?!) Once the heating is on, the accommodation is extremely comfortable. The room I chose had tatami flooring and we just laid out the bedding on the floor when we needed to. ||Gion Koh is essentially a traditional Japanese home turned into a guest house. Hiro, who runs the guest house, single-handedly, is a very friendly and helpful person. He made our stay so welcoming and memorable. This was his family home, and it feels as welcoming as a family home. After a long day sightseeing, it really felt like coming home.||Thank you so much for a lovely stay. I can say that staying at Gion Koh was definitely the icing on the cake for my first visit to Japan. I shall be staying here again when I come...