Gion Shinmonso — Hotel in Kyoto

We stayed here for 2 nights (2 adults and 2 kids, ages 8 and 10) to experience a traditional Ryokan, and what a unique experience it was. Having never stayed in one before we didn't know what to expect, but absolutely loved it. Do not expect to go here with many of the comforts of Western civilization, however, if you have an open mind and want to experience the old Japanese culture, this is a wonderful way to do it. While I'm sure there are higher end Ryokans, this was perfectly comfortable for our family (and budget during the expensive cherry blossom season in the spring). This is a small property with only 21 rooms so it was nice and quaint. The rooms were simple but clean, and sleeping on the futons was certainly different (not the best night of sleep but wouldn't take it back for the experience). The futons are set up after dinner and put away while we were at breakfast. We had a tub in our room but used the public baths for the traditional bathing experience. Our kids thought it was a lot of fun and loved the "rules" of what to do and not do to respect the bathing experience. If you are a foodie, you will not be disappointed as the food was phenomenal. We had dinner in our room one night (many courses were served) and in the dining hall the second night. Breakfast was in the dining hall each morning. Since English was not spoken well, our server could not explain what we were eating, but whatever it was was good. Though English is not well spoken by the staff, you still feel the warmth of the people and their desire to make it a great experience for their guests. The location of this property in Gion was perfect. Just walking around and enjoying the beauty of Kyoto was quite a treat. For a late lunch one day after sightseeing, we enjoyed a nice experience at the sushi restaurant directly across the street from the hotel. Overall, just a very nice, memorable experience and one I'd...

Our family of 5 (kids 6-9) stayed for one night at Gion Shinmonso and it was a great cultural immersion experience. We really wanted the ryokan experience while we were in Japan, but they are so expensive. I was happy to find Gion Shinmonso, which is very authentic and located right in Gion. The staff spoke decent English, which was very helpful. ||||The rooms are tatami floored and traditional. Since most of their rooms are smoking rooms, I worried about this, but our room smelled fine. We had tea and cookies when we arrived into our room and changed into our yukatas. There is some info in english about ryokan dos and don'ts and how to use the onsen, which was helpful. ||||We had dinner in our room and it was an interesting, multi-course meal with lots of things we had no idea what they were. The kids had special meals with simpler ingredients. We loved trying the onsen out and it felt so good to soak after days of sightseeing. Our room was changed over into the evening arrangement with the futons on the ground. They are hard, but it was fun to sleep out together on the ground. ||||Breakfast was served in the dining room and once again, it was traditional Japanese with lots of things we didn't recognize, but a fun experience. ||||We were really impressed with Gion Shinmonso and thought it offered good value for money and gave us a rich cultural experience. I definitely recommend it! Our kids loved the...

Our family of 5 (kids 6-9) stayed for one night at Gion Shinmonso and it was a great cultural immersion experience. We really wanted the ryokan experience while we were in Japan, but they are so expensive. I was happy to find Gion Shinmonso, which is very authentic and located right in Gion. The staff spoke decent English, which was very helpful. ||||The rooms are tatami floored and traditional. Since most of their rooms are smoking rooms, I worried about this, but our room smelled fine. We had tea and cookies when we arrived into our room and changed into our yukatas. There is some info in english about ryokan dos and don'ts and how to use the onsen, which was helpful. ||||We had dinner in our room and it was an interesting, multi-course meal with lots of things we had no idea what they were. The kids had special meals with simpler ingredients. We loved trying the onsen out and it felt so good to soak after days of sightseeing. Our room was changed over into the evening arrangement with the futons on the ground. They are hard, but it was fun to sleep out together on the ground. ||||Breakfast was served in the dining room and once again, it was traditional Japanese with lots of things we didn't recognize, but a fun experience. ||||We were really impressed with Gion Shinmonso and thought it offered good value for money and gave us a rich cultural experience. I definitely recommend it! Our kids loved the...