Gojo Guest House Annex — Hotel in Kyoto

This is a really nice guest house for budget-minded travellers in their twenties. The staff is absolutely fantastic, speaks exceptional English and will provide you with maps and directions.

Unlike some other guesthouses that save on bedding, Gojo offers very thick futons (mattresses) that are comfortable to sleep on and do not give you back pain the next morning. The guesthouse is very close to the very popular Kiyomizu-dera temple that is usually crowded with tourists, but less so if you visit it during the opening hours at around six, something that works particularly well if you travel from Europe and get the usual jet lag. The train station is very close and the shopping and going-out centre Shijō-Kawaramachi is only a brief walk away. There is also free tea bags and soluble coffee upstairs, along with a (non-free) washing machine. It might sound like a small thing, but it is nice that Gojo offers these conveniences and does not charge you for basic necessities like warm showers. This is not the case everywhere.

All in all, a wholehearted recommendation. Two groups of my friends have stayed at this same guesthouse after me and were all very happy with it. Thank you for the great introduction...

On a last minute trip to Kyoto, found that I had unwisely chosen to come when everyone else in the world seemed to be in town to view the autumn leaves and found myself without a place to stay. I randomly contacted various guesthouses which - no surprise - were all completely full. Gojo was one of them. Initially they said they didn't have anything available - but got back to me (proactively) when they had a cancellation. Terrific service!||||By sheer luck, I even got the lone (?) single Japanese style room - which I prefer to a western one. It was small, charming - I believe it used to be a shophouse of some sort from the 1940's. The lobby was furnished with mid-century style furniture, giving it a low-key stylishness. ||||Negatives for some: narrow staircases, bathroom two flights of stairs down. Didn't bother me.||||Plusses: genuinely friendly and helpful staff, quiet (all rooms are private, no dorms - which are located in the main guesthouse 5 minutes away), authentic "old Japan" feel, close to a supermarket and other conveniences. Bus stop 2 minutes away. ||||Highly...

On a last minute trip to Kyoto, found that I had unwisely chosen to come when everyone else in the world seemed to be in town to view the autumn leaves and found myself without a place to stay. I randomly contacted various guesthouses which - no surprise - were all completely full. Gojo was one of them. Initially they said they didn't have anything available - but got back to me (proactively) when they had a cancellation. Terrific service!||||By sheer luck, I even got the lone (?) single Japanese style room - which I prefer to a western one. It was small, charming - I believe it used to be a shophouse of some sort from the 1940's. The lobby was furnished with mid-century style furniture, giving it a low-key stylishness. ||||Negatives for some: narrow staircases, bathroom two flights of stairs down. Didn't bother me.||||Plusses: genuinely friendly and helpful staff, quiet (all rooms are private, no dorms - which are located in the main guesthouse 5 minutes away), authentic "old Japan" feel, close to a supermarket and other conveniences. Bus stop 2 minutes away. ||||Highly...