Guest House Bon — Hotel in Kyoto

The lodging is operated by a couple, with great hospitality. The pictures that are uploaded by other guests properly depicts the facilities. The house itself is visibly an older building, but it can be seen at first sight that the owners take real good care of the building both inside and outside. The rooms themselves (at least the one I slept in) carry the necessary furniture for a good night's rest, and in the common room you can eat, watch TV, talk to the other guests, etc. The entire house has a rustic air, loved the feeling very much. The kitchen is also well equipped with kettle, water heater, pans, sink, whatever you need to whip up a quick meal. The best part though is the hospitality of the owners. As soon as I arrived, the owner took out a map, showed me the local sights and his recommendations, how to get there, which buses to use, told me about the daily bus ticket, and all-around was a nice person. Later when I asked him about the local public baths and he knew that I had no soap on me, lent me one. Since the house is also a ~10min walk from the station, gave me a lift to the station when I was returning to Tokyo, so hospitality-wise the best place I've ever been to. The only thing that should be taken into consideration is the shower and toilets being kinda outside (but on a covered inner yard, and of course privacy is given), but it is not as cold as you would think. Also the toilet seats are the automatic heated kind, so you won't have problem with cold seat during your morning ritual either. If you still have some qualms about the shower being semi-outside, there are several public bathhouses nearby, some literally a corner away. So I definitely recommend the place, I'll come here again if I can return to Kyoto anytime...

I stayed there for 9 nights and I'd have loved to stay longer! I felt at home immediately and I will definitely come back!||Taniguchi-san, the owner, is super helpful and always provides you with information, even asks everyday if you need information or help. On my first day he sat down with me and showed me sights on the map and how to get there best. On the wall in the common room is a self drawn map of the area with restaurants, supermarkets, shops, public baths etc with opening hours!||It's very close to public transport, just 4 minutes to a bus stop (no. 9), directly to Kyoto station and perfect to catch other buses.||He keeps the guest house very tidy and clean and even though it was still quite cold (especially for me, arriving from the Australian summer) I had no problems with the toilets and showers outside. There are heaters in the showers and it's absolutely not a long way to showers and toilets, honestly just a few steps.||The kitchen is equipped with everything you need and tea and coffee for free.||The rooms were very clean and furnished with all essencials (heaters as well). Exactly the Japanese experience I was hoping for!||Taniguchi-san's family is very nice as well and they really make an effort to make you feel at home. He booked me a taxi from the airport to the guest house and even drove me to the subway station when I had to leave.||If you're looking for a great Japanese accomodation, this is the place!||Can't wait to come back! Thank you, arigato and vielen...

Great place! I had an excellent stay there.

The owner and his wife are friendly and know the area. The owner knows the bus and train routes and can tell you how to get to the tourist spots quickly and efficiently.

The location is also good. The guesthouse is near a street with all kinds of restaurants and local bars. The owner knows the area and can recommend places that would otherwise be impossible to find. About a 5 minute walk from the guesthouse is Daitoku-ji temple complex. If you have some extra time between sightseeing, it's a great place to wander around.

The guesthouse itself is fun. There's a communal room with a television downstairs. Other guests will tend to congregate there, so you can usually meet new people if you want. It's also comfortable. Each room has an internal heater. If you turn it on when you get back to the guesthouse, when you're ready for bed, you can return to a warm cozy room.

All in all, I had a great stay. I met some new people at the guesthouse that I never would have met otherwise, ate at restaurants I never would have found, and was able to get to the touristy spots easily.

One tip for future guests - there are local supermarkets near the guest house (there's also one at the subway station). If you're going to a touristy spot, buy lunch at one of the supermarkets (e.g., a bento box) instead of trying to buy food at the touristy spots. It's better...