HARUYA Umekoji — Hotel in Kyoto

Terrible experience. I can actually handle pretty bad places, but this is something else. Any one of the issues i can deal with, altogether not so much:

First no one at the front desk to help leave my luggage, needs 1st phone call (roaming so 200+ yen/min) as the door to the reception is locked. I specifically selected this place because it indicates I could leave luggage here before check-in. That turned out to be unattended and unlocked (!), I've never seen that before, even in the most remote places. That left me half the day walking around with a heavy laptop bag.

Then when i came back, the instructions for the self check in were wrong (key wasn't where it's supposed to be), costing me half the room rate in phone bills.

When i find the room, the bed is a mattress on the floor, which is expected in such a traditional Japanese House. Whats not expected is that the mattress is less than 5 cm (3") thick and extremely soft. The instant i lay down my back hurts since I'm essentially lying on the floor.

Then, since they are too cheap to hire staff, I'm supposed to leave exact change in the room, which will net them an unearned additional 200 yen because I don't have exact change (nobody does so they're making bank with this)! Wasnt exactly planning on leaving them a tip and prior communication said i could pay by cc...

This place isn't expensive, but it's worth much less than I'm paying, especially for a room.

Thing is, i actually have quite low standards. I've been in at least 50 hostels of varying quality. This is the first one that I'm reviewing specifically because it's bad. Its pretty obvious that someone cooked the review process to get this rating. If not the rating would be under 3 for sure, which means I would never have booked here. If you've stayed here, please leave a review so that it reflects reality.

There are much better places to stay in Kyoto, I've seen several. Dont stay here, spend your money in a place where people actually earn it.

That said: Location is great, easy access to the main train station and all connecting lines. I'm just hoping that after a night on this mattress i can still lug my luggage...

I love everything about this hostel. The interior, ambiance, the smell, the lovely staffs, this kinda remind me of home. This hostel is actually a hundred year old house, so expect the interior to be all traditional, with futons and sliding doors, wooden floor and low tables. If you want to experience japan in the traditional way with affordable price, you should definitely book a room in this hostel.||This might be old but it is well maintained. One of the things I like is the cleanliness. Everything is very tidy. They also have a small kitchenet on the first floor where you can have meals. A small traditional garden just outside the kitchen. Just remember to be mindful and keep as quiet as possible when coming in and out of the hotel, so you won’t bother other guests. They are very strict with the noise, since this is an old house, the walls are not sound proof. Well who doesn’t want peace and quiet. ||Another thing I like about this hotel is that its very accessible. There are bus stations just 5min away, kyoto station is just 15min away. Ministop and 7/11, and Kyoto aquarium are all walking distance. You can also ask to rent a bike instead of commuting. The alley just outside the hostel is very beautiful, we actually walked towards kyoto station on the first day so we can explore the surroundings more. ||The staffs are super friendly and helpful, they will provide you a map and help you with the directions and attractions where you can visit.||All in all it was a wonderful experience, we will definitely stay here again when we go...

My room was located in the “Annex” building which was not featured in any of the photos on Google or on Booking.com. This “building” is horribly cramped and narrow, with the tiniest toilet room I’ve ever seen, and one gross-looking sink located in the hallway. The entire length of it is grimy and unclean. It’s also very buggy. It’s right across the alley from the library/lounge, which was much more spacious but the concrete floors also make it feel a bit grimy.

The room itself was alright, just be prepared to be sleeping basically directly on the floor, as the futon mattress was maybe 3 inches thick.

I already paid ahead of time, but was charged an extra accommodation tax that I was instructed to leave in cash in a bag in my room. Good thing I brought my own towel, because to use one they’ll charge you for that too.

My sister and I attempted to do laundry here. My washing was successful, but after 2+ hours in the dryer was still not dry. During her load, the washing machine stopped mid-wash and would not turn back on, leaving all of her clothes submerged in dirty, soapy water. We ended up walking 2 minutes to a coin laundromat to dry my laundry and completely re-wash and dry hers.

The location was convenient, with many bus stops right nearby and a 20-minute walk from Kyoto Station.

I would not...