Hotel ARU Kyoto Sanjo Kiyamachi-dori — Hotel in Kyoto

Stayed solo in a Standard Double room. Room size was fine, room was clean, and I really liked the design and concept, but the room was extremely lacking in basic furnishings. There is no clock and no desk, only a tiny round table, hardly enough to fit a computer. Do not choose this room type if you’re a business traveler. There was a cheap humidifier and air cleaner, but both are not designed to cover a room that size. They’re meant for an area the size of a desktop, but there’s no desk. Also, there is absolutely NO storage space. NO closet, NO drawers, ZERO storage whatsoever. Not even a luggage rack. There are just 4 coat hangers hanging above the bed. As a traveler staying 3 nights, this is absolutely unacceptable. I had no choice but to leave my bag on the floor at the entrance of the room, along with everything else I had, strewn across the floor. I would absolutely not recommend this room type to anyone, unless you’re ok with having a big mess on the floor.

Also, be warned that the hotel is also lacking in basic services. They do not provide amenities in the bathroom (besides body soap, shampoo, conditioner) and do not offer room cleaning. They do offer a minimal "amenity bar" in the lobby but you need to remember to visit every day. For cleaning, you have a choice of leaving your towels outside the door for replacement every morning, or they’ll come in and replace towels, empty trash, and make the bed, but no actual cleaning or replacing of sheets. I was not notified of this when making my reservation, otherwise I would have reconsidered. Why is this information not given when making a reservation? This should be basic policy.

I was really excited about staying here. As I mentioned, the style and Taisho Era theme was very cool. But I would not recommend this...

Stayed solo in a Standard Double room. Room was size was fine, room was clean, and I really liked the design and concept, but the room was extremely lacking in basic furnishings. There is no clock and no desk, only a tiny round table, hardly enough to fit a computer. Do not choose this room type if you’re a business traveler. There was a cheap humidifier and air cleaner, but both are not designed to cover a room that size. They’re meant for an area the size of a desktop, but there’s no desk. Also, there is absolutely NO storage space. NO closet, NO drawers, ZERO storage whatsoever. Not even a luggage rack. There are just 4 coat hangers hanging above the bed. As a traveler staying 3 nights, this is absolutely unacceptable. I had no choice but to leave my bag on the floor at the entrance of the room, along with everything else I had, strewn across the floor. I would absolutely not recommend this room type to anyone, unless you’re ok with having a big mess on the floor. ||Also, be warned that the hotel is also lacking in basic services. They do not provide amenities in the bathroom (besides body soap, shampoo, conditioner) and do not offer room cleaning. You have a choice of leaving your towels outside the door for replacement every morning, or they’ll come in and replace towels, empty trash, and make the bed, but no actual cleaning or replacement sheets. I was not notified of this when making my reservation, otherwise I would have reconsidered. Why no notice? This should be basic policy. ||I was really excited about staying here. As I mentioned, the style and Taisho Era theme was very cool. But I would not recommend this...

Do not hesitate to book if travelling in Kyoto. The location was very convenient and a nice walk across the river to gion, and close to bus stops and subway.

We stayed here for 3 nights in Feb 2025 and loved it. The room was sparkling clean, and there were fantastic amenities (you can get extra lotions, creams, face wash in the lobby annd use their umbrellas) and lovely staff. We got the bed and breakfast option and breakfast spread was also great. They also offered complimentary bottled water daily. I’m not sure why the Expedia reviews are low.

The rooms are not very large but enough for a great night’s rest. Some previous reviews mentioned the frosted windows that do not open but we didn’t find this to be a problem at all as enough natural light came in from the top 1/4 of the window which isn’t frosted and the air conditioning was...