Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo — Hotel in Kyoto

Hotel Gracery hits the sweet spot as a hotel that is mid range and affordable, and is also modern, efficient and with the highest service standards one would expect for Japanese hospitality.

Things I liked:

1. Room service was prompt and responsive. However, simple English may be a challenge - so be prepared to use Google translate.

2. they have a standard Japanese bathroom layout across all their hotels (even those overseas). Having the option of a bathtub beside the sitting shower area with stool was appreciated.

3. It is at a good location which is not too hard to get to from Kyoto Station, in the heart of the lively city centre, and close to Gion.

4. 7 eleven is inside the North wing. it was nice to be able to drop by after midnight to grab snacks or a simple breakfast item for the next day.

5. All Gracery hotels now (Osaka and Taipei also) come with bottled water. I understand they used to give a tumbler.

6. the room is small but quite efficiently laid out. There is a sofa and compact table beside the bed.

7. the air con system is decent - the thermostats work fine and can be manually set. There are heating and cooling modes which both work.

8. it was quiet and sleep quality is good, as there are no regular car accessible roads directly adjacent (for Uber taxi etc you need to lug bags a short distance to the nearest road where traffic is allowed).

Things that may be an issue:

1. the double rooms are really small and you may need to use the corridor between the entrance, toilet and bed area to put luggage. For cabin size bags, it leaves just enough room to walk. For anything larger it may need to be stored standing up.

2. the body towel (the mesh like disposable one used for scrubbing ) is really small when opened fully. The toothbrushes are really hard and stiff and felt more like a toilet / shoe brush.

3. all Gracery hotels have this odd duvet layout where there is a thin white sheet followed by a separate thicker coloured sheet above it. It can be a bit difficult to turn around in bed with these layers separating. A workaround is to get document clips and to clip the sheet later with the thicker layer. For some reason the coloured sheet was a bit old and was stained, but two staff came up and changed it even though it was late.

4. on lower floors you may be the same level as the covered arcade rooftop, and there is a service walkway on it. There is a possibility that someone may walk by and so the window privacy is...

I stayed at Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo and it was absolutely perfect!||It’s about a 10–15 minute walk from nearby subway stations, but I honestly didn’t mind at all—because the walk takes you through the charming and bustling Teramachi shopping district. I was so caught up by the area that I completely walked past the hotel at first, distracted by restaurants, karaoke spots, kimono rentals, cat and pug cafés, and even a samurai museum!||This hotel is in a prime location if you want to explore Kyoto’s shopping, culture, and entertainment—all within walking distance.||The staff were incredibly welcoming and helpful, and the amenities exceeded my expectations. There’s a beauty bar available to all guests with facial cleansers, lotions, razors, toothbrushes—everything you might need! It felt like a thoughtful and luxurious touch.||The rooms were clean, cozy, and modern. You use your room key card to activate the electricity and control the lights and AC. The beds were super cushy, and the room even came with bath salts, face masks, and a full pajama set, which reminded me of a ryokan experience!||The bathroom layout was impressive: the toilet had its own room, while the bathing area was designed like a mini onsen. There’s a sit-down washing station and a deep-soak tub—I could submerge up to my shoulders, and it was heavenly! There’s no shower curtain, but the entire space is designed to let water drain easily.||Hotel Gracery also practices strong sustainability (SDGs). Full room cleaning is every 3 days, and if you opt in to the eco program, they still provide fresh towels and bottled water as a thank-you. I really appreciated this thoughtful balance.||Breakfast was also a delight—I had beautifully prepared eggs, shrimp, and pancakes, and everything was delicious.||The only small downside was that my room didn’t have much of a view. I’m sure upgrading to a higher-floor, street-side room would help, but honestly—I wasn’t in Kyoto to stare out a window. The city was calling!||Overall, I absolutely recommend Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo! Whether you’re solo or traveling with others, it’s a beautiful place to unwind between...

When we arrived, our accommodations were incorrect. We booked a queen bed single and were given a double twin bed. For 5 days on our vacation, my partner and I couldn’t sleep together without rearranging the room. We had to move a table and couch to push the two twin beds close together as you can see in the photo. The hotel staff did nothing to assist with correcting the mistake and we felt as though this was very deceptive. We booked through Capital One and when they contacted the hotel, they were not willing to make adjustments still. Additionally, the rooms were not as clean as the other hotels we have stayed in during our stay in Japan. The pillows were flat and small, the tv has limited channels, and the bathroom accommodations were just okay in comparison to other hotels.

They have coin laundry, but throughout our stay at different times, 1 of the 2 washers was always out of order. The breakfast was mediocre in comparison to the surrounding hotels and eateries. They do offer eco cleaning which is nice, however they do require a “deep clean” on the third day. They do provide pajamas and slippers but they were not very comfortable compared to the provisions at our other hotels during our Japan stay. They also provide face masks and bath salts which was nice. The WiFi was really terrible and often did not work or had minimal coverage.

The saving grace of this hotel is the location. It is in the middle of numerous street markets and shopping districts. I would not book here again as there are plenty of hotels in this area. The staff was kind, but I cannot justify recommending this hotel based on our experience. Very...