Kiraku Kyoto Honmachi — Hotel in Kyoto

I was meaning to book a ryokan for my one-night stay in Kyoto, but considering the prices and the fact that my partner and I have tattoos and preferred a private bath/onsen, we decided to book a traditional Japanese townhome instead (it's a little cheaper anyway)! Kiraku Kyoto Honmachi is a townhome that's tucked away in the older parts of Kyoto and away from the bustling city. This made the neighbourhood very calming, quiet, and relaxing.

Because it's a townhome, there isn't really a check-in counter or front desk. You can check in at the nearby cafe, KISSAKU WADOKA, which they tell you when you make your reservation. However, check-in times are limited to the operating hours of the cafe, which is around 3-6pm. You can also optionally 'check in' by calling them after 6pm and they'll give you the PIN to enter the townhome. The kind grandma who I assume owns the townhome will welcome you and provide you with some basic information. She'll also provide you with a welcome drink and snack, including a small slice of cake and fresh matcha tea - both of which were very good. She'll give you a tour of the townhome and let you know how and when to check out. You essentially just leave the townhome when it's time to check out.

The rooms themselves are quite nice. There's a small kitchen and living area upstairs, and about 3 bedrooms. Two bedrooms have futons and the primary bedroom has a large king sized bed. Behind the primary bedroom, through the bathroom, there is also a door that leads to an enclosed outdoor area, which is where the private open-air bath is. Tip: Avoid taking your bath in the evening, because there are lots and lots of mosquitos. There are also beetles in the morning, but that's better than mosquitos. It also takes quite a while to fill the tub, so allocate about 15-20...

What a beautiful place! Kiraku Kyoto Honmachi is a house which has been refurbished with subtle taste and delightful creativity. There’s definitely magic to it! I loved walking on the pebbles in the downstairs bedroom - so soothing for sore feet. There’s also a smooth walkway to the bed if pebbles aren’t your thing. Upstairs there’s a tokonoma with scroll, as well as a full set of equipment for carrying out a tea ceremony, including of course, matcha. The host even had delicious matcha “financiers” waiting for us upon arrival. The outdoor bath is brilliant. It’s quite easy to fill and I’d highly recommend having an outdoor soak every night.Seeing as some in our group weren’t up for tourism in the city, it was doubly worthwhile to have stayed in such a house where they could breathe in Kyoto atmosphere without ever moving...

I would highly recommend this stay. My wife and I stayed one night here and were treated to a hot cup of maccha and a tasty maccha cake on check in when visiting the Cafe next store, Kisako Wazuka.

We were then escorted to our stay and were quickly enamored with all the fine details in the traditional Kyoto town house.

I'm choosing to not include pictures because you should experience it for yourself. We were given a fridge full of complimentary drinks including wine brewed on the property itself which might be worth the rebooking itself.

Then treated to a traditional Japanese breakfast before check out. I don't mean a tourist version either. This is a real traditional breakfast made with care.

We will be traveling back to Kyoto again in the future and will be returning. Thank you for your incredible...