Kiyomizu Sannenzaka - Guest House in Kyoto — Hotel in Kyoto

We recently stayed at Kiyomizu Sannenzaka - Guest House and had a mixed experience.

Location: The location is overall quite good — within walking distance to Kyoto’s main attractions and charming historical streets. That said, it’s situated on a hill, which makes accessibility an issue. The nearest station is a 10-minute uphill walk, and taxis are the only alternative. There are no convenience stores (combinis) nearby, and most local shops only open from 10:00/10:30 to around 18:00, so morning coffee is limited to Starbucks or % Arabica, usually with a queue. I’d rate the location a 4/5 solely for its proximity, but with accessibility and convenience considered, it falls short.

Room & Cleanliness: This is more of an apartment-style stay than a hotel, with no daily cleaning services. In fact, we were asked to leave trash inside the room, which becomes unpleasant after a long day out — essentially, you return to your own waste. The room didn’t feel particularly clean. The kitchen sink had a strong, foul odor, and the cleaning staff left cleaning supplies (rugs, scrubs) out on the counter. We requested that they address the smell and clean up, but our request was acknowledged and then ignored.

Facilities & Comfort: There’s no elevator, so getting to the third floor with luggage is a real challenge. When it rains, the pathway to the room floods, adding to the inconvenience.

That said, the shower room was surprisingly nice and included a TV — a peculiar but fun touch. The toilet, however, lacked a bidet, which is an unexpected omission in Japan.

Overall: While the location has its merits, the lack of basic cleanliness, poor service response, and general inconvenience made this stay disappointing. This isn’t a hotel-level experience and fell short of...

We recently stayed at Kiyomizu Sannenzaka - Guest House and had a mixed experience.Location:The location is overall quite good — within walking distance to Kyoto’s main attractions and charming historical streets. That said, it’s situated on a hill, which makes accessibility an issue. The nearest station is a 10-minute uphill walk, and taxis are the only alternative. There are no convenience stores (combinis) nearby, and most local shops only open from 10:00/10:30 to around 18:00, so morning coffee is limited to Starbucks or % Arabica, usually with a queue. I’d rate the location a 4/5 solely for its proximity, but with accessibility and convenience considered, it falls short.Room & Cleanliness:This is more of an apartment-style stay than a hotel, with no daily cleaning services. In fact, we were asked to leave trash inside the room, which becomes unpleasant after a long day out — essentially, you return to your own waste. The room didn’t feel particularly clean. The kitchen sink had a strong, foul odor, and the cleaning staff left cleaning supplies (rugs, scrubs) out on the counter. We requested that they address the smell and clean up, but our request was acknowledged and then ignored.Facilities & Comfort:There’s no elevator, so getting to the third floor with luggage is a real challenge. When it rains, the pathway to the room floods, adding to the inconvenience.That said, the shower room was surprisingly nice and included a TV — a peculiar but fun touch. The toilet, however, lacked a bidet, which is an unexpected omission in Japan.Overall:While the location has its merits, the lack of basic cleanliness, poor service response, and general inconvenience made this stay disappointing. This isn’t a hotel-level experience and fell short of...

We booked this hotel for 4 nights. We didn’t pay enough attention about the price including taxes in Japanese yens. They charged us 280 €/ 315$US. (Total 4 nights : 1127 €). We tried to cancel 7 days before but they refused because it was 8 minutes too late after midnight according to Japanese time. This is not an hotel. There is no reception there. You have to call at the house entrance to get a password to get your keys. The only thing they said at arrival on the phone is « you have to pay the tax ». This hotel is closed to Kiyomizu Dera temple, but very FAR from everything else. Moreover Kiyomizu Dera temple is under refurbishment until March 2020. The closest JR station is 30 minutes walk from the hotel. You have to walk up the hill in stairs with carrying your luggage. When you come back in the evening after a long journey you have to walk up the hill again. They don’t change towels, don’t do cleaning, don’t give more (don’t provide more than 1 toilet paper roll) even for long stay. We are glad that we had very good experiences in the other hotels we booked in Japan. But it really reduced our traveling budget for the rest of our trip. However, if you get a reasonable price and you want to visit Kiyomizu Dera, it is a...