Kyoto Guest House Lantern — Hotel in Kyoto

Pros: |location, 20 mins walkink from Kyoto St.||Cons:|Staff: there's a guy called Takeshi (one who uses hat and lenses) that do their best to do my whole stay as upleasant as possible. Three days, three discusions with him. Not only for me, i listen a girl discussing with him because he refused to give her the internet password, responsing her like she was stupid cause she forgot it. I Have never seen such a lack of empathy and good treatment to the public. This guy must not be working in any hostel.|They didn't give any information, reccomendarion, map, anything except the location of an ATM, cause you can't pay with credit card.||Confort: in this hostel "japanese style" means sleep in the floor without bed matress. You will have only a thin bedspread to put between your body and floor. I slept in tens of hostels in Asia and i never slept so bad as here. No privacy, since it has only a transparent wood curtain between "beds" (slot to sleep).|Use of shoes are forbidden and they don't give you slippers, so you must walk in your socks, since you can't use your owns in the tatami floor.||Services: Two toilets and two showers for all the hostel. Kitchen is the common room too, and its all time full of people. It size is no more than 12 sqmeters. It is well equiped.|They don't have lockers, so you must leave your valuables in the room, that don't have key and anyone can enter.||Schedule: they close the door at 22:00, so if you want to get out you must ask a kind of "autorization". Between 14:00 to 18:00 its them "free time" you you are not able to enter the hostel to...

My girlfriend and I stayed 2 nights in a private room with traditional Japanese bedding. The hostel, room and bathroom are all very clean and the beds are comfortable. The location is fine, near some temples and nice small streets, plenty of great restaurants and bars. The manager recommended a place to eat Kaizeki nearby called Ichizen and it was amazing. Michelin star quality, service and atmosphere for nowhere near the price. He was friendly and helpful.||||The major downside of the guesthouse is that you can't check-in until after 4pm. We were aware of that when we booked but we did not know that the place is locked with no staff until 4pm. So we arrived with our luggage to find we couldn't leave it there. I think it is pretty bad that they have no staff during the day, so lock up until 4pm (meaning you can't be inside either). And it is very inconsiderate to not tell people that they can't leave bags before 4pm. Check-out is also very early at 10pm.||||There is no living or communal space or proper outdoor area, just a couple of chairs on the street outside, not a nice place to sit. So staff friendly and helpful but that check-in/ check-out issue is a big problem. Place to rest your head for the night but would expect more for the cost. Would look...

Maybe the guy was just having a bad day, I have no idea. But I showed up in the evening instead of in the morning. Somewhere in the fine print it says that they cancel your reservation if you do that. ||||This host was by far the rudest person I met on my entire trip in Japan. I always look for the best in experiences, and in people. But this was honestly just absurd. I didn't have access to email or my phone to let them know I would be late. But Takeshi looked at me and said some horrible things about "foreigners", I said I don't understand why you're being so horrible to somebody that is a paying guest at your hostel. and he replied "Well dont bother filling out the forms, I dont want you staying here."||||No idea how this man is in the service industry. And it takes a lot for me to be upset at a stranger or leave a negative review. Maybe you'll have a good experience if the guy is in a good mood, but there's a chance it'll be your worst experience in Japan if the host gets off the wrong side of the bed that morning. wow. ||||||P.S. They refused to give me refund too, obviously. But $60 was well worth the...