Kyoto Higashiyama-so 京都東山荘 — Hotel in Kyoto

The short of it: This place is a great option if you are looking for the ryokan experience without the hefty price tag. Won't be the most luxurious but is definitely a great stay! Time your onsen visit to avoid running into other people as it is very small and sharing with someone else can get awkward (if you're not used to it). Also, they do have a midnight curfew but you can call the front desk to let you know after curfew. Just coordinate with the front desk. Very centrally located - highly recommend. ||||Location: Very great location - walking distance to Kiyomizu-dera, Yasaka shrine, and the winding neighborhoods and roads of the Gion district. During the day, the area is filled with tourists so it gets a bit hectic (and takes some time to get to especially if you're taking a cab) but was a great home base.||||Getting here: Please sure to bring pictures of the outside of the place with you so you are able to recognize it. As with most of Japan, most places only have kanji and even then, it's difficult to recognize. If you are taking a cab, show them the location on a map - they will know where to go. If you want to avoid some of the traffic, have the cab drop you off at the corner of Matsubara Dori and Higashi Oji Dori and walk up the hill to the hotel.||||Venue/Furnishings: The outside looks traditional however, inside looks a bit dull. Like a small dormitory or office building - very drab furnishings in the hallways and front office. However, the room is really comfortable. You sleep on tatami mats - so if you don't like hard beds this may not be the place for you. Our room had a private toilet and shower (not sure if all rooms come with this). The traditional breakfast that came with the reservation (which I would recommend getting) is very good - but only if you're used to Japanese-style breakfasts. This is pickled vegetables, fish, and rice with maybe some tofu on the side. ||||Onsen: The onsen is a shared onsen and is only really big enough to hold two people - thought a little awkwardly cause you're basically staring at each other. It's very clean and adorable - but I wouldn't say it's high end.||||Hospitality: A quick note on hospitality. As with most ryokans, the owners of the establishments are SUPER nice. They take a picture of your at the beginning to remember you and at the end of your visit, give you a framed picture and little goodies. Super sweet and very flexible with...

The short of it: This place is a great option if you are looking for the ryokan experience without the hefty price tag. Won't be the most luxurious but is definitely a great stay! Time your onsen visit to avoid running into other people as it is very small and sharing with someone else can get awkward (if you're not used to it). Also, they do have a midnight curfew but you can call the front desk to let you know after curfew. Just coordinate with the front desk. Very centrally located - highly recommend. ||||Location: Very great location - walking distance to Kiyomizu-dera, Yasaka shrine, and the winding neighborhoods and roads of the Gion district. During the day, the area is filled with tourists so it gets a bit hectic (and takes some time to get to especially if you're taking a cab) but was a great home base.||||Getting here: Please sure to bring pictures of the outside of the place with you so you are able to recognize it. As with most of Japan, most places only have kanji and even then, it's difficult to recognize. If you are taking a cab, show them the location on a map - they will know where to go. If you want to avoid some of the traffic, have the cab drop you off at the corner of Matsubara Dori and Higashi Oji Dori and walk up the hill to the hotel.||||Venue/Furnishings: The outside looks traditional however, inside looks a bit dull. Like a small dormitory or office building - very drab furnishings in the hallways and front office. However, the room is really comfortable. You sleep on tatami mats - so if you don't like hard beds this may not be the place for you. Our room had a private toilet and shower (not sure if all rooms come with this). The traditional breakfast that came with the reservation (which I would recommend getting) is very good - but only if you're used to Japanese-style breakfasts. This is pickled vegetables, fish, and rice with maybe some tofu on the side. ||||Onsen: The onsen is a shared onsen and is only really big enough to hold two people - thought a little awkwardly cause you're basically staring at each other. It's very clean and adorable - but I wouldn't say it's high end.||||Hospitality: A quick note on hospitality. As with most ryokans, the owners of the establishments are SUPER nice. They take a picture of your at the beginning to remember you and at the end of your visit, give you a framed picture and little goodies. Super sweet and very flexible with...

We spent three nights at this traditional ryokan, located on the street climbing up to the Kyomizudera Temple. This hotel is very peaceful, well appointed, and perfectly located. The staff is very kind and helpful, and goes to lengths to make you feel at home. The wording "shared bathroom" in the hotel description is a bit misleading, making you think that you need to walk down the hallway to use the toilet: our room had an ensuite toilet (with the amazing built-in Japanese bidet!) and a separate area with a sink. What's shared is a traditional hot bath, a great addition even at the end of a hot day wandering around Kyoto. We could not get enough hot baths and never felt so clean and relaxed! The room was small, but very well organized. Each evening a tea set with a different sweet treat waited for us. The wifi only works in the lobby, but perhaps that is not that bad. (We are meant to relax, aren't we?) We chose to include traditional Japanese breakfast which was a great choice, as we got to explore a large selection of small dishes that kept us going till dinner time. The hotel location is perfect, close to many temples and gardens, it would take more than three days to see well the immediate surroundings. This was a perfect start of our first...