M's Hotel Sanjo Wakoku — Hotel in Kyoto

From my Agoda review: If you are looking for an affordable and friendly hotel, this would be it. Keep in mind that they are quite minimalist and don’t have all the bells and whistles like room service or free breakfast. The rooms are quite small. They managed to fit three twin beds in one room but I would say that it would more comfortably fit a single queen sized bed or two twins. The triple room is ideal for small families or groups that are REALLY close to each other and don’t mind being right next each other all the time. The room includes a small drink fridge, TV, kettle, bidet, and AC. The bathroom was quite small but most of the space was taken up by the huge tub which was great for baths and foot soaks. Shampoo, body wash, and conditioner were provided in huge refillable bottles which was a plus. A face towel and body towel is provided as well. On the first floor, there is a common utility room that houses a microwave, water machine, and a washer/dryer. The water machine dispenses room temperature or cold water. Laundry is 400-800 yen depending on the cycle you choose. Wash only is 400, wash+dry for a half load is 600, and wash+dry for a full load is 800. Smoking is not permitted in your hotel room but this utility room also functions as a smoking room. Free toothbrushes, hairbrushes, and razors are also available next to the front desk so you really don’t need to bring anything other than your luggage. Rooms are clean and nice for the most part. The walls might be stained but the floors are vacuumed. The bedding and towels are typically clean but if you find a lingering stain or smudge, you can ask for it to be replaced during working hours. Rooms are cleaned and towels are replaced every three days. If you need trash to be taken out sooner, you can just leave it outside your door. Towels can also be replaced upon request. Cleaning staff works between 10 am - 5 pm, so if you need anything replaced, it must be done then. For the most part, the rooms are quiet except maybe for a rogue kid running down the hall. The staff is always friendly and happy to help. With this location being so central without the chaos of being directly next to Kyoto station, it’s an excellent choice. It’s about 15 minutes away from Nishiki Market and the Keihan line. Many touristy destinations are within a 1 hour train ride. If I were to visit again, I would definitely choose M’s Hotel again.

P.S if you check in after sun down, it does get a bit scary because there aren’t many street lights in the area.

Edit: I forgot to mention that we stayed 12 nights and had to pay an additional $45 tax (some Japanese law?) which was a bummer but I was too tired to care when I...

After a month of travelling around Japan, this is without doubt THE WORST hotel I’ve stayed at.

For the price they charge (upwards of £100 per night in GBP, which is very expensive for Japan…) the place is utterly abysmal value for money and has some of the worst service I’ve encountered anywhere around the world.

The beds are rock solid, the room stunk of damp and cigarettes, there are no staff on site at any time and the luggage storage is a joke - they use second-hand bicycle locks that don’t all work properly instead of offering a luggage room. Oh, and they don’t give customers any keys to ANYTHING - you’re expected to memorise several different codes for accessing buildings and rooms instead, which are printed on a receipt that I guess you’re screwed if you lose? Because of the no staff??

During my stay I ended up in a situation where I almost missed my Shinkansen because I couldn’t unlock my bags from the railing when I came to check out. Due to the zero staff policy, there was nobody I could ask for help - only an iPad that powers the check out process and a telephone connected to an off-site call centre for the general M’s brand.

I was only able to leave with my bags because a very stressed out, quite clearly overworked (and probably underpaid) cleaner helped me cut the chain - the call centre staff were useless and not having any reception staff on site to help was very frustrating. There are also no toilets available once you’ve checked out of the room, and no information inside the room, meaning you have to contact the off-site call centre for basic things like the wifi password.

In all, M’s hotel is overcharging tourists for very small, uncomfortable rooms and literally non-existent customer service. Clearly they are cutting staff so the distant shareholders can pocket all the cash.

There are hundreds of hotels in Kyoto, so please don’t...

Unfortunately, our stay at M's Hotel Sanjo Wakoku was a big letdown. The photos online are definitely catfishing – they make the rooms look far more spacious and bright than they actually are. In reality, the room was tiny, barely enough space for two people to move around comfortably. The windows don’t open at all, so the room felt stuffy, dark, and miserable with no fresh air circulation.

The bathroom had multiple issues – when we first arrived, the door was locked from the inside and we couldn’t even get in. We were lucky to have a small yen coin with us that somehow helped unlock it. There was no bin inside the bathroom, and the toilet paper was so thin it was practically useless. The floor was also dusty, which just made the room feel unclean overall. Room service is every 3 days so if I want a new towel or bin I have to go get it myself. It’s just a joke. The bed is sooo hard I could barely sleep and I’m very sleep deprived .

To top it off, check-in is at 4pm – much later than most hotels – which was really inconvenient. I also had to pay a big tax fee which I didn’t know about. Which just angered me. If you wanted to check in even an hour earlier they will charge 1000 yen plus tax which obviously we said no.

All in all, it was a horrible experience. I would never stay here again and would much rather pay a bit more for a place that’s actually comfortable...