Nazuna Kyoto Nijo-jo (Cha no Yado Nazuna Nijo-tei) — Hotel in Kyoto

I gave this hotel a 1 star because of our experience with the room. Having said that, the staff was very friendly and accommodating. The following is reasons why I am leaving such a poor review:

You can hear everything in the room. Most people would think that this means it’s noisy. We could hear people talking and walking in the lobby as if they were in our room. It startled us several times.

There is a gate in the garden area in the back of the room. It is very loud and anyone can come into the garden which is messed up. In fact, the staff admitted while we were gone, other guests walked into our back door garden. This is a problem because the bath is in the garden, the shower is glass and attaches to the garden, and an all glass door with no curtain attaches to the garden as well. Very little privacy.

The hotel is in a very dark alley and not around any major area. My wife and I did not feel comfortable going back there after exploring at night time.

The room did not look like the pictures. From looking at pictures online, it seemed like a 4-5 star ryokan with all modern day amenities. The room seemed “dingy” and not what we had expected. Especially for the money.

From the pictures it also looks like it is its own small home like other ryokan's but in reality it's inside a small hotel and this room is right next to reception.

We had a reservation to stay there for 4 nights and after being there for a couple of hours we left to go to another hotel. Even after they told us about the people essentially in our room and we told them that we were leaving, they did not allow us to get even a partial refund.

Please save your time and money and stay...

5 stars weren't enough! The selfish part of me wanted to keep this hidden gem all by myself for the next visit to Kyoto. I truly feel this place undeniably deserves to be recognized as a 5-star ryokan / hotel. From the moment our group stepped into Nazuna, we felt taken care of. We can feel the genuine love and care for what they do from a small group of staff (at least from what we saw). The daily breakfast and sukiyaki dinner were attentively prepared with intention and so accommodating for dietary needs. You can taste the pure Japanese culture dated back for centuries in your mouth. The ingredients were super fresh and locally sourced. I am normally not a meat eater, but the kobe wagyu beef was to die for. The ryokan is always sparklingly clean, and we hardly see other guests. We stayed in the most spacious room, 90 sqm, called Gyokuro, and it was more than enough space for the 4 of us. The amenities were top-notch, and we didn’t need any special request. The daily complimentary Japanese snacks and a refillable wide selection of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages were definitely unexpected and added such a nice touch. The staff helped recommend restaurants and make reservations. It is a truly enjoyable experience and far exceeds my expectations. This speaks volumes coming from an individual who travels extensively around the world and has stayed and dined at many high-end places. If you are looking for a traditional stay with a well-deserved 5-star service, look no further. You won't be disappointed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ +...

The service alone at this ryokan is beyond amazing. We stayed in Bettei and Gyokuro across two separate trips and both rooms are great. The only thing I could nitpick is that the wooden doors leading to the balcony in Gyokuro have some gaps in them, but the room is perfectly comfortable with the 3 AC units it has. The baths are relaxing, and both rooms had an indoor and outdoor bath. The place has an old charm that allows you to enjoy what staying in an old townhouse would feel like accompanied by amenities like free drinks and breakfast. This isn't like a name brand western hotel, but my wife and I find it comfortable all the same.

What really sets this ryokan apart and makes us want to come back each time are the staff that have consistently been the sweetest, kindest people we have ever met in hospitality. We mentioned wanting to find a drink and they go out of their way and get it. My wife gets a cold and they go out and make a care package for her and are willing to bring her rice porridge! We mention wanting to see sakura and mention one temple and they give us a map and a list of 3 other places to see sakura. These people are all amazing. If we are fortunate enough to visit Kyoto again we will go out of our way to stay at Nazuna...