Rakuten STAY Kyoto Station — Hotel in Kyoto

The hotel is cheap, fairly close to Kyoto station, and the rooms are a reasonable size. That's about the only positive things I can say.

Check-in was a bit cumbersome and they required more than the average amount of personal information.

At first glance the rooms appeared clean but when we moved the beds we found fake nails, used ear buds and a rice ball under it! Their ongoing cleaning is also weird. You have to specifically ASK to have your room cleaned. On the other hand though, they deliver fresh towels every day, whether you asked for it or not. We ended up with a comical amount of towels by the end of our stay.

Due to the busy intersection and poor noise insulation (thin curtains) there is a lot of noise ingress from the road. There are also emergency vehicles with sirens driving past several times a day. In short, unless you're a heavy sleeper expect to be woken up constantly during the night.

The mattresses are quire firm. This may suit some people but we found it borderline uncomfortable. An option for a topper would be nice (yes, I know this is a budget hotel)

In summary: If I ever returned to Kyoto I would stay somewhere that's maybe a bit more expensive, but provides a quiet, clean and...

The big deal killer for those of you who are sensitive to the smell of smoke: Even in nonsmoking rooms, you will smell smoke come into your room if your neighbors are smokers (the smoke travels into your room from the neighboring veranda).

In addition, they provide only ONE day of room cleaning per week, and you can only choose between Monday and Friday, even if you stay for a month. My wife and I are all for green / eco-friendly practices, but this is a bit extreme. And here's the thing: although the establishment claims to be doing it to be eco-friendly, they kept delivering us four towels every day, even when we left unused bags from the previous day hanging outside, trying to show them that we don't need extra towels every day.

There are little things about the room that just don't make sense: the power socket / USB charging ports are right in the middle of the headboard of your bed. Hmmmm..

If you need the cheapest place to stay that is clean and close to Kyoto station and you are okay gambling with smokers in the room next door, it is...

I just checked out having stayed at Rakuten Stay Kyoto Station for 9 nights, a simple yet comfortable hotel in Kyoto, and I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. The hotel is clean, well-maintained, and offers everything you need for a budget-friendly stay. We were worried about previous reviews about the noise but we were relieved it was just very minimal. Only intermittent normal traffic noise. The room was compact but efficient, with a comfortable bed, air conditioning, and a small but clean bathroom with good water pressure in the shower with good bidet. Fresh towel everyday. While the decor was simple, the room had all the essentials, including a kettle, mini-fridge, and reliable Wi-Fi. The location was fantastic—close to public transportation - close to Kyoto Train station and convenience stores.

Overall, Rakuten Stay Kyoto is a great option if you’re looking for an affordable and convenient place to stay in Kyoto. It’s not luxury, but it’s clean, comfortable, and offers excellent value for the price. I would definitely...