The Celestine Hotel Gion — Hotel in Kyoto

OVERRATED & POOR GUEST ASSISTANCE 👎👎 Unfortunately, this was one of the more underwhelming and overrated stays of our trip 😟 For a hotel positioned as a premium offering in Kyoto, Hotel The Celestine Gion felt more like a Holiday Inn with a facelift, but lacking the service to match the price tag.

While the design is modern and the location is convenient – close to many Kyoto hotspots – we found the service ethos disappointing. Staff were mostly polite, but there was a noticeable “can’t do” attitude to even the simplest of hospitality requests.

Pros: 📍 Good location in Kyoto Gion – close to main attractions 🚗 On-site parking available (approx. 25 spaces – ¥2,200/day - which is just ok) 🛏️ Rooms are clean and nicely styled, though tight on space ♨️ On-site spa exists, but… (see below)

Cons: 🚫 Lack of genuine hospitality – basic assistance like luggage storage or booking attractions felt like pulling teeth 💬 Staff often gave conflicting answers or seemed to pass you around in hopes you’d give up asking 👜 Rooms are small and narrow – tricky if you have large luggage 🔊 Poor soundproofing – we could hear thuds and echoes from other rooms 🧃 Guest lounge was cramped and understocked – fridge sat empty the entire stay ♻️ Housekeeping missed simple things – no restocking of teas or amenities over 3 days and 3 rooms 🛁 Spa access split by gender with alternating times – not ideal for couples travelling together. Note that 75% of the guest are foreigners, not local Japanese people. 🌆 Half the rooms face a busy road and car park – if you’re on a low floor, you’ll be eye-level with traffic 💸 Paid approx. £300/night (~¥60,000 / $400 USD) and felt it didn’t live up to the price point

The final frustration was the excuse-making culture – we were told unhelpfulness was “the Kyoto way” (which, having stayed in Kyoto and across Japan many times before, we know is simply untrue). This felt like an excuse for a lack of training or service here – something that needs to change from the top down. The manager actually laughed a little when I seemed surprised at the “no” to storing the bags for a day. I’ve stored bags at a similar size hotel in Tokyo for 2 weeks before!

While one gentleman did go out of his way to assist with a room issue (much appreciated!), overall the experience lacked the warmth, flexibility, and attentiveness you’d expect from a hotel at this tier.

Would I stay again? Probably not – especially when Kyoto offers far better service and value elsewhere. For now, this one’s a missed opportunity with lots of potential, but not worth the...

The last time we were in Kyoto, we stayed at a Machiya near Kyoto station. This time we wanted somewhere closer to Gion. So our usual search on Maps and online was for boutique hotels and the Celestine Hotel Gion popped up on several lists. We checked out a few other places but they were either fully booked or way expensive, so this place looked good.

We knew we would be taking the train from KIX to Kyoto so it's a short taxi ride as well. We arrived in the morning, left our bags as check-in was 3pm then went to hunt for brunch, coffee, etc.

We came back about 4pm and our bags were already in our room. We were very pleasantly surprised to find two super single beds (put next to each other). The room is very big with a window at the end but no view. The bathroom is my favourite Japanese type. There's a separate toilet (usual fancy Japanese version) and a real shower/bath room. This room has a waterproof door and the whole room is your shower :-) And half of it is a nice deep bath. The water is hot and powerful. You can fill the bath in just a few minutes...and at 40C if you want! Three large bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash so everything you need.

There's an island with the bathroom sink on one side and the coffee/tea area on the other. There's a nespresso machine but I preferred drinking the local tea. The mirror is retracted for more openness, but can be pulled out to isolate the bathroom area from the bedroom if needed.

There are yukatas and bathrobes and bedroom slippers provided. Also baskets for going down to the onsen type baths. These are separated into male/female but we were pretty happy with running our own bath in our bathroom.

Location wise, we liked it. It's opposite a big temple so good for a stroll and it's quiet and serene. Walking a few minutes takes us into the Higashiyama area with all the shops and temples. A ten minute walk in the other direction will get us to the train station (e.g., to Uji). We took a taxi to the terminus of the Randen line for our trip to Arashiyama rather than a bus as that would have been a lot longer.

Two downsides. The beds and furniture take up so much space that there really isn't anywhere to put a suitcase let alone leave it open as we usually do. The other is that there's a safe but it isn't large enough to put laptops or even a large iPad. But not a dealbreaker. The large beds and the great bathroom is much preferred! We'll be happy to...

First time staying here and it was for three nights. It's a beautiful boutique hotel under the Mitsui Garden Hotel (MGH) group. Conveniently located in Gion, minutes away from many restaurants and bars. The hotel is also 12-13 minutes walk away from the heart of all the shopping and department stores (on Gion-Shijo), Teramachi or Nishiki Market. Not a bad walk especially after indulging in a lot of delicious food and finding myself in desperate need for some exercise. It is also 10 minutes away from the famous Buddhist temple, Kiyomizu-Dera.

From the moment I entered the hotel, I was welcomed with spa-like scents in the air. The modern yet simple interior design really appealed to me. Check-in at 3pm was a good experience. Instead of having people line up, they asked clients to wait comfortably on a chair/couch in the lobby. When it was my turn, a receptionist came requesting for the usual documents (passport, credit card, etc). Check out time is 12pm which is a bonus since most hotels in Japan are either 10am or 11am.

Everyday from 1pm-5pm, they have a lounge with free refreshments (coffee, tea and juices) and snacks (mochi, cookies and m&m chocolates). Did not expect much here but I thought it was a nice touch by the hotel. After 6pm, this room is converted into a bar.

There is a communal bath where fresh towels are provided in the change room. Quite a small facility but does the trick in relaxing my muscles after a long day of exploring. I usually went around midnight and it was quiet (one or two others using the facility at the same time). Make sure to shower first before entering the hot bath. You must be naked prior to entering the bathing area - so this means phones are strictly prohibited and must be left behind in the lockers. Both genders are separated and a room key is required for access. Depending on your gender, they will give you a room key at check-in that grants access to the corresponding bath. Note that it is in operation from 3pm - 10am (yes it runs overnight and is closed for 5 hours for cleaning). Please be respectful and place the used towels in the designated bins.

I did not have the chance to try their breakfast buffet for 3000 Yen since I thought it would take away the opportunity to try all the highly rated restaurants in the area.

Would definitely come back next time I am...