THE MACHIYA VILLA 三条しらかわ小路 — Hotel in Kyoto

When we booked this place, we received almost immediate instructions via email, which was super helpful. We first headed to the MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS Check-in Desk, which is in a different location than the villa itself. They arranged to have our luggage delivered from the check-in area directly to our villa for about 500 yen per bag, which was really convenient. We were also given an access code to use for entry to the villa.

When we arrived, our luggage was already waiting for us inside. The villa has two bedrooms, one bathroom, and two toilets, along with a communal area on the first floor.

The bathroom was probably my favorite part of the villa. It’s super spacious, with the bathtub and shower separated by a glass door. The showerhead and the tub each have their own space, and there was plenty of room to move around. They provided shampoo, conditioner, and body soap in the "wet" area, while the "dry" area has a big sink for storing your toiletries. They also supplied hand soap and tons of towels — body towels and hand towels — beneath the sink. There's a washing machine with detergent, which worked well, but didn’t dry our clothes fully. We ended up taking our laundry to a nearby laundromat to dry.

There’s also a toilet on the first floor, but oddly, it didn’t have hand soap, though there was a sink. The second floor has another toilet with a sink and hand soap, and both toilets were equipped with toilet paper. The toilets were pretty high-tech, too. They open automatically when you enter, have heated seats, automatic flushing, and a functional bidet.

On the second floor, you’ll find a Western-style bedroom and a Japanese-style bedroom. The Western bedroom has a queen bed with bedside tables on both sides, but no power outlets nearby, which was a little inconvenient. The aircon is positioned right above the bed. The bed was comfortable, but the aircon was a bit finicky — it would turn off once it hit the set temperature and only come back on when it sensed a change. I contacted Machiya, and they were super responsive, sending a maintenance team to check the aircon. They even followed up with us afterward to make sure everything was sorted. Amazing service. The Japanese-style bedroom had two futon beds, and according to my friends, they were really comfortable. The aircon worked perfectly in there too.

Overall, we had an absolutely fantastic experience. The staff were incredibly friendly and genuinely cared about making our stay comfortable. The villa itself is beautiful, with a peaceful small bridge nearby and a stream flowing that looks stunning at night. I highly recommend staying here — it’s a wonderful, tranquil spot, and the service was top-notch. Huge thanks to Machiya for making our stay...

We had discovered this place on a neighborhood walk. It is located near the Shirakawa River, in Higashiyama-Ku. It’s great for walking to many sights of Kyoto, including Gion and Pontocho. It’s close to the Metro, and is good for taxis. We had good instructions to check-in and operate the various devices. Some of the instructions need to be clarified, but overall it’s great. The neighbourhood is quiet, and friendly. Round the corner are: Lawson’s, Daily, and Family Matt fit essential supplies. There is a French bakery 5 minutes walk away! The property is brand new, well equipped and air conditioned. The sound insulation within the property is also good. We took the full-service package, which was very comprehensive, and worthwhile. Overall, the stay...

Close to perfection, but...

First of all, excellent and superb service at check-in, as well as with luggage forwarding and taxi booking for morning of departure.

The house itself was beautiful and well appointed, in a serene and historic neighborhood. Cleaning was satisfactory.

However, there are all these tiny details that didn't make sense. Why make up the bedding on the one bed that's closest to the door instead of the one inside, and the bed that's between two windows at a time of the year when sunrise is at 4:30 am? And why is the "garden view" bathtub oriented in such a way that the user can't possibly sit back and enjoy the much vaunted view? Details like these are what separate the passable from the good and truly great,...