THE POCKET HOTEL Kyoto-Shijokarasuma — Hotel in Kyoto

THE POCKET HOTEL Kyoto Shijo-Karasuma REVIEW

I stayed at the Pocket Hotel from sun 14/5 to sun 21/5 and I had a very nice time in the hotel.

BEWARE! The check-in starts at 17pm! But they have a very nice lounge you can relax in, right when you enter the hotel. There’s also toilets, food and drink vending machines and a baggage area, where you can store your goods. When you check in, you get a card and a strap you can keep it in. There are six floors of rooms in this hotel, I was on the 6th floor and it was very nice, clean and quiet. On my floor, there were bathrooms and trash bins (compustible or bottles/cans) and bins to collect your used towels, bags, sleepwear. I really liked the feature, that you can only get into the bathroom, the shower area (1st floor) and/or the elevator IF you use your card - made me feel very safe during my stay.

I had a single room (look at pictures attached), it featured; a mirror, three clothing hangers, storage space under the end of the bed, air-conditioning, a night table with a tablet, where you can go on the internet or lower the lighting or go to suggestions about good places to go in Kyoto or play music (whatever you want), there’s also a night light and a USB charging plug and other plugs. Plus a little flashlight!

During your stay, you get a toiletry bag, where you can store your sleepwear (get on 1st floor), slippers, towel and your toiletries - you can leave your bag empty on the hook of your door in the morning, when you go out, and they will provide you with fresh towels👍🏼

The shower room was also really nice and clean (the women’s at least). There are big mirrors and tables, where you can do your skincare routine, brush your teeth and so forth. The shower stalls were good; you get shampoo and body soap included in your stay. In the women’s shower room, there’s also a washing machine (the detergent is included in the wash, so refrain from buying your own).

In the lounge area, where I mentioned that there’s vending machines, there’s also a microwave, a kettle, chopsticks, a water jug and trash bins. In the vending machines, you can buy anything from drinks, to cup noodles, to surgical masks, to pantyhoses. Also at most tables in the lounge, there are USB-plugs, so you can charge your stuff, while you relax. There’s also a TV, although it’s on mute.

Overall, I had a really great stay and would stay here again! The staff was nice, reserved (gave you your space), but were always helpful, if...

If you are looking for an honest review, please spend the time to read what I am about to write. First of all, I am impressed by this hotel when i first came in. Me and my girlfriend booked this hotel a year early and arrived on April 2nd in time for the cherry blossoms. We spent 4 nights and I will tell you of our experiences here.

The good ;

1. blazing fast wifi - I did a Speedtest and got 200mbps on download speed and 150 mbps upload speed
2. amazing location - Nishiki Market just a minute walk, starbucks just around the corner,7-eleven family mart or other convenience stores nearby Bus stations that takes you to most popular tourist destinations nearby Walking distance to the train station, shopping malls, restaurants
3. inside the room - controllable lightings and air conditioner through a tablet that is provided
4. bed feels very comfortable to sleep on
5. price is very good
6. a large lounge area for your meals, watch tv or socialize with other people
7. things that are provided - toothbrush and toothpastes fresh towels everyday (just hang your used towels on the doorknob outside and they will change it every morning at 10am free sized clothing can be obtained just before the shower room if you need any extra clothing

The bad;

1. Staffs speak little to no english, so sometimes communication can be difficult
2. two single mattresses were provided (we booked a Hollywood twin room), this isn’t necessarily a bad thing but for couples that likes to cuddle or spoon, it may just be.
3. no kettle to boil water - we tried to make some instant noodles but couldn’t get hold of any boiling water to cook it. Our alternate method was to use the hot water from the tap and put it in the microwave
4. tried using the dryer after washing our clothes, each drier session takes around 30 minutes to complete and costs 100yen per use. We tried drying our clothes four times and it still wasn’t completely dry

All in all, I have to say I am happy that we picked The Pocket Hotel to stay during our time in Kyoto and would definitely recommend it to anyone who has plans to...

Just checked-in to this wonderful hotel. Service staff were exceptionally friendly & the facilities was superb! Located within walking distance (10 minutes) from Shijo Karasuma station. (Exit #13). Check-in is at 3pm. There are 2 self-checkin kiosks. (English, Mandarin, Korean & Japanese). Extremely easy to use. Key card for females & males. Toilets & showers are fully stocked with toothbrush & toothpaste, shampoo & bath gel. Towels (face & body) & slippers are placed in a bag inside every room. You are also provided with a T-shirt & 3/4 pants at the reception. You can choose regular or small size. Food & beverage vending machines are located next to the reception counter. Budget to suit all travellers. Rooms come with high -tech system to adjust the lights, air-con, heater, TV, etc. Electrical sockets available inside the room. Big storage area for you to store your luggage. Comes with a locking system that requires an IC card. (ICOCA, Pasmo, Kitaca, etc.) Awesome food & drinks just around the corner. Update: (10 Feb. 2023). Was about to use the men's toilet on the 1st floor, however, the person before me missed the target completely! Dude, please aim properly! Your twig is shorter than you think! 😛 Update: (12 Feb. 2023). Just check-in again for 2 more nights. Still the best hostel overall in Kyoto. Highly recommended & maintain 5 stars. 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟. Update: (15 Feb. 2024). We're coming back once again to this lovely and wonderful hotel. The staff still remembered us from our previous stay last year and were very prompt with their email replies. Update: (16 Feb. 2024). Just checked into this wonderful hotel. The staff were just amazing! They still remembered us and our preferences. Strongly recommend booking the room with breakfast. Clean and comfortable and within walking distance to great food and...