Toshiharu Ryokan — Hotel in Kyoto

Our stay was OUTSTANDING. An elder lady welcomed us, offered a sweet treat and a drink and explained a few things about the place. She was super friendly and kind, knew a bit on English and Spanish and we were able to have a fun chat with her. We needed a place to have dinner and she even made a booking for us in a nearby place with authentic japanese cuisine in which they didn't know English neither the menu was in that language. She booked us a couple of seats at the counter so we could see how the chefs were preparing the meals without us telling her this (she definitely knew what we were looking for). They will book your slot for your private use of the bathroom (1hour; 30 mins per guest). The bathtub water was prepared with herbs and smelt wonderfully. It was exactly what you needed after long days of tourism in the hot japanese summer. The breakfast was also wonderful and very tasteful. A young lady explained to us that her mum cooked breakfast for us. We felt part of a family. We wanted to buy yukatas and we asked a young lad that was working on the night shift if they had any to sell. He rang someone and showed us a couple. The following morning a young lady offered to take us to a nearby family shop where to buy them. She even carried one of our bags! The ryokan was beautiful and both japanese gardens (we had a private one in our room) were a dream. You could see how they were looking after them with love, constantly watering the plants. Upstairs there was a little library where you could go for a cup of tea and have some japanese sweets. The shared bathrooms have toilettries and towels. There was a hair-dryer inside our room. The fridge in our room was refilled daily with water bottles and soft drinks. The futtons were very soft and comfortable to sleep in. They will provide you with a yukata and slippers to walk around the place. Although it didn't bother us, there was a curfew between 11pm until 7am.

Arigato gozaimasu! We will...

Where hospitality ends, begins relentlessness

We spent the last few weeks crisscrossing Japan in search of the best boutique stays, and we thought Ryokan Toshiharu would be the crown jewel of our carefully curated list.

Let’s start on a positive note: I saw a lot of reviews complaining about the shared-bathroom situation. Honestly? We quite enjoyed the sento-like experience. Of course, you do need to like Japanese-style bathrooms. I also liked the little snacks in the common area and the Nespresso machine.

Now, for the rest.

First: The breakfast is wildly overpriced. I honestly don't know why anyone would go for it. The rooms, too, felt like they could use a bit of care. Ours had a hard pillows and the futons were placed right under the air conditioner. Still, those are details we could have easily overlooked… if it weren’t for the ryokan’s biggest flaw: they simply do not read the room. Literally.

It’s fine to hover if your guests are into that. Maybe some people enjoy being gently policed while on vacation. But here, we found ourselves tiptoeing around the staff like misbehaving teenagers. They took our room keys hostage, kept watch like sentinels, asked constantly where we were going (um, out?), and entered our room without asking.

The worst: you cant use the shower when you want to even if you are the only ones present there at that moment. Unless you booked a time at least 12 hours in advance, the shower room it seems is off limits.

If you enjoy spending $400 a night to feel policed, this might be for you.

Otherwise, maybe keep looking. Japan has plenty of gems that don’t come with...

Gorgeous, traditional Ryokan with amazing, friendly staff. Japanese breakfasts were stunning and set you up for a full day of sightseeing. ||Our family of four had the Aoi room, which has its own toilet and shower, and Tsuki room which overlooks the front garden. Both were cosy, clean and relaxing. While it was nice having our own toilet in the night I wouldn’t get too hung up on it. We never used the shower - the two shared bathrooms with showering facilities and traditional deep cedar Japanese baths, which easily accommodate two people, were kept impeccably clean and were oh so relaxing at the end of a long day of walking around shrines and castles. The booking system for these works really well. There are multiple toilets on both levels - all accessed by undercover walkways. On this basis I’d probably go with the Tsuki room over Aoi given its beautiful garden view. ||There are some lovely touches at Toshiharu - the reading room/library and the small, cosy breakfast room (which you can book in 30 minute slots) are lovely and decked out with fruit, snacks, coffee and tea. ||All in all a brilliant accommodation destination in Kyoto and well worth the experience for some traditional Japanese bathing and exceptional hospitality. Couldn’t recommend...