TSUGU Kyoto Sanjo by THE SHARE HOTELS — Hotel in Kyoto

This is a fine hotel with comfortable, well-furnished rooms and with quality breakfast available. It is well-located in the centre of Kyoto's boutique-y shopping district (Paul Smith, Aesop etc.). It is, basically, a good hotel. It does however exhibit a few of the problems that plague Japan's newer hotels for the well-to-do hipster set, namely a tendency to overdo things and a focus on image over practicality. We visited with an 18-month-old. We were not the only guests with young children, probably because this hotel is for some reason marketed on some sites as family-friendly. I suppose it may be, or at least no less so than most Japanese hotels, but it is not necessarily friendly for families with young children. For example, the breakfast area is located just past the front desk, down a very short set of stairs, meaning it was necessary to lift a pram down. For another, the front entrance is a big, very attractive set of metal doors. They are also very heavy, which makes getting in with a pram and/or luggage difficult. These are small issues but display a slight lack of thought when it comes to practicality, but again I don't think practicality is the point - the hotel wants to be stylish and cool, and to that end...

The Tsugu Kyoto Sanjo is a great option in central Kyoto not far from the post office. The industrial-chic rooms we had were small, but the beds were quite comfortable (especially the pillows -- a combination of feather and "pipe") with blackout shutters for the light-sensitive and jet-lagged! Our rooms had full baths, including standard Japanese soaker tubs and classic bidet toilets with heated sets; the washrooms were both a step up from the room, so those challenged by middle of the night mobility should be aware of this. Each room also had an air purifier, a very small (built-in) couch and table, but no desk. There are reading lights on both sides of the bed, always a nice touch, too. The English-speaking, youthful staff at the hotel were extremely efficient and capable, assisting us with forwarding luggage to our next destination -- the airport -- and arranging reservations when we were not able to do it ourselves. There's a huge range of toiletries in the elevator lobby as well as nice bathrobes/yukata which we took advantage of. The location of the hotel is excellent, too -- very walkable to Nishiki market, restaurants, and other attractions. Definitely good...

The Tsugu Kyoto Sanjo is a great option in central Kyoto not far from the post office. The industrial-chic rooms we had were small, but the beds were quite comfortable (especially the pillows -- a combination of feather and "pipe") with blackout shutters for the light-sensitive and jet-lagged! Our rooms had full baths, including standard Japanese soaker tubs and classic bidet toilets with heated sets; the washrooms were both a step up from the room, so those challenged by middle of the night mobility should be aware of this. Each room also had an air purifier, a very small (built-in) couch and table, but no desk. There are reading lights on both sides of the bed, always a nice touch, too. The English-speaking, youthful staff at the hotel were extremely efficient and capable, assisting us with forwarding luggage to our next destination -- the airport -- and arranging reservations when we were not able to do it ourselves. There's a huge range of toiletries in the elevator lobby as well as nice bathrobes/yukata which we took advantage of. The location of the hotel is excellent, too -- very walkable to Nishiki market, restaurants, and other attractions. Definitely good...