平安宮内裏の宿 — Local services in Kyoto

The short version is that the place has a great location, is large and spacious, and has everything you need. A big group can stay here without feeling cramped. Unfortunately, there are many things that don’t meet expectations. This is definitely not a bad place to sleep. We were torn between giving it 3 or 4 stars, but ended up with 3 because we’ve become used to spotless accommodations earlier on our trip.

First, the positives. We got a warm welcome, and service is easily accessible. There are tatami mats in all rooms. There are toilets both upstairs and downstairs. There are 5 rooms that can be rearranged to have bedrooms wherever you prefer. The kitchen is relatively well-equipped. There’s a lovely private garden. There’s also a super handy "garage" where you can store bikes and umbrellas. Towels are replaced and trash is taken out daily.

Unfortunately, there are many issues with cleanliness. There was a large amount of visible mold on the bathroom walls. We mentioned it, and the bathroom was disinfected and cleaned the same day. All the mold appeared to be removed. Judging by the chlorine marks, this has happened before, and they said it’s normal for the season. The service to resolve it was excellent. The kitchen sink is dirty. Some days, trash is taken out and towels and supplies are neatly laid out; other days, everything is just thrown into the bathroom in a big bag.

One of the rooms faces the street. We’re used to thin walls and windows in Japan, but here we constantly have to check if the window is open—it sounds like it is. The glass panes are loose and rattle in the wind. There are no blackout curtains, so don’t forget to bring a sleep mask and earplugs. Upstairs, there's a large room that can be partially divided with paper screens, but it’s open at the top—probably because of the low ceiling. That’s a big drawback, as it’s quite dark up there and the support beams are dark too, so we hit our heads hard...

Reviewing heritage buildings is always tricky as you need to separate the fact that it is an old structure from what you expect from the hosts. Since a lot of the following will sound like criticisms I will state up front that I enjoyed my stay. It is about as close to being a fully traditional living experience as you are likely to find in Japan. It is centrally located between the different sites you will want to visit. It's also quiet which is nice. Everything was clean as well.

So, that out of the way, let's talk about the shower. It's clear controlling moisture is an ongoing struggle. There is evidence of black mold and a fan has been set up to blow air around. Perhaps due to the moisture, or a companion opening a window, we did find two cockroaches the first day there. That was the extent of the bug problems we had which is pretty good considering Kyoto is an ideal habitat for all sorts of insects. There are probably options for fixing this. The shower is already the least traditional room in the house so there really isn't a look that needs preserving there.

Also, for whatever, reason I found navigating the streets to and from the accommodations difficult. It is in a neighbourhood of rather similar structures and there is a lack of notable landmarks to navigate by. Having a phone with a map app is a good idea.

Service was good. They dropped off new towels each day and the garbage was taken. They supply two bicycles for guest use which is nice. They also supply umbrellas.

(Pictured) Table is very solid and didn't collapse under friend's limitless Otaku...

This is a beautiful place to stay in a quiet, comfortable neighborhood. It’s nestled in a convenient location: close enough to all of the popular attractions, but far away enough to get a good nights sleep. I went with 4 of my adult friends and we enjoyed the spacious place all to ourselves. This is a luxuriously large accommodation for Japan so far. The staff are extremely accommodating, offering us advice, extra towels, waters and toiletries. The property has a couple bikes, which were convenient for getting around to the several nearby convenience stores. They also had umbrellas which came in handy when it rained a bit on the first two days of our stay. The garden was beautiful, though the mosquitos were a nuisance. Thankfully the property already had a few cans of bug spray(repellent) ready for us. Overall...