Fujiya Ryokan — Local services in Kyoto

We only had one day and night in Kyoto and wanted to experience some traditional Japanese lodging. The reviews of Fujiya Ryokan were good so we booked it online.||||We were very happy with our stay and would recommend it if don't mind venturing out of the"hotel" box.||||It was only a 5 minute walk from the train station and not hard to find (it's in an alley just off a main street). The owner (Nato?) greeted us with a smile and gentle Japanese hospitality and showed us where our room was up stairs (be careful they are steep and the slippers are slippery!) She spoke enough English that we understood each other. A smile goes a long way!|||| We left our luggage in the room and then went out sightseeing. In the evening when we returned she had set up a traditional tea and "cookie" service for us in the room on the low table... it was really nice!||||The room was quiet during the night and the temperature was fine. The rice mat floors and futons were comfortable and made our experience very memorable.||The bathrooms were clean and even though they were shared with other guests we never had to wait in line :-).||||Checking out was easy (we left at 8am) but it was a good thing I had asked when we checked in about credit cards... Booking.com's web site showed that they accepted credit cards... but she said they didn't so we had to go to an ATM (nearby at the Lawson convenience store) to get cash. Our cost was $141 for 2 adults and our 14 year old daughter.||||All in all it was a fun place to stay... and the cat is...

We only had one day and night in Kyoto and wanted to experience some traditional Japanese lodging. The reviews of Fujiya Ryokan were good so we booked it online.||||We were very happy with our stay and would recommend it if don't mind venturing out of the"hotel" box.||||It was only a 5 minute walk from the train station and not hard to find (it's in an alley just off a main street). The owner (Nato?) greeted us with a smile and gentle Japanese hospitality and showed us where our room was up stairs (be careful they are steep and the slippers are slippery!) She spoke enough English that we understood each other. A smile goes a long way!|||| We left our luggage in the room and then went out sightseeing. In the evening when we returned she had set up a traditional tea and "cookie" service for us in the room on the low table... it was really nice!||||The room was quiet during the night and the temperature was fine. The rice mat floors and futons were comfortable and made our experience very memorable.||The bathrooms were clean and even though they were shared with other guests we never had to wait in line :-).||||Checking out was easy (we left at 8am) but it was a good thing I had asked when we checked in about credit cards... Booking.com's web site showed that they accepted credit cards... but she said they didn't so we had to go to an ATM (nearby at the Lawson convenience store) to get cash. Our cost was $141 for 2 adults and our 14 year old daughter.||||All in all it was a fun place to stay... and the cat is...

We arrived a little late in Kyoto tired from our round trip. It was convenient to be so close to the train station. That neighborhood is not the most historical experience and I wish we did the effort to go a little further in town right away since we were not staying a long time. ||The minimum was there ( clean common areas, fresh towels, yukatas available and hot water and tea) We did not have a breakfast, we had a curfew and were asked to check out 5 minutes before it was suppose to happen without any notice the day before, we kindly asked about where to smoke and clearly felt like it was bothering her but the next day I smelled owners smoking in their private area close to the shower so there was clearly a double standard. ||I almost felt like some sort of racism but I wish I don't have to go that far since we did not had this feeling for the entire trip, well let's say We did not feel so welcomed which is suppose to be the case in a GUESThouse. Did not really appreciate the experience. Had much much better in this beautiful country. I don't recommend this ryokan since there are so many...