Kikokuso — Local services in Kyoto

Overall: If you are searching for a traditional ryokan experience in the heart of Kyoto, look no further than Yadoya Kikokuso! It was our first time in Kyoto, and staying here was the highlight of our time here. It is our home in Kyoto and we will return here each time we come back!

Booking: I used booking. Com to reserve this accommodation. The hosts communicated prior to my arrival via the app about my arrival time and house rules. Everything was very smooth!

Hosts: The ryokan is run by the kindest couple, whose family has been operating this inn for 3 generations. I don’t speak much Japanese and they don’t speak much English, but we were able to understand each other perfectly.

They greet you each morning and evening as if you’re a family member and lend you an umbrella because rain is in the forecast. The love and care they put into running the ryokan and making sure the guests are having the best time possible are unparalleled and rare.

Location: Conveniently located in the center-west, everything is easy to get to via bus and metro. There are multiple bus lines that take you to major destinations. It’s a 15-20 min walk from Kyoto train station. If you’re not in the mood for walking/public transport, hailing a taxi to go to most popular destinations around town are all under 15 minutes.

Ambience: I’ve never stayed at a traditional ryokan before, but I’d imagine it’s exactly this. There’s even a koi pond/yard that you can see through the window. The rooms are lined with tatami (shoes off!) and you sleep on futon (mattress pads with a down comforter) every night. The windows and doors are paper-lined, so please take care when opening/closing.

The hosts asked us how we slept after the first night, I said ahh the futons took some getting used to because of our American backs, but I’m sure we’ll acclimate soon. That night, I saw that they gave us 2 more mattress pads each to make the futon more comfortable. It was so kind and so thoughtful!

Amenities: In our suite, we had our own shower/tub wet bathroom and a separate toilet room. There is a very cool larger bathtub/ofuro that you can use as long as you tell them ahead of time and reserve a spot, since it’s shared with all the guests. The room has heat/cool air conditioning unit that you can adjust to your liking. Every day, the host puts our hot water bottle and tea leaves for us in our living room. There’s a TV, hairdryer, toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash, and shampoo.

Meals: You can request for dinner/breakfast, but since it’s only the two of them running everything, they might not be able to handle all requests. We had breakfast there one time and it was a special, homey experience. Just let them know ahead of time so they can best prepare for your stay.

Rules: Like others have mentioned, there are house rules that you usually don’t see at a hotel. Curfew is the biggest one - the front doors are locked from 11 pm to 7 am. This is because there are only two of them and they also live on the property. For security reasons, they lock up when they rest. It was not a problem for us as we don’t usually stay out late/get up that early.

They also can’t store your luggage after checkout because they have very limited space. Kyoto station has coin lockers for your luggage if needed. I planned so that our train arrives after check in and morning of checkout so our stuff is with us the whole time.

Conclusion: If you want a homey, traditional ryokan experience in Japan, this...

This is one of the few places I've felt compelled to review. This was my first experience at a ryokan and the family running the business made it an unforgettable experience. The property is very small, only a few rooms, and our room overlooked the beautiful garden with a koi pond. The room was nice and had a balcony with doors that opened up to the garden, it was a great place to relax. The bathtub had a nice setting and can be reserved. It's only a 10 minute walk from the train station as well, so the location is great.

The food they made was incredible! The Japanese-style breakfasts were included and were delicious. We also got the kaiseki dinner one night, which was absolutely fantastic and was a fraction of the price of what you'd pay at the famous restaurants, and we had a private room to ourselves!

Most importantly, the family running the establishment (I believe an older couple, their son, and his wife) worked so hard to make sure we had a great time. They were incredibly friendly and helpful and spoke enough English for us to get by. When we left, they all stood outside to see us off until we rounded a corner down the street! Such great people who really care about their guests.

If you're looking for a great place to stay, this is it. The service alone is head and shoulders above any other hotel I've been to. Stay here for the beautiful setting, great food, and warm friendly family...

If we could, we would've give the place 10 out of 5 stars!!!

We planned to experience authentic Japanese hospitality and we received that and so much more! The owners are the most amazing people who made us feel at home (they'd say "welcome home" every time we came back from exploring Kyoto).

The house is the most beautiful place we ever stayed at, and even though there were other guests staying, we felt we were the only ones with the friendliness and helpfulness of the owners. Every time we left the room, when we came back it was tidied up and fresh green tea was waiting for us on the table.

Yes, there are rules the owners ask you to observe, but so every single hotel in the world has them (and these were made very clear before we booked and on arrival).

It's a shame we only stayed 2 nights, as we could've stayed there for weeks. It was tranquil and beautiful. We were having Japanese style breakfast with a view of a stunning Japanese style garden and a pond with Koi fish.

The room (apartment) we stayed in was spacious, comfortable, clean and really quiet.

The ryokan is a short walk from Kyoto station, Schichijo station and in about 20 minutes you can walk to Gion. There are plenty of buses few minutes walk from Kikokuso as well.

Thank you for making our stay such an amazing experience and for making us feel at home. We will definitely stay again, if we visit Japan...