Kyoraku Ryokan — Local services in Kyoto

This Ryokan is a few minutes walk away from Kyoto Central station and is situated on a side street just off the main roads.||||The owners are lovely and polite people, mostly keeping to themselves but are very willing to assist when asked. Though be aware of the fact that this is a family run inn - there are plenty of rules set out by the hosts so that they can manage the inn and rooms. Some of these were having to be back by a certain time at night (otherwise you’ll need to buzz the door to get in – I’m guessing to wake someone up to allow you entry), having to leave the room during a certain time each day (10am to 3pm I believe) to allow the rooms to be cleaned, not being allowed to have any guests over (otherwise you could jeopardise your stay) and having the washer/dryer available only during certain times of the day. While I can understand some of these, others came off a little heavy handed and can make someone feel like a child.||||Everything, and I mean everything, has an English label on it (kettle on and off, air con usage etc), so this would be a great Ryokan for someone’s first visit to Japan as it is very accommodating to tourists and none Japanese speakers.||||The room itself was very clean and well looked after. The private bathroom has a toilet (no bidet) and a bath/shower combo – the ventilation could be better though as it does get very stuffy inside the small bathroom.||||Futon’s were comfy and sheets provided were clean, the wardrobe is big enough to stash at least two big suitcases inside, there’s also a little fridge to store food and drinks in and a small TV is right next to it, the necessities are all there for a place to return to after a full day of exploring the area.||||We were initially lucky due to the Ryokan having fewer guests, but we later found out just how thin the walls were - we had two Chinese girls stay in a room next to ours for one night and we could hear them all too clearly. It also didn’t help that they didn’t have an inside voice at midnight either…||On the topic of noise, while initially happy that this Ryokan was located on a side street – meaning no traffic noise, you will still hear ambulance and police vehicles often and these echo very loudly down these side streets.||There is a nearby temple that often sounds a gong/bell in the early hours of the morning, for light sleepers this would be enough to get you up at 6am.||We also had some rain and heavy wind, the latter caused some sheets of metal to scrape against each other on a nearby building - this was so loud it also made it harder to sleep. Not the fault of the owners of course, though sound proofing is clearly not present.||||Overall a very conveniently located and well looked after Ryokan that’s traditional enough to impress both newcomers and...

I had a great overall experience here. I was looking for something close to the train station at a reasonable cost. Everything else i had looked up was tons more cost-wise. This ryokan is located about a 5 minute walk from the Kyoto main station, which was convenient for me given i was travelling with a lot of luggage. They don't accept late check-ins (my flight was arriving at around 11pm). ||||That said, it's very basic. A very clean room with a small tv, no view, tiny restroom (no space to comfortably put a toiletry bag), normal sized shower, small fridge, small desk, and a fold-out futon to sleep on. The futon itself was comfortable enough. They're also nice enough to provide you with a electrical outlet converter || - a nice benefit given that my last hotel did not and it came in handy because i had forgotten mine for my computer. Wi-fi however, was very weak and spotty which sucks for doing research of things to do around the city, which is why i docked a point for them - nowadays i feel this is essential for any place you stay in, especially a budget place like this for commuters (not meant to be a place to disconnect). Everything was fine and expected based on the price. ||||The owner of the ryokan was very nice - and speaks some english. He was always very accommodating and friendly. ||||Note that they do not offer food services there. They also prefer you return to the ryokan by 11pm, however, you are able to return after that - you just ring the doorbell, but given that it's a small mom and pop shop, you're basically waking them up to let you in. Just something to consider. ||||Would definitely stay here again, but don't expect a lot...

An amazing Ryokan, I wish I had more than 2 days in Kyoto because I would have loved to keep staying here… Truly the peak of Japanese hospitality. Every little detail is thought of in advance. You really feel like you are being “hosted”. The staff are very helpful and kind. They explained everything and were always eager to help. The room had everything one could need. There was complimentary green tea provided along with a traditional tea pot and a tea cup. The bathroom was very clean and also had a bathtub. I never use bathtubs in hotels because of hygiene reasons, only showers, but for this one I made an exception :) The location is perfect, 7 minutes walk to Kyoto station. 2 minutes from a bus stop. Even though it’s very centrally located, it was very quiet. They stored my luggage from check out until I had to leave for my train which was very nice of them. Thanks...