Ryokan Sawaya Honten — Local services in Kyoto

Wonderful stay - spacious traditional Japanese Ryokan with very friendly welcoming staff and wonderful hot pools / onsen. Lovely seating areas near all rooms with small gardens and koi pond. ||I'm told the hot breakfasts are great too - but I was at a conference that had plenty of food so I didn't try the Ryokan breakfast. If you're hungry at odd hours there is a Friendly Mart (Lawson? 7/11?) on the corner nearby open till 10 or 11pm - with fruit, candy, hot and cold food etc.||Be ready to leave your shoes at the front door on arrival. Fresh towels, tabi (toe socks) and yukata (cotton robes) provided every day and hot water available 24/7. ||Read the onsen / hot pool rules before hand (in room or look up on phone) for important information like no bathing suits, sit down to shower/rinse, no soap/shampoo in the pool. ||After making a few mistakes on the first day, getting around by public transport became easy. Sometimes google and bus stops say that a bus has already left but they mean it's supposed to have left. It might just be delayed by a stop or two.||Use ICOCA card on everything (train/bus) except for LOOP buses (couldn't work them out). SUICA card probably works anywhere too but if you get a Welcome SUICA at the airport on the way in (as I did) then you'll discover that it's different. Most importantly, the Welcome SUICA doesn't work on public transport outside of Tokyo. It also expires after 28 days losing all the money you loaded it with. However, you can use it as a payment card at most convenience stores. (I ended up using it at the Family Mart in Kyoto to buy snacks).||Best app for phones - SUICA balance check - although the balance info is often printed on your receipts/bus tickets. ||Also, ignore all the websites that say you don't need a reserved seat on Shinkansen but can sit anywhere unless the seat is claimed. That only applies if you have a Japan Rail Pass (not a ticket, or card). Also, you need to use both your local travel pass and your Shinkansen (express) ticket to get through platform gates. That's not exactly clear either.||Kyoto is beautiful and I didn't get a chance to do much sightseeing so...

Upon entering through the sliding glass doors you are transported back hundreds of years to a time long past, as you are greeted with a meticulously detailed reception area, and the kindest and most accomodating staff I have ever had the pleasure to interact with.

While checking in we were informed of all relevant houserules, before being lead to our wonderfully decorated room. From the full-room shower to the soft and inviting futons, everything was to our liking.

The breakfast the following morning did not disappoint, with a delicious, light and varied selection of interesting foods, including a small, traditional dessert. It is also worth noting each meal being unique in execution beyond the expected presence of egg, rice and a delicious homemade miso soup.

Oh, and please make sure to open your bedroom windows, as even the limited alley-spaces behind the inn itself seem to have had much thought put into their design and execution. Ours had a running stream with gorgeous living koy splashing around, adding to the atmosphere.

Lastly we’d like to thank Hiroshi for a wonderful stay. Thank you for being a part of our extended...

I will never forget our experience staying in this hotel. If you are a traveler who wants to experience a Ryokan-style hotel in Kyoto within budget, this hotel is the best choice.

Their hospitality and food are THE BEST. The room and en-suite bathroom are clean and neat. You'll get free rental yukatas and towels inside the room. They also give you free socks, toothbrushes, small drawstring bags, and toe separators (it's so unique).

They have separate public baths for men and women. And there is a pond with many carp and a room or two that faces the pond with different prices.

One of the staff tried to talk with us using Bahasa Indonesia. He showed us the three languages (Japanese, English, and Bahasa Indonesia) book he learns. He was so polite, and it was a good conversation. I couldn't thank him because it wasn't his shift when we checked out. Deep in my heart, we were so grateful to meet him.

I hope one day he can visit...