Umekoji Potel Kyoto

One of the best hotels I’ve stayed in recently. The rooms are very spacious by Japanese standards—comfortable, stylish, and excellent value for money. The hotel is packed with facilities including an onsen, games area, music room, library, laundry, rooftop terrace, and a restaurant. There’s also a generous offering of free cocktails, soft drinks, and snacks, which really adds to the experience. It’s a little further from central Kyoto, but only a short walk from Umekoji-Kyōtonishi Station and a nearby bus stop, so it’s still easy to get around. If you don’t mind being slightly out of the centre, this place is a brilliant find.

Nice modern hotel with an attractive architecture and large comfortable rooms with a garden view balconies. There are also nice common spaces and revommendations on places to visit in Kyoto, excursions and cafes. On the downside - there is a busy railroad nearby and you will hear trains passing by at full speed from very early in the morning even with closed windows. The breakfast time ends at 10:00 and at 10:01 you will have someone remind you that you need to leave - not sure why it needs to be so strict in a vacation place.

Good: clean, new, spacious rooms, good location next to mrt and bus stop , value for money I guess The bad: I had higher expectations due to the good reviews. Was disappointed with the following; Essentially everything is self-service: amenities like comb, vanity kit, tea bags - you have to help yourself to them at the lobby. There are no complimentary water bottles provided in the room. In the name of environmental friendliness, they provide one empty glass bottle in the room which u can refill in the main lobby with water dispensers provided. They do provide coffee cups but no stirring spoons. Our room has no enclosed bathroom. The room thermostat seemed out of whack - it either became too hot or too cold. If you request for something eg spoon, you have to pick it up yourself from the lobby (self-service again). When I asked the hotel to help me call a restaurant for a reservation, I was initially turned down twice and asked to use my own hotel phone to call the restaurant myself but that it will incur extra charges.. I was thoroughly confused because I thought that this is quite a standard simple service most hotels can provide for their overseas guests. On further inquiry, The staff cited that they cannot give the hotel number to book the reservation so they asked me to call by myself. I explained that they can give the restaurant my overseas phone number ?? After much insistence, the staff finally helped me to call the restaurant. The cleaning of the rooms are suboptimal - they do not replace your used tea cups with new, clean ones. It is very strange. It feels like a hostel to me but labeled as hotel. Very disappointing, feel like moving out :(