Agora Kyoto Karasuma

The room was clean and smelled fine, and I slept well. The showers and toilet were great. I liked that a sliding door hid the bedroom, which was handy if one of us wanted to go out while the other needed privacy. My family and I enjoyed this hotel more than any other place we stayed on the trip. The room was bigger than the one in Osaka, and the breakfast area smelled clean. Its modern design still felt like the Japan we had pictured, rather than just another hotel room. I don't remember every room detail. I had to put my rectangular suitcase at the end of the bed because it would have made walking difficult elsewhere, though it fit into the gap there. You may hear noise from neighboring rooms, as I suspect the walls aren't very thick. The complimentary morning food was simple, with only two bread choices, I think, plus a toaster, butter, and jam. My family especially liked the bread rolls and could eat quite a few for breakfast. The breakfast seating area was quiet and clean. Sometimes after a long day we'd sit there, and hotel guests can also have a pot of very hot broth for free. Family Mart is next door, with another mart across the road and a larger Life supermarket a few doors down. Life has lots of ready-cooked food, fruit, and dairy products. From across the road by Family Mart, you can walk past shops selling food, clothes, and fruit until you reach the start of Nishiki Market, where we had a nice day. We eventually got to the bridge leading to Gion by walking straight, though it was hard not to stop and check out all the shops and cafes. From the bridge, it's a 20-minute walk back to the hotel, or maybe 30 minutes if you're slow like me. The night view from there is amazing, looking over what I think is a cinema, with one busker playing music. I didn't get a chance to interact with the staff, though my family didn't complain about them either. There's also a currency exchange machine and a luggage holding area, which you need to ask the staff about.