Andnext Holiday House

The apartment was spacious and very clean, though there were extra charges for everything: an additional futon, coffee pod, and car park, even though the apartment has parking. We negotiated and the parking fee was later waived. The location was okay, not too far from Kyoto Station, but the town side is quiet and might not suit everyone. The experience was okay overall.

Finding the house was easy, and it’s very close to Kyoto station. The owner was friendly and helpful, even letting us in early so we could leave our bags. Inside, it was extremely clean and had loads of space.

I stayed here in February 2023, and it was my first time renting a whole house while traveling abroad. It felt comfortable and homey. The quiet residential alley is less than a five-minute walk from the station, or about ten minutes from Kyoto Station at an easy stroll. We passed Don Quijote on the way, and I found the scenery more pleasant and relaxing than around Gion. The third-floor bedroom also looks out toward Kyoto Tower. Kyoto didn’t feel cold to me in winter, though maybe I’m just not sensitive to cold. There are Lawson and 7-Eleven nearby, handy for the late-night snacks we picked up every night. There aren’t many places around for regular meals, but being close to Kyoto Station means you can eat there. We had dinner at a nearby family-run restaurant on arrival. Ordering was on a tablet, so it was easy even without English or Japanese, and checkout didn’t involve much conversation either. For anyone who isn’t fluent in another language, there’s time to translate things in advance. The house is in a residential lane, so it’s very quiet. There are two small parks nearby as well. Self check-in was straightforward, with the host sending instructions ahead of time. There’s one parking spot in the front yard for an extra fee. The layout is a little unusual: downstairs are two connected tatami rooms and a toilet; the second floor has a toilet, living room, kitchen and washroom; upstairs are a bedroom and a separate tatami room. Both upper floors have balconies. The house is wooden, and the staircase is narrow, about one person wide. One of the ground-floor tatami rooms has been set up as a luggage room, which is a clever use of the space. It was a little inconvenient, but felt safer for both us and the house. The bathroom was incredibly clean, probably my favorite part since I’m fussy about toilets. Japanese bathrooms have air conditioning, so after a shower you have to step out into the one-degree weather to cool down 😂. We were traveling on a budget and brought only a few changes of clothes, but laundry for all six of us dried in less than a night. We’ll definitely come back when I’m in Kyoto with friends. I’m happy to share this place with anyone planning a trip here.

There were four of us in this three-story house, and we had plenty of room and felt really comfortable. We could cook over an open flame, and there were knives, a kettle and a washing machine. We’ll stay here every time we come back.