Good Nature Hotel Kyoto

I stumbled across this hotel while searching online, and it turned out to be a lovely surprise. The style is simple and tasteful, with a welcoming Zen atmosphere. Its standout feature is the dramatic, multi-story Green Atrium Wall covered in hanging plants. The hotel feels environmentally conscious and calm. Takashimaya and a major metro-train station are next door, and GION is a short walk away. Our room was spacious, contemporary, and well equipped, with a comfortable, home-like feel. The property also has several Michelin-rated restaurants with strong Tabelog ratings, along with a bakery and a small organic supermarket. The organic ice creams there looked especially tempting. I'd rate it a solid 4*+. My one wish is for more western news, business, and sports channels on the TV. With those, our stay would have been perfect.

We spent 14 wonderful nights in a spacious, beautifully equipped top-floor suite at Good Nature Hotel, and couldn't have asked for a lovelier place for our first trip to Japan. The suite had a Japanese-style wooden balcony with seating, overlooking greenery and Kyoto, and they even left fresh pajamas for us each night. The whole hotel was spotless, and the staff treated us with remarkable courtesy and hospitality. The location made getting around easy. Kyoto's main rail station was about a five-minute ride away, with Shinkasen bullet trains heading north and south, and frequent buses seemed to go everywhere. The hotel is centrally placed, too. It's a green, eco-friendly hotel, with organic, ethically sourced produce. We tried two of its six restaurants and cafes, from Japanese to Italian, and both the food and service were excellent. At Buonagio, the Michelin-starred chef cooks right in front of you at the counter, and does it beautifully. Breakfast had plenty of choices from around the world, with wonderfully courteous staff. In the room, we had a Bose Bluetooth speaker, Smart TV, iron, safe, Toto, and a glass partition between the bedroom and shower room that turns frosted at the touch of a button. A clever touch. Everything was so clean you could eat off the surfaces, even the floor. The service was outstanding, and nothing seemed like too much trouble. Put this hotel high on your Kyoto list. We can't wait to come back from not-so-sunny London. Thank you, Good Nature Hotel. Arigatou gozaimasu.

Even a week after leaving, we still remember this stay so fondly. The wooden and brass touches throughout made the hotel feel warm and cozy, and the staff were just as welcoming and helpful. They made check-in easy even though we had separate reservations for several rooms. Our rooms were comfortable and spotless, and the small touches for our special celebration really touched us. Getting around was easy, too: Gion and the river are within walking distance, and public transport is close by. We also loved how many vegetarian and vegan choices there were, from breakfast to the hotel's supermarket and restaurants. Huge thanks to all the staff for such a memorable visit.

The rooms were the best part: our large twin had a garden view, a great bathroom, and comfortable beds, and the staff were lovely. The location was also good. But the rest of the stay fell well short of what I'd expect from a 4- or 5-star hotel. Our 9th-floor room had been described as very quiet, but a big ventilation system directly above it made a deep, intermittent thrum all night. It disturbed our sleep and made the balcony unusable. The pajamas were wrinkled and comically oversized on someone 170cm/54kg, and one set had no ties. I asked for a small size and was told there was only one size. The other four hotels we stayed at in Japan offered neatly pressed pajamas and a choice of sizes. Breakfast was frustrating, too. The music was loud pop, the kind they’d already received feedback about, and it was hard to hear each other. The food was cold, and staff cleared dishes without cleaning the tables. At Erutan, the dining area lacked ventilation and our pizza arrived cold. The bar looked serene in photos, but it was bright and drafty, right by open doors, and chilly in late November.