Hotel Briller

The room we were given on the third floor had smoke from outside lingering in it, and the lobby, elevator, and hallway all smelled of cigarettes. My asthma was pretty bad, so I had to check out and find somewhere else. Thankfully, they refunded the stay.

We found the hotel clean, comfortable, and quiet, with friendly, professional, respectful staff. It’s a bit far from the main sights, but the calm atmosphere and reasonable price worked well for a budget stay. There’s a vending machine downstairs with drinks and water, along with a microwave and laundry facilities. The washing machine can sometimes leave an odor in the room. Tea and coffee are free at reception, which was especially nice in the morning. There’s also an extra charge of 200 yen per person per night, payable in cash or with a physical card. Google Pay and Apple Pay aren’t accepted, so bring one of those payment options along.

The room window looked out onto a wall, which wasn’t ideal, but the rest of the stay was really nice. The staff were friendly and helpful, and I loved the free coffee. There’s a washing machine and microwave downstairs, both handy to have. The hotel is also close to the train station and easy to reach from the rest of the city.

There were four of us, and we got two separate rooms next to each other, which worked nicely. The rooms are basic, just a room and a bathroom, but the size was fine and everything was functional. The bathrooms are small, though. I booked almost at the last minute and managed to get the last two rooms. For the price, I’d really recommend it. We spent a couple of days at another hotel in Kyoto and wished we’d booked this one instead. It’s close to Kyoto Station, so you can walk to the subway or train and head wherever you want.