Hotel M’s Est Shijo - Karasuma

They were really kind when I lost an expensive camera in my room and returned it to me. The service was great, and the hotel was very clean, nice, and modern. It’s in a great location too. My only complaints are that the beds felt a bit stiff, the soundproofing could be better, and the rooms are small. I’m giving them five stars for the service.

The location is amazing and the staff were friendly and accommodating, but I found drain flies in the rooms. The bathroom water drains slowly, which probably causes them. They moved me after I reported the bugs, but two more tiny ones showed up in the new room. The rooms are cramped, the walls are thin, and the toilet seats aren’t heated. Some rooms have frosted windows too, which seemed like a weird choice. I guess you get what you pay for lol. Edit: The WiFi is bad as well, especially on the higher floors. The small rooms and thin walls are understandable at this price.

The self check-in was incredibly easy, and the sleek, modern design was great. Hotel The M’s Kyoto is a short walk from Karasuma Station, and the rooms were spotless, quiet despite the central location, and consistently stocked with all the amenities we needed. Fantastic value. I’ll book M's again and highly recommend it.

Nishiki market is about a five-minute walk away, and 99% of the vendors open after 10am. There’s plenty close by too: 7/11 across the street, Family Marts around the corner, ramen and Yoshinoya udon next to the hotel, and Armani Exchange and Louis Vuitton within walking distance. Staff spoke English and Japanese. On the first floor there’s a water station, ice station, drink vending machine, microwave, laundry, and a room just for smoking. Laundry costs 400 yen and 200 yen for wash and dry, payable by app or coins. Give the dryer 90 MINS. I didn’t see free breakfast or an in-hotel restaurant. There’s also a 200 yen per person per night fee for international travelers. The hotel can receive luggage, but can’t transfer it to your next hotel. For that, walk five minutes to a Yamato Transport business and they can do it.