Hotel Monterey Kyoto

The room was quite good, but I lost my gold bracelet during the stay. On the second day, before going out for a kimono experience, I put my gold and jade bracelets together in a small opaque pouch inside my suitcase. The suitcase was open between the two beds. We stayed another night and checked out without checking it first because we were exhausted from traveling. At the next hotel I opened my luggage to put on the bracelet and found the gold one missing, with only the jade one left. I clearly remember putting them together in the pouch and never opening the suitcase while traveling between hotels. After talking it over with friends, we strongly suspected the bracelet was taken while the room was being cleaned. I contacted the hotel right away and returned to Kyoto the next day to file a police report. The hotel said there was no proof it had been lost there, and the cleaner who serviced the room had already gone home. They offered only to come with me to search the room again. We left our email and phone number, but heard nothing further. Please be extra careful with your valuables if you stay here. In my personal experience, Japan doesn't feel as safe as it did a few years ago, so I think it's best to stay alert and watch your belongings.

The hotel's location is great, and its interior is clearly aiming for a European style, with a Western-inspired restaurant and decor for foreign guests. But I was refused entry to the public onsen because of my tattoos. This happened in Kyoto in 2025, a city full of foreign tourists, many of whom have tattoos. I'm a foreigner too, and found it hard to understand why the hotel still enforces a policy that, to me, feels outdated and out of step with the international guests it seems to want. The contrast was frustrating: European-style design, a Western menu, and an “international vibe,” but a rule that made me feel excluded. In Europe, in my experience, nobody cares about tattoos. If the hotel wants to attract foreign guests, it should reconsider turning people away for something so normal around the world. It was extremely disappointing. I wouldn't stay here again or recommend it to anyone expecting even a basic level of modern hospitality.

The location made it easy to walk to attractions, and the onsen was very nice. I’m a light sleeper, but we hardly heard other rooms; when we did, a little white noise covered it up. I liked the pajamas, too. The thermostat and bath took some figuring out as a foreigner. It’s not really a bar, more of a fancy sit-down restaurant. No tattoos.

The 13th-floor spa was a great way to unwind after a day out. The room was nice for the price, and the markets are about a 10-minute walk away. Strongly recommend.