Hyatt Regency Kyoto

The hotel is nice, with a good gym, and I had a great massage at the spa. It’s a little outside Kyoto’s busy areas, which suits me because it’s quiet. My only complaint is dinner at the lobby restaurant tonight. My wife and I ordered with the waitress, but my Japanese burger never arrived. I waited a long time before asking her about it. She said she’d forgotten to place the order and didn’t seem to care. I turned down her offer to order it then, because it was too late and the other restaurants required reservations, so I left hungry. I was very disappointed, especially as this was my first poor service experience in Japan. They could at least have offered something for the inconvenience. No one seemed to care. Good night. Otherwise, I’d recommend the hotel as long as you get a good waitress.

Food and drink prices are the weak point here. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even simple desserts felt priced far above the local market, at full premium international rates without the value to match. Desserts can be around $40 per person, while nearby cafes offer better choices for much less. As Hyatt Explorist members, we also got no recognition or perks, not even an acknowledgement or notice that made the status feel meaningful. The issue is the corporate pricing and status policy, not the staff, who were consistently good. The property itself is well managed. Staff were professional, attentive, and helpful, the rooms were comfortable and clean, and the small gym was well maintained. A solid four-star stay for the service, rooms, and facilities, though the weak value and lack of Explorist recognition kept it from feeling like a five-star experience.

We slept better here than anywhere else on our Japan trip, thanks in part to the dream of a super king-size bed. The room was spacious by Japanese standards and kept to a clean, minimal style that left plenty of room to move. Traditional kimono fabric behind the bed looked stunning, and I’m trying to have something similar made back home in Czech Republic. The bathroom was beautiful and flawless, with a separate shower and a very large tub. The bubble bath was wonderful, though I still miss the heated toilets. From our room we could see the white stone garden in the inner courtyard. We also had dinner one evening at the hotel’s Italian restaurant, where the chefs work in an open kitchen. The Japanese chefs made excellent pasta and antipasti. For another meal, Miyata Grill was an insider tip: I had what was probably the best meat in the world, Kobe beef, prepared with real care and at a surprisingly reasonable price. The hotel is modern and very clean, surrounded by greenery and almost directly across from a national museum. The service felt first class. I haven’t experienced guests being treated like royalty quite the same way in any other country.

The breakfast setup was confusing. One morning I ordered two fried eggs, then wanted to get the Japanese set after eating them, but the server said I couldn’t. It was only two eggs and a side dish, so that annoyed me. The next day I took two boiled eggs from the buffet and ordered the Japanese set. Go figure. The service was impeccable, and the free Globalist breakfast was good as usual. We were upgraded to a premium room on the first floor with great views and a short walk. It’s a classic, old-money kind of Hyatt in a quiet part of town. You’ll mostly need a taxi or bus to get around, though I walked to the main station twice. I’ll return at some point. My Kyoto go-to is Hyatt house for convenience, and Park Hyatt for a similar points cost but a completely different level.