<Kyoto Machiya Kouhaku>Musha

For our family of five, the house was spacious and comfortable, and everything was very clean, including the linens. The host speaks Chinese and replies quickly. We could leave our luggage until 12:00 PM on both check-in and check-out days. There’s a big refrigerator, plenty of dishes, and two pots. Almost the whole house has underfloor heating, including the bathroom, which makes winter easy. The hallway is the exception. It’s a long, narrow house. On the first floor, the entrance hall has room for five large suitcases. Past the paper door is the living room, then an electric heater like the one in Crayon Shin-chan. The toilet and bathroom are separate. Upstairs there are three tatami rooms and another toilet. The paper door is hard to open and close. The bus stop for the city is a 10-minute walk away. That’s handy in the morning, though the walk back with groceries can be a bit of a hassle. A 24-hour Fresco supermarket is right beside that stop, and the nearest 7-11 is also a 10-minute walk away beside another bus stop. Both make it easy to shop on the way home. I’d recommend this place if you don’t mind walking.

We stayed as three generations, and opening the sliding doors between rooms made the space feel bigger. The interior was very clean, and aside from the desk there weren't obstacles, so our one-year-old could play safely. Self check-in and check-out were convenient. For meals with an infant, a high chair with a safety belt is essential, but I'd recommend the place to families with children. The bathroom door didn't fit properly and wouldn't close.

It’s a snug guesthouse in a fully renovated traditional townhouse, and a nice pick if you’re interested in residential architecture. The facilities are modern and still very clean, and you can have a bath in the cypress tub. There’s no parking lot, but you can pull over on the nearby street to unload luggage. The coin parking lot is 300m away and easy to find. There are hardly any chairs or tables, so you’ll be sitting most of the time.

I chose it because the photos caught my eye, and in person it really was beautiful. The staff had switched on the room lights and air conditioning before I checked in, which felt very kind. I also really liked the cypress bath.