Kyoto Ryokan The Kinoe Guest House

Our five-day stay at Kyoto Tyokan was very expensive, and everything about it left us disappointed. We requested food a month before arriving but still didn't get any. No point arguing about it. We're not coming back and definitely wouldn't recommend it. Thank you for replying, though.

Being in Gion was a real plus. We could walk to Yasaka shrine, Sannenzaka, lots of other places, and plenty of nice restaurants. The rooms were nice, and I enjoyed the public bath. But if you book through a third-party site like Capital One travel, apparently dinner or kaiseki isn't offered, and the hotel doesn't mention that. People booking a ryokan experience are obviously looking for kaiseki too, so missing out was a huge letdown.

My mother was tired when we checked in and just wanted to stay in for dinner, but there wasn't any food available. I also found the staff very unaccommodating. The room was small, and the website photos don't show its size well. Having to take off our shoes before checking in, with no water in the room, felt too strict and traditional to be practical. On my third Kyoto trip, I decided to try somewhere new after being very happy at Watazen Ryokan, and I was very disappointed with the location, service, and room size.

Room 101 had a pleasant garden view, but there was no way to go directly into the garden. The room stayed quite cold because the heating didn't warm it enough, and with no door between the lobby and the rest of the ryokan, I could hear people coming and going. That interrupted the otherwise peaceful feel. The location is lovely for exploring the city, and the front desk service was excellent, especially from the friendly young woman who welcomed us. For the price, I expected somewhere more comfortable and quiet. There were good parts to the stay, but the place could do more to meet the cost and expectations for this kind of ryokan.