Kyoto Umekoji Kadensho

The best moment for me was visiting the onsen very late, around 2-3 a.m. It stays open until checkout, and at that hour you can often have the baths almost to yourself. I also liked being able to swap bath towels multiple times when going in and out of the baths, and the breakfast pickles were surprisingly delicious. There are several baths to choose from, which was a lot of fun. I couldn’t tell from the private bath information whether they use natural hot spring water, so there’s a high possibility they aren’t natural onsen. If real hot springs matter to you, I’d prioritize the main public bath. The complimentary Yonaki Soba was less good than I expected compared with other Kyoritsu group hotels, but the eat-in area is small and they let guests take it back to their rooms, which was handy. The location is excellent for sightseeing. The hotel draws lots of international tourists, and during my stay there were also many young people on graduation trips and winter holidays, so it could be lively and sometimes noisy. Front desk service felt a little rushed and not especially welcoming. In the room, the entrance light switched on whenever someone walked near the door. Every trip to the bathroom at night made the room suddenly bright. The light switch was in a confusing spot, so the light stayed on most of the time during my stay. Guests can pick their yukata and pillows, which is nice, but quantities are limited, so check in early for more options.

The shoe routine was a unique experience: you take your shoes off, leave them in a locker, and exchange them for your room key each day. The hotel is about a two-minute walk from the station, which is very convenient. It has gender-separated indoor and outdoor public onsens, plus five private onsens on a first-come, first-served basis. The breakfast buffet was amazing, with all kinds of Japanese and Western food. I had a really great time and highly recommend it.

The five private onsen rooms are free to use, which made it a great place for couples to experience an onsen together. The hotel also has public baths. Tatami mats cover the whole hotel, so shoes go in lockers at reception. The rooms were spacious for a Japanese hotel and decorated in a relaxing style. Breakfast was a varied, plentiful buffet, but it gets crowded quickly, so go early. Awesome hotel with lovely rooms.

A really relaxing place to stay, with welcoming, helpful, friendly staff. Massages are available, though the displayed price doesn’t include tax. The buffet breakfast offers a wide range of Japanese and Western food. It’s close to the station and has tatami mats throughout, so you remove your shoes when you arrive and leave them in a locker. There’s a gender-separated public onsen and five private ones. The private baths can’t be booked, they’re first come, first served, so you may need to wait in a queue. I’d recommend staying here.