Maru Izumiyacho

The house itself was beautiful and well located, but the price and sleeping arrangements felt unreasonable. For two people over four nights, we paid 530,000 yen, and the room is priced per person, so four people would pay over 1,000,000 yen. We booked because we wanted separate rooms and bathrooms, yet there were only two single beds pushed together. We asked to sleep separately by adding a futon in the Japanese-style room. The receptionist said it cost extra and had to be paid in cash, so I paid another 8,000 yen there. They moved one single bed and its pillows from a bedroom into that room. The shared bed had just half a blanket and one pillow, which felt really stingy. There was only one pillow per person and no extras. It seems unfair to charge per person, limit people to sharing a bed, and then charge more for separate sleeping space. The second-floor bathroom had no shampoo or shower gel. The bed by the washi paper window gets full light, and the Japanese-style room has washi paper around it with no curtains, so it’s not suitable for sleeping. There are also very few outlets in that room and no charging points, which would be inconvenient for a group. With only one shared single bed available, I wouldn’t recommend this room for multiple people.

The villa’s idea is to enjoy the experience precisely because it offers so little. Kyoto Villa MARU Izumiyacho sits by the Kamo River in Kyoto City, with views toward the Higashiyama Mountains, and is within walking distance of Hankyu Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station. The setting is beautiful by day and night, with seasonal views and careful architectural and artisanal details. There’s a refrigerator and microwave, plus free Wi-Fi, free self-parking, free bicycle rentals, and a terrace. Check-in starts at 3:00 PM and check-out is by 11:00 AM.