MIMARU Kyoto Nijo Castle

We stayed for five nights, two adults and two kids, and would happily book again. My daughter misplaced her phone at the hotel, and the staff found it and kept it safe. They were friendly, spoke English, and gave us really good service. It was also easy to get to things nearby. No regrets.

We were in walking distance of Nijo Castle and Nishiki Market, and the hotel was a convenient base for the rest of our outings too. It took no more than half an hour to reach places by bus or train, with a train station at most a 10-15 minute walk away and a bus stop close by. The central location worked well for visiting the aquarium to the south, Nijo Castle to the north, Nishiki and Gion to the east, and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and the monkeys to the west. The room suited two adults and three little kids. They loved the bunk beds, and I found the mattress really comfortable. The pillows were all the same type but did the job. We didn’t use the kitchenette much, though everything we tried was in good condition. It was very clean, and having fresh towels each day made things simpler with the kids. It was also so quiet. I appreciated that we were placed away from other guests, since our small children aren’t always as quiet as I’d like. Everyone at the front desk was kind.

The room was huge, with lots of space for luggage. The bath was a good size and had a wall control for automatic filling. We had no trouble using the washer-dryer, and there were several English-speaking people at the front desk. A really good stay.

The front desk team were a big reason this was our favorite of the three hotels on our trip. We had plenty of questions about routes, and they patiently helped us figure out how to get where we were going. Their food suggestions were great too, and they were always kind. We’d stay again. There were five of us sharing one room. Japanese rooms can be a bit small, but this one had lots of storage and felt open. The bathrooms had been updated, and having a washer and dryer right in the room was useful.