Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Shijo

Most of the staff were friendly and helpful during my six-night stay. At check-in, a kind English-speaking woman in a Japanese Kimono was especially nice. My room was clean, the bed comfortable, and I got the member stay discount of 3000¥ for two nights. The hotbath makeup area had face cleanser, which was handy. Two things really bothered me. I wanted to use my member points for two breakfast tickets before leaving the next day, but staff said redemption was full. They also said breakfast would be very crowded on Sunday, even though I was just one person and breakfast runs from 6.30-10am. The hotbath makeup area's floor had too many hairs and the table had lotion on it, especially on Saturday night. If the hotel has a hotbath, staff should check that area regularly for the next guests. The men's Onsen kimono and slippers were shamefully undersized. There seemed to be just one size for both men and women, though other hotels can offer larger sizes for men and smaller ones for women. The toothbrush and comb were too hard and rough, and breakfast had only one or two fruit choices.

We stayed with my parents from December 4 - December 9, and the patience and service from everyone at Mitsui Garden Shijo made it a wonderful visit. It’s a quiet hotel in a great central location, with good facilities. The front desk and email support staff helped us with several things: they called a local restaurant to make a reservation for me because its staff couldn’t speak English, helped us contact the local lost and found after we left a backpack on the bus, and arranged to ship our luggage to the next destination. I don’t know everyone’s name, but Okazaki san was one of the staff who helped. I’m sincerely grateful to all of them for accommodating us. I’ll definitely come back to Mitsui garden shijo when I’m in Kyoto again.

The staff were helpful, and the rooms were nice and clean. I enjoyed the superb breakfast and the public bath, and having laundry on site was convenient. Restaurants, a shopping district with a Pokemon store and huge bookstore, a supermarket, and a pharmacy are all within walking distance. There are a couple of historic temples close by, too.

We booked a triple room, and it was spacious and clean. They cleaned it every day, and the breakfast was delicious. There’s a public bath for guests, plus coin laundry, a vending machine, an icecube maker, and free water in the lobby. The nearest subway station is Karasuma. The staff were very nice and helpful 😍. I’d stay at another Mitsui Garden Hotel on my next visit to Japan.