Peace House Sakura

For 56 €, I wouldn’t stay here again. There are better, cheaper places in Kyoto. The bathroom took several minutes to produce hot water, and there was no drinking water or towels. When I arrived around 1 a.m., the entrance code didn’t work and there were no clear instructions. The bed hadn’t been made and had several hairs that weren’t mine. There were bed bugs too, and I filmed it all as proof. When I told the manager, all he said was, “Ah, sorry. I can’t do anything for you.” This place doesn’t meet Japanese standards. It’s managed entirely by foreigners, and the service didn’t show the care and cleanliness I’d expect in Japan.

I’m still covered in bites, and now I’m worried bed bugs could travel in my luggage and spread. Previous reviews had mentioned them, and there clearly haven’t been steps to fix the infestation. The staff and owner don’t seem to care at all. At checkout, I asked for a refund. The manager kept sighing and took ages to find his boss’s contact details. I had to deal with booking.com customer service and received only about $20 back. What a joke. Don’t stay here. I’d recommend somewhere else in Kyoto.

The good parts were the location, the room size and view, and the heating, which worked very well. But the beds were so hard they felt like the floor, and the pillows were flat and lumpy. Shower gel and hand soap were watered down to the point of being useless when they weren’t empty. The walls are paper-thin, so you hear everything. There’s only one toilet and shower per floor. The other guests this week were disgusting. There was piss on the toilet seat, shaving hair left all over the sink, and hair and spit in it too. Everyone staying here was over 18. Seriously, what is wrong with you?

The host was welcoming and gave helpful lunch suggestions. The location is good, with lots of tourist spots nearby. For very budget travel, this is good quality. The rooms are simple but comfortable, with good air conditioning, and each floor has a toilet, shower, and sinks. There are lots of stairs, and the beds are traditional Japanese futons on the floor, so it won’t suit someone with mobility issues. There was a bit of a communication breakdown when we weren’t getting emails, though it didn’t seem to be the host’s fault.