Rihga Place Kyoto Shijo Karasuma

The Wi-Fi was unreliable throughout our stay. Streaming even at 360p often wouldn’t work, so we ended up using mobile data to watch the F1 Australian Grand Prix. The room was noticeably dirty too, with a lot of dust under the bed that was still there after we asked for a full cleaning. The air conditioning unit was in poor condition. Breakfast looked appealing, but the food was bland and the options disappointing. All the fruit was canned, not fresh, and the coffee machine served instant coffee rather than fresh bean coffee. After trying it once, we went to the nearest 7-Eleven for morning coffee. I’m not sure why people give this place four stars when there are much better options. If we return, we’ll probably choose the Comfort Hotel we stayed at in Tokyo, which was significantly better for almost the same price.

The rooms felt comfortable and relaxing, with more space than the cramped rooms you often find in Japanese hotels. The hotel was spotless and well maintained, with very friendly, helpful staff and convenient laundry service. Breakfast was high quality, with both Japanese and Western choices. Its location made it easy to get to what we needed around Kyoto. I’d highly recommend it to anyone visiting.

The hotel is nicely placed, less than ten minutes from several spots in the main part of the city, and close to the metro for getting farther afield. The rooms are small, but well put together and sufficient, and there’s luggage storage for your last day. It’s quite nice and reasonably priced, with a proper lobby where you can sit, something not every Kyoto hotel offers. Approved and recommended.

The made-to-order onigiri was the one bright spot at breakfast. The rest of the buffet was just so-so, and the coffee machine wasn’t very good. The location isn’t the best, though it is convenient. Front desk staff could use better English training. The room heating didn’t work smoothly, and there weren’t enough extra towels.