RIHGA Royal Hotel Kyoto

The shuttle to Kyoto station runs every 20 minutes, which made shopping there and handling our bigger bags easy. There are also water and ice dispensers on every floor, and you can arrange luggage delivery inside the hotel, though it’s cash only. The gym costs extra. For breakfast, you can choose between a varied buffet and a set meal on the 14th-floor observation deck. The hotel is large and very well placed near train stations and shopping centres. It feels a little old from the outside, though the interior has been renovated. It’s quite luxurious for the price, but the bedding wasn’t very comfortable.

The whole situation took about an hour and a half, and left us feeling misled and badly treated. We’d booked two rooms for one night through American Express, then called that morning to move the booking forward by a day and add another night. Kasia was friendly and helpful, and we agreed on a clear price for the extra night. At check-in we paid for both rooms, but could only get into one because not all the guests were there and the hotel required everyone’s passport before issuing key cards. When we came back for the second room, Minoda wouldn’t honour the price Kasia had quoted. She said we’d paid for only one room, even though the total matched two rooms and the same prices were shown online and on our American Express booking. We were told booking directly at the hotel costs more, but also that it usually isn’t double the online rate. Then they said this was an exception, which didn’t make sense. When we asked for a refund, they would refund only the extra night booked directly, not the original American Express booking. So we had to book two rooms online for that night, on different floors, then move again the next day into the rooms we’d already booked. We had to pack, change rooms, and be out between checkout and check-in despite paying for two nights at the same hotel. Even the room we’d already checked into had to be vacated for a temporary one. Poor service and no accountability. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

The rooms have an old-fashioned look, but they’re really comfortable. Downstairs, the entrance and ground floor seem to have been renovated and feel quite modern. It’s easy to reach Kyoto station via a pedestrian shortcut, and the hotel’s free airport shuttle to the station is especially handy.

The buffet was a mess: long lines, mediocre food, and empty dishes that weren’t refilled when we asked. Oranges were replaced with lemons, and it wasn’t even 8 a.m. The omelette station wouldn’t make any variations or cook one more. Coffee service was poor, and the broken toaster stayed broken. There’s more, but you get the idea. We booked a suite, but the room felt standard-sized and very dated. The TVs were small and not smart TVs. Being beside the train station meant hearing trains through the night, so don’t count on sleeping well. This doesn’t feel like a four-star hotel. For the price, I think you can do much better. I’d trade room size for better service and standards.