Rinn Kyoto Station

They were especially helpful with luggage forwarding. Tell the staff when you check in if you need it, and they can fill in the form and contact your next hotel ahead of time. That was a thoughtful help since I had an early train after checkout. The staff were helpful and spoke English, too. It’s an easy walk from Kyoto Station. After long days on foot, I appreciated the leg-cooling sheets among the amenities. The room was spacious, though it doesn’t have blackout curtains. The sun comes up early in Kyoto, so an eye mask is useful.

We had a standard twin room and I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s right beside a yakitori restaurant, and from late afternoon until midnight the grilled-meat and smoke smell seeped in and made the room hard to breathe in. We asked to move, but got a room on a higher floor in the exact same spot. Staff suggested using the air purifier. The thin paper window panes had no curtains and let in the morning sun, which rises around 4-5am. The staff taped black paper over the windows to block most of the light, but then the room had little natural light during the day. There was also a light by the door near the toilet that came on automatically with no switch. Getting up to use the toilet woke the other person, so we slept badly. The rooms aren’t soundproof either, and you can hear people talking in the hallway, though for me that was the least of the problems. The toilet was small, even smaller than ones I’ve seen in Tokyo. The room itself was spacious, with two beds, a coffee table and two chairs. If you can get a different room, perhaps one with better reviews, the location is fantastic, less than a 10-minute walk from Kyoto Station and close to lots of convenience stores and restaurants. I also appreciated the free amenity kits, from bath sponges to foot patches, which were a godsend. All the staff were friendly and made the stay more pleasant. With the room issues we had, I’d stay somewhere else next time I’m in Kyoto.

Our queen-bed room felt much larger than the standard Japanese hotel room, and it was modern even with the traditional style. The hotel seems geared toward Western guests, with translations and other little extras. I expected more noise given the location, but it was quiet for us. The place was convenient and comfortable, and the staff were friendly.

I had to cancel my trip for personal reasons and explained that to the hotel. I understand the no-cancellation policy, but asked several times if I could change the dates and pay any extra cost. Nobody replied. They only cancelled the booking after my supposed checkout date, and I got no refund. I still haven’t heard back. I didn’t feel they showed any empathy, and it seemed like they were ignoring my messages and acting as if they knew nothing about my request. If nothing could be done, they could at least have responded. I would have accepted that, and this review wouldn’t have been necessary. The service says it all. I’ll never book this hotel again.