Rinn Matsubara Takasegawa

If you've got money to splurge, this is a lovely place to stay in Kyoto. Lots of tourist spots are within walking distance. It feels like a traditional Japanese house, with a yukata on the bed, tatami floors, a small kitchen, and a nice bathroom. There's also a free phone with GPS for finding places to eat and visit if you don't have pocket WiFi.

🔥Honest Review The street outside was really pretty, the accommodation was close to the station, and there was a convenience store nearby. Having a private standalone unit was nice, but that was about it. The room has two beds, and I wouldn't recommend it for couples unless you sleep close together, or maybe you're both skinny. The self check-in was a mess. They said the check-in email would arrive at 10:30 AM on the day, but it never came. My calls went unanswered, they didn't check Instagram DMs, the LINE QR code didn't work, and nobody replied to my Agoda messages. I decided to go there in person, and luckily a staff member was around. I arrived at 3 PM, then got the email at about 3:08, after I'd already made it there. Even though I was put through all that trouble, headquarters didn't apologize at all and acted like nothing was wrong, lol. Their response was so poor I was speechless. From the first night, lots of bikers were riding around and it was noisy enough that I couldn't sleep 😢 That's it!

The duplex gave us the whole place to ourselves, which was great for splitting up our sleeping space. Downstairs had the living room, kitchen, and bathroom, and upstairs had a bed in one room and an ondol floor in the other. My parents loved the traditional Japanese home atmosphere. The neighborhood streets were quiet even with lots of bars open late, so it wasn't noisy with the windows open. It was also a fantastic location: around a 25-minute walk to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, close to Nishiki Market, about 15 minutes by bus from Kyoto Station, or 25 minutes on foot. There's a lot to like here, though I was a bit nervous before check-in because there weren't any photos or reviews. Self check-in gave us some trouble when the link they sent wouldn't open, but they fixed it quickly and we got in safely. I do wish we'd been able to leave our bags there ahead of time. Keep this place in mind if you're visiting Kyoto!

The kitchen had a hot plate that needed its own plug, rather than a gas stove or induction cooktop, which made it awkward to use. The sponge for washing dishes was the same one someone had used before, and the staff didn't respond at all when I complained. The sofa sagged and felt dirty, the floorboards were peeling badly, and the walls were grimy. There was a lot of dust in the upstairs bedroom area, and the bathroom towels were thin. The stairs to the second floor are so steep and narrow that you could easily fall coming down if you're not careful. Also, there's a sidewalk right outside, so you can't open the kitchen door by the dining table.