Ryokan Ohto

The location was convenient, near temples and a two-minute walk from the train station, with Kyoto station about 15 minutes away on foot. That was the only upside for me. The blankets seemed unclean and made me itch, and the AC units looked as if they hadn't been cleaned in more than a year or two. I was charged an extra 800 yen in tax, supposedly for “fraud protection,” but the reason wasn't clear. When I came back from a walk, my belongings had been moved. Nothing seemed to be missing, and thankfully I'd taken my personal documents with me, but staff entering my room and handling my things without permission was a serious privacy violation. They also took my room key three hours before scheduled checkout, while I was still entitled to stay. The experience was disappointing. I wouldn't return or recommend this ryokan.

The place has a distinctly Japanese folk character and is very conveniently located near the subway, Kamogawa Park, convenience stores and McDonald's. Everything else was good, but the WiFi in my second-floor room was so poor that I had to go to the first-floor corridor to get online 🥲. The quilt had been washed, though there were still some stains that need attention.

The owner was friendly and greeted me with “good morning,” and the room was fairly tidy, though we found a few strands of women's hair even though all of us staying there were men. I appreciated the classic Japanese atmosphere, which I hadn't experienced elsewhere, especially at such an affordable price. The pillow, though, had yellowish stains and looked unhygienic. I couldn't bring myself to use it, so I used my own towel and neck pillow instead. The microwave was dirty and smelled bad too, like the filthy one shown in the photo. I wouldn't stay here again and would rather pay more for somewhere else.

The location was good, but large suitcases couldn't go on the City Bus, so we had to take a taxi. We checked in around 7pm, and the front person was nice and carried one of our big suitcases upstairs. There's no elevator, and the staff speak only Japanese. As soon as we entered, two cockroaches ran under the tatami mat. The front desk person came up with a Dyson vacuum after we told him, but couldn't help. Then we noticed a stench, as if the room had been bombed for roaches, but it hadn't solved the problem. The bathroom was cramped, and the balcony's cracked concrete floor didn't feel safe to stand on. We got through the night, but woke with dry, sore throats from the chemicals in the air. We'd paid for three nights and left after one. Skip this place, save your money, and read more reviews before deciding.