Shiki Shiki Higashiyama

It’s in a great spot and looks nice, but the room smelled really bad. The shower had flooded and was moldy. There was no insulation, so it got very cold, and sounds from the other rooms carried through.

The walls are almost as thin as the mattresses, and we could hear everything. Nobody seemed to follow the 10 p.m. noise curfew, and there wasn’t any staff around to help. We booked three nights but barely slept. After the first night, they apologized. When we had another night of poor sleep, though, the hotel stopped responding. If you’re looking to party and make noise until 3 a.m., this may suit you. Otherwise, stay elsewhere, because the staff won’t help when there’s a problem.

We’re staying here now, and the deluxe rooms are full of mold. The hotel has no staff on site and won’t refund guests for an unsanitary room. If you’re coming to Kyoto, don’t stay here. You’ll be disappointed.

The beds were actually pretty comfortable, but the room was damp, smelled strongly of mold, and had no proper ventilation. I could hardly sleep because breathing was difficult. There’s clearly a humidity problem. We’d booked three nights but checked out early, barely making it through one. Payment here was in cash, so we had to leave the full amount inside the room. After I emailed about what happened, the hotel apologized and refunded part of the stay. We paid the first night in full, half of the second, and nothing for the third. Their reply was polite and fair, but it doesn’t undo how uncomfortable the stay was. Honestly, I wouldn’t stay here.