SHIZUTETSU HOTEL PREZIO Kyoto Karasumaoike

This is an honest account of my stay, based on comparing it with my actual experiences at other hotels in the same tier in Japan. They charged city tax but didn't provide a detailed receipt. My room type included a massage chair and foot massager, but the foot massager smelled so bad it was unusable. If it can't be cleaned properly, it shouldn't be supplied, especially since it takes up considerable space. The women at the front desk were quite friendly, but the men's service varied wildly. Calling some of them indifferent would be putting it mildly. At around 21:40 on February 28th, I asked a male desk staffer for two trouser-clip hangers. He went to the back office and returned with two ordinary ones. I repeated that I needed clips. He muttered under his breath, went back, then returned in under five seconds to say there weren't any. Even the regular hangers he first brought weren't like the standard ones in the room. From my seven nights there, and my stays in similarly rated hotels in other Japanese cities, the front desk work here seemed relatively easy. They don't even have to stand at the desk all night. The hotel imposes so many arbitrary special rules on guests, yet basic requests seem to be treated as a huge inconvenience. Travelers should know that I wouldn't use the hotel's courier service. There's a Japan Post courier point very close by. On the morning of March 4th, after checking out, I asked the front desk to send luggage to Kobe for convenience. It was one suitcase and a medium cardboard box with a not very heavy bag inside, going only within the Kansai metropolitan area. They charged me over 5000 yen. It seems unbelievable that filling in a Japanese address and making a call for such a simple shipment could bring around 2000 yen profit. At a Tokyo hotel, they arranged Japan Post delivery to your hotel, and a large suitcase cost only 2100 yen. As expected, I got no itemized explanation for this exorbitant courier fee. In a supplementary response to the hotel's reply, I listed the items and the official next-day Yamato Transport rates that should have applied. My 28-inch suitcase had total dimensions of 158cm, so it falls in the 160 size bracket at 2,510 JPY. A WEGO shopping bag packed in a paid shipping carton falls in the 100 size bracket at 1,530 JPY. Add the 260 JPY carton fee the hotel mentioned, and neither parcel was over the weight limit. What's the absolute maximum total cost on that basis? I chose delivery before noon the next day. Wouldn't Yamato Transport's service also give a 100-200 JPY drop-off discount (drop-off discount)? Is there really any need to nitpick about this? Don't use information asymmetry to pull dishonest tricks. I'll take the loss on the chin, but I'll still share the facts objectively with other international guests. After I said in an earlier review that the hotel barely responds to Chinese reviews but actively comments on a small number of non-English reviews from European regions, they quickly replied to this review of mine. While waiting at reception during check-out, I clearly saw a male front desk worker hurry out enthusiastically to help western guests who stepped out of the elevator with luggage. Chinese-speaking guests also arrived with luggage to check in, but the staff just watched from a distance. Fellow Chinese travelers can decide what to do.

We only stayed one night, but it was a fabulous visit. The hotel is a step away from Karasuma Oike subway station, the rooms are comfortable, and breakfast was really tasty. I'd like to stay longer on our next Kyoto trip.

Easy to find, with lovely staff who provided fresh water and towels each day. Reception has complimentary coffee, tea, water, and toiletries. The washing machine costs 400 Yen and has a pre-clean function. Double rooms come with massage chairs; I asked for one in our single room, and they lent us a foot and calf massager. It was a blessing after all that walking. I'd stay here again.

We had a great stay. The staff were professional and very nice. We chose the Eco plan, so there was no room cleaning, but fresh towels and PJs arrived in a bag outside every morning. Coffee was free all day, and the amenities were really good. They can provide a foot massager if you ask. Lots of small details made the room comfortable, including high-grade tea with a pretty tea set, a quality kettle, and sea salt for the bath at reception. Breakfast was lovely, with thoughtful touches like tofu in Sakura bowls and high-quality food. It was a nice start before heading out. Construction next door didn't affect us, even though our room faced it. The noise started around 10 and ended around 4, and we slept well. There are little shops, bakeries, and bistros nearby, though they open late and close early. The hotel is near the subway, but the closest exit has a long staircase. If you have luggage or tired legs, use the exit across the street with an elevator. Nishikei market is a 15-20 minute walk; Higashiyama takes around 45 minutes on foot, or you can take a subway or bus. It's not far by transit. We had an excellent stay, though it's a bit out of the way if your main area is old Kyoto.