Stay SAKURA Kyoto Gion Miyagawa

A cozy, handy place to stay. The hotel is tiny, with fewer than 20 rooms, and felt very quiet. It's on the edge of Gion, about 2 km from Kyoto station, with plenty of convenience stores around 500 meters away. My room wasn't big, though it was surprisingly larger than most rooms I've had in Japan. I stayed two nights and there was no cleaning service.

We had a really good two-night stay, and the hotel even took our luggage from Osaka in advance and brought it up to our room. We could check in a few hours early, too. Our room was clean on arrival, the beds were comfortable, and the lighting felt nice. The shower room was spotless, and a curtain beside the sink seemed useful for friends wanting privacy while changing or washing up. There was no room cleaning during our stay, but keeping it tidy was easy. Only three rooms per floor meant little neighbor noise. It's on a quiet street, about a 20-minute walk to popular sights, 10 minutes to bars along the Tamakase River, and seven minutes to the nearest train station.

The staff were really friendly and helpful, and we slept quietly without hearing our neighbors. The room was spacious and nice. It was a short walk to downtown, but far enough away for a peaceful night. This was our third stay in Japan, and the biggest room we'd had.

Everything was clean and tidy, with all the room basics covered, even extra hangers for underwear. I hadn't expected a room this large for a Japanese-style hotel, so it was well beyond what I expected. If you're staying near Kyoto to explore Gion, I'd recommend it.