Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kyoto

The room was spacious and had luxurious amenities, and the staff were kind and professional, doing everything they could to help. We spent Christmas in Kyoto with family, and choosing this hotel was absolutely the right decision. It combines a Japanese-style Ryokan with Marriott’s character, making it a nice option for foreigners who want to experience Japanese culture. Thank you for looking after our family so warmly.

The dinner chef deserves my sincerest compliments. I’ve eaten steak and meat at plenty of restaurants, including A5 Wagyu in Japan, and that strip steak in the coursed dinner was honestly the best piece of meat I’ve ever had. Seriously, so good. The staff were both personable and professional, and made us feel welcome from the minute we arrived. They took great care of us and went above and beyond. Sota gave us a little sake lesson during the complimentary champagne hour, and I had such a good conversation with Naota that we started worrying we were keeping him from his work. Yoshi, the wine expert at dinner, was friendly and fascinating to talk to as well. We felt lucky to have such wonderful staff.

We spent most of our time enjoying Arashiyama and the nearby activities, since there’s so much close to the hotel. It’s the nearest hotel to the bamboo forest, monkey park, and surrounding parks. Downtown Kyoto takes a 42-minute trip by Randen tram and then train, including the walk. The grounds are well kept, the restaurants were great, especially the fried chicken, and the staff were attentive. What stood out most was how silent and peaceful it felt, with no noise pollution at all. I had an incredible stay and highly recommend it.

This was an unfriendly hotel, and communication felt indifferent. In 2024/10, I emailed to confirm ground transportation from jr Kyoto to the hotel, but got no reply. I reported it to Marriott HQ, after which the GM apologized by email. Is it really that hard to make things right?