Tabist Seiei Kyoto Kawaracho

ZERO OUT OF FIVE STARS. Our accommodation was cancelled through the Bookings.com website on the very day we arrived to check in. The hotel blamed Bookings.com, though I'm quite sure hotels are the only ones able to cancel a reservation after check-in time on the arrival date. There were no apologies, and they were full that night, so they couldn't offer us another room. We luckily found somewhere else, but the hotel didn't try to help us or even find a taxi to the new place. The way they handled this was rude and unethical. I doubt Japanese people actually run the place, as I can't imagine them treating customers like that. If I could give this hotel zero out of five, I would!

We booked through booking 6 months ahead, then booking notified us just 2 days before arrival that the hotel had overbooked. Reading the comments, it seems I'm not the only one this has happened to. Don't book here unless you want stress during your holiday.

The location was great, close to train stations, markets, and local restaurants. The rooms were small but clean, with towels and nice amenities. Still, those pillows felt like rocks, and the bed was a spine breaker. My back hurt so badly that one night I woke up crying after dreaming I'd broken it, and I was actually crying from the pain. I'm not exaggerating. Seiei Hotel, please change the mattress. I cried myself to sleep from back pain every night.

The location was the best thing about this place, really well situated. The room was clean and a good size, especially compared with Tokyo rooms, and the bathroom had plenty of space and a nice shower. The pillows weren't especially comfortable, but they did the job. There was no view from the room. The outside looks really nice, and inside is basic but still pleasant. Service was mostly self-serve; I only dealt with staff at check-in, so I don't have much to say about it. I'd recommend it.