THE MACHIYA VILLA: Sanjo Shirakawa Koji

The Kaze villa was stunning, a little taste of Japanese tradition for our stay. It had a relaxing lounge and all the facilities we needed. The bathroom and shower were amazing, and the washer-dryer was great. I need one of those high-tech toilets back in the UK! The location was spot on, near the major temple and shrine sites on the eastern side of town and a five-minute walk from Higashiyama metro station. The check-in team welcomed us cheerfully at the central office, and we were able to go straight to the villa. They also helped us get some lost property back from our previous hotel in Tokyo. A fantastic find in Kyoto.

The house was beautiful and well equipped, in a peaceful, historic neighbourhood. Cleaning was satisfactory. Service was excellent at check-in, and they were great with forwarding our luggage and booking a taxi for the morning we left. Still, there were little details that didn’t make sense. The bedding was made up on the bed nearest the door instead of the one farther inside, which was between two windows during a season when sunrise is at 4:30 am. And the bathtub described as having a garden view faced in a way that made it impossible to sit back and enjoy the view. Those small choices are what separate an okay stay from a good or truly great one, especially in Japan.

The staff were wonderful, friendly, and clearly cared about making us comfortable. When I contacted Machiya about the aircon in the Western-style bedroom, they responded quickly, sent maintenance to check it, and followed up afterward. The aircon would switch off at the set temperature and only start again when it sensed a change. The bed itself was comfortable. My friends found the two futons in the Japanese-style room very comfortable too, and its aircon worked perfectly. We received helpful instructions by email almost right after booking. First we went to the MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS Check-in Desk, which is separate from the villa. For about 500 yen per bag, they arranged delivery of our luggage from there straight to the villa, and gave us an entry code. Our bags were already waiting inside when we got there. The villa has two bedrooms, one bathroom, two toilets, and a shared area on the first floor. The second floor has a Western-style bedroom and a Japanese-style one. The Western room has a queen bed and bedside tables on both sides, but no nearby outlets, and the aircon sits right above the bed. The bathroom was probably my favourite part. It’s spacious, with the shower and bathtub in separate areas divided by a glass door, and plenty of room to move around. Shampoo, conditioner, and body soap were in the wet area. There’s a large sink in the dry area for toiletries, plus hand soap and loads of body and hand towels under the sink. The washing machine came with detergent and worked well, but didn’t fully dry our clothes, so we took the laundry to a nearby laundromat to finish drying it. There’s a toilet and sink on the first floor, but oddly, no hand soap there. The second-floor toilet has a sink and hand soap. Both had toilet paper and high-tech features: the seats heat up, the lids open automatically when you enter, they flush automatically, and the bidet worked well. It was a fantastic stay. Nearby, there’s a peaceful little bridge and a stream that looks beautiful at night. I highly recommend this tranquil villa. Huge thanks to Machiya for making the experience so memorable!

We all liked the place. It’s quite spacious, and our group of eight could each have separate rooms instead of sharing with other couples. There’s a living room where everyone can hang out. The staircase is steep, though, and the walls are very thin, so you can hear noises and toilets flushing.