Villa Front Kyoto Seimei

I booked at the last minute and stayed two nights with my kids in room 301. I wouldn't recommend this property. The booking.com listing calls it 5*, which I think is inaccurate. A quick Google search showed it as a 3* place, and I reported that to bookings.com. To me, it felt more like an Airbnb. The photos don't match the property, which was dirty, and the beds were uncomfortable. The bathtub was so small an adult couldn't sit in it. The kitchenette was dirty enough that I wouldn't cook there. There was also a huge gaming setup taking up useful space, and I'm not sure why it was there. Most decent places were over a 20-minute bus ride away, although buses came frequently. On the plus side, check-in was simple, bus stops were a 3-5 minute walk away with frequent service, and there was a beautiful Shrine right next door.

We drove and had to use a paid parking lot nearby. The room itself was great, spacious, and had a good-sized cooking area. Finding it was pretty easy.

Getting around was easy from this well-located Kyoto stay, with bus stops and many World Heritage sites close by. The place is fully automated from the moment you arrive, and there are signs explaining how to use everything. A great place to stay!

This was a clean, quiet, family-friendly spot, away from the busy main streets and tourist areas. Keypad entry meant no keys or cards to worry about losing. You can check in and register near Kyoto station from 11 a.m., though the room isn't ready until 3. As of my stay, the facilities were clean and updated. There are good bakeries and convenience stores within walking distance, along with locally famous Seimei shrine, connected to Abe no Seimei, founder of Onmyodo. It was a delightful find, though not something everyone would know to look for locally. The location is a bit far from popular Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu, but closer to Golden Pavilion and Ryoan-ji, and nearer to Arashiyama.