Hotels near Saiho-ji Temple, Kyoto

I booked a king-sized bed room, but when I arrived at the hotel, I was told only twin rooms were available. After some discussion, they changed it to a twin room. The mini-fridge snacks in the room were all complimentary. You can also enjoy the hot springs for free in the evening, though I didn't get around to trying it. About 80% of the guests were Westerners, and the housekeeping staff were all from Southeast Asia. The hotel staff's attitude was excellent, which I really appreciated, but I noticed their attitude was even better towards Western guests... Most people walking around seemed to be Western tourists. The hotel isn't too far from nearby attractions; walking to Shijo and Kiyomizu-dera Temple is quite manageable. If you have the means, you could hire a car to visit other attractions, but it's not very friendly for those with luggage, as the sidewalks are incredibly narrow and you have to dodge both cars and people.

I was looking for a quiet guesthouse in Kyoto, and this one, a clean, 4-story building located in a residential area, fit the bill perfectly. The laundry facilities, shower room, kitchen, and lounge on the second floor were great. I enjoyed cooking my own meals and listening to music there – it was a really comfortable experience. From the 5th-floor rooftop, I could see Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Sanjusangendo Temple. Kyoto Tower was also visible in the distance. Kamo River is nearby, so I went for runs in the mornings. Being a Class 1 water source, I saw many winter migratory birds and various other birds. I also saw many couples on dates and people taking photos. With Shichijo subway station right next door, I could get to Shijo Station in the city center directly. It was also convenient for trips to Uji City and Osaka. Attractions like Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Fushimi Inari-taisha, Kyoto National Museum, Sanjusangendo Temple, Yasaka Pagoda, Kyoto Women's University, and Kyoto University of Arts and Design are all close by. I often had lunch at the cafeteria of Kyoto University of Arts and Design before exploring in the afternoon. There's also a restaurant on the first floor where you can eat while looking out at the road towards Kamo River. There's a Sapporo Ramen shop nearby – I recommend the slightly spicy one for 1350 yen. There's also a CoCo Ichibanya Curry House. I tried the handmade tonkatsu with extra vegetables for 1380 yen – it was delicious! Additionally, there's an unmanned store selling frozen gyoza and frozen dim sum. I highly recommend the frozen dim sum, all for 1,000 yen. There's also a specialty liquor store that sells fresh sake from its refrigerated display. I recommend the sake wrapped in newspaper or plastic in the fridge. The production date is clearly marked on the label. It was truly excellent, a fantastic experience. I think I stayed for about 25 days. Initially, I loved the single room because the morning sun streamed in every day. Since it was winter, it was cold to sleep without anything, so I brought an electric blanket and stayed warm. A free-voltage electric blanket is essential. Later, an alumnus from my high school joined me, and we used the 4th-floor tatami room. The residential area viewed from the tatami room window was so peaceful and relaxing. Watching snow fall in Kyoto from there was a wonderful experience. And most importantly, the owner! The owner greeted us with a smile every morning, and their smile is beautiful. They spoke a little Korean, so we communicated using Papago and hand gestures. Since I don't speak any Japanese, I used Papago frequently. There's also Manita, the guesthouse's mascot, a charming young lady from Nepal on a working holiday in Japan. She smiles a lot and studies Japanese diligently. During my stay at Winter Villa, I saw the beautiful owner and Manita multiple times every day. Our communication involved a few English words, a few Japanese phrases, and Papago did the rest. If you want to walk along Kyoto's Kamo River and experience the city's tranquility, I highly recommend this place. I spent the winter here, and I can imagine how nice it would be to have a beer on the rooftop of Winter Villa in early summer, looking at the sky and stars.

When we chose this hotel, we saw pictures and videos that made us think it was a resort estate, but it's not. There's very little to see inside the hotel; I could walk through the entire property in 5 minutes. Secondly, the hotel advertises natural hot springs, but the public ones reek of disinfectant as soon as you walk in, which is very unpleasant. The room itself was okay and had character, and the bathtub was very large with a pleasant woody scent when bathing. Finally, the breakfast – honestly, the taste was just mediocre. I wouldn't choose this hotel again at the same price point.

Service did not get full marks from me. I booked a double room. Front desk offered me 2 twin beds put together to make up a double bed. They claimed room had more sunlight compared with my double bed booking. Other than that, I had no other issues. There is a free coffee area that is opened until midnight. Free sake tasting from 1pm to 9pm. Do feedback to the front desk if it runs out. Amenities are self service beside the front desk if you require more.

Although it was short, I loved my stay here. Had great quality of sleep. Good base for Kyoto, near enough to key locations, but expect a lot of walking unless you use the bus. Nearest station is Kyoto Kawaramachi which is great for day drips just outside central Kyoto and if you are coming from Osaka or Kansai airport - see my tips below. Pros: great bathroom and toiletries, good water pressure and temperature, smart toilet, TV with streaming services, fridge, desk/stool, coat hooks (handy for winter time), semi-full length mirror, luggage rack, various lights to adjust to your preference, very clean, super comfortable firm mattress and pillows, good soundproofing for light sleepers, great air conditioning (room warms up pretty quickly in the winter), you can also open the windows which is nice, felt very safe as a solo female, can ask for more water bottles in reception, lift was never crowded, outlets next to bed, has luggage storage if you need, near the river and traditional streets for scenic strolls, close to bus stop, family mart otw from station for late night snacks. Cons: can hear police cars or cars with loud engines at night sometimes but not frequent, walking from the station with a suitcase was a bit longer than expected, my double room was a bit cramped for opening suitcase (could not open the front or bathroom doors fully to avoid hitting my suitcase) and I am one person (two suitcases would fit but you wouldn't be able to walk around the bed properly). Tips: If you are coming from Kansai airport (KIX), I recommend you take the airport limousine to Namba (bought a return ticket since it is cheaper). It drops you outside JR Namba station, you can go inside to get to the metro station, follow signs for the red Midosuji Line. Board the train to Umeda. Stay inside the station and follow signs for Osaka-Umeda or the brown Hankyu-Kyoto line. This line goes directly to Kyoto Kawaramachi station. When stations, always look for the lift signs if you have luggages. I think I took the lift closest to Exit 4, and it brings you up to a department store. You kinda have to walk through and get out. If you walk out the front entrance, there are a few steps, but if you go to the side doors, it has a slope to avoid carrying suitcases. It's a straight walk from the station. Unless you are doing day trips, Kyoto city buses are a lot better mode of transport in my opinion.

A nice environment which welcomes you as you arrived. Staff is friendly especially the concierge staff who are very helpful with taxi assistance. Hotel provides shuttle bus to and from Kyoto station, which is very convenient. The only downside was the location is quite a distant away from Kyoto station which is not really walkable.

The Urban Hotel is really good. There's one on Shijo and one on Gojo, and I've stayed at both. They're excellent. When I come to Kyoto, I usually choose this brand. They are very clean, and both locations have a large public bath, which I really love.

I stayed here in a double room and overall had a pretty good experience. The room was clean and comfortable, and both the air conditioning and heater worked very well. One thing that really stood out was the bathroom — the bathtub was much larger than what you usually get in Japan. I’m a tall person, and I could actually sit down and lie back comfortably, which is rare. Most hotel baths feel very small, but this one felt closer to around 1.4m in length, which made having a bath genuinely enjoyable. The bed was comfortable, and housekeeping did a great job — the bed was made every day with fresh sheets. Wi-Fi was also very fast, which was a big plus. Amenities were decent, and you can pick up extra items if you need them. Check-in is a bit late at 3pm, which I didn’t love, but that’s balanced out by an 11am checkout. Having that extra time in the morning made it feel worth it overall. I did have a couple of negatives. The strangest one was finding an old sock behind the TV when I arrived. It was very obvious and not hidden, so I’m not sure how it was missed during cleaning. It was a bit gross, but I just left it. Another downside was the mini fridge — it’s more like a cooler than a real fridge. It keeps drinks from getting warm, but they don’t get properly cold. In summer, this really wouldn’t be good enough. Replacing it with a proper mini fridge would be a big upgrade. The other major issue was the lift. It is painfully slow, and there’s only one lift for the upper floors. On checkout day, I left my room about 10 minutes before checkout time, and I almost didn’t make it downstairs in time because of how slow it was. That part was honestly pretty ridiculous. Location-wise, this hotel is excellent. It’s very easy to get to from Kyoto Station — just head south and you’re there in about 4–5 minutes. It’s also very convenient when leaving Kyoto by train. A tip for using the subway: instead of going back to Kyoto Station, walk right from the hotel to Shijō Station. It’s on the same subway line, you’ll get on before Kyoto Station, and the train is empty — so you’re almost guaranteed a seat and can ride comfortably to your destinations. For food and shopping, there’s a shopping mall just across the road toward the station with a Don Quijote, McDonald’s, and other options. The hotel is also right next to a Coco Ichibanya curry house, which is fantastic and open late. Overall, despite a few odd issues, this was a solid stay with a great location, good comfort, and very easy access to transport. I’d happily consider staying here again.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Value Stay in Kyoto I had a pleasant stay at Kyoto Universal Hotel Karasuma. The location is convenient, with easy access to public transportation, making it simple to explore Kyoto’s major attractions and nearby areas. The room was clean, comfortable, and well-maintained, providing everything needed for a relaxing stay after a day of sightseeing. One of the best features is the excellent value for money, especially considering the facilities and services provided. The staff were friendly and helpful throughout my stay, and the check-in/check-out process was smooth. The complimentary meals were a nice bonus and helped keep travel costs down. Overall, this hotel is a great choice for travelers looking for affordable accommodation in Kyoto without sacrificing comfort and convenience. I would happily stay here again on my next visit to Kyoto.

The location is very good, just a few minutes walk from the subway station, but there are not many food options near the hotel, only convenience stores, and the hotel does not have an elevator. Guests with large luggage need to pay attention, because they need to carry their luggage upstairs by themselves