Hotels Near Mausoleum of Emperor Saga in Kyoto

It's a nice hotel with a good location, easy enough to find from the train station. The rooms are clean and cozy. What was disappointing was the service at front desk. Not friendly or welcoming at all as compared to our stay in other cities like Osaka. We were even shuned away for breakfast as we wore the traditional Yukatas that were provided by the hotel, as the front desk said we couldn't wear it at the breakfast lounge and had to either go back up to change or we could take a small box of bread and pastries (that were cold) and we could eat in our rooms instead.

Nice and clean hotel, good location to browse the city. The staff are kind and friendly. The rooms are not big but family of 3 with one big piece of luggage can easily fit in. Japanese style room is very charming but you might need some time to adjust to a mattress firmness. The breakfast selection is rather limited and repetitive.

We chose this hotel due to itsʻ location and it exceeded our expectations! The hotel staff was helpful and provided information in Japanese and English. We stayed for 13 days and were impressed with the hotelʻs determination to provide us with clean rooms, towels and other items. This hotelʻs location at Shijo/Karasuma made it easy to get to train stations, bus and the subway. There were also many excellent restaurants and shopping possibilities. One of the features we appreciated a lot was the laundry. We also appreciated that it was quiet.. didnʻt even hear people in the halls or doors close. Having lived in Kyoto for a long time, this was our first time to stay in a hotel and would recommend it for sure.

Overall was okay, a bit far from Kyoto staion. But, hotel has shuttle bus every 20 mins and make it more convenient. Service and amenities were nice. The worst part was humidity of the room and cleanliness (quite low compared to Japanese standard), plus bedsheets were smelly.

The hotel looks dated from the outside, is very modern in the lobby with machines for checking in and out, and then the rooms are also quite dated. The hotel is quite big, and you can be unfortunate to get a room far away from the lifts. The rooms are decent and clean. The bathroom is okay, but there wasn’t much caulk next to the shower so the water from the shower that hit the wall was just sliding down underneath the bath… very strange. On each floor there is one room where you can get ice and water, it also has a vending machine.

Ala Hotel Kyoto is a charming boutique hotel situated in the heart of Kyoto, offering a blend of traditional Japanese hospitality with modern conveniences. Its location is excellent for tourists, as it provides easy access to many of Kyoto’s famous shrines, temples, and cultural sites. The interior decor of the hotel reflects a tasteful mix of classic and contemporary styles, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Rooms are well-equipped with modern amenities while still maintaining a touch of traditional Japanese aesthetics, such as tatami flooring and sliding shoji doors in some rooms. The service at Ala Hotel Kyoto is noteworthy, with staff demonstrating the attentive and polite service that Japan is known for. They are helpful in providing information about local attractions and transportation, which enhances the overall guest experience. However, while the hotel excels in comfort and service, some guests might find the amenities slightly limited compared to larger hotel chains. The dining options, although satisfactory, may not impress those looking for a more extensive menu.

On April 28, 2024, I stayed at Kyoto Universal Hotel Karasuma to participate in the Kyoto May Day event held at Umekoji Park Lawn Square. The hotel is located south of Kujo Subway Station. To get to Umekoji Park, take city bus number 208 from Oishibashi without changing buses. The room rates have increased because it is the first Saturday of Golden Week, but I made the reservation two months in advance in anticipation of this. The usually free dinner and breakfast were 720 yen and 570 yen, respectively. I had dinner at the nearby Indian restaurant ”Dana Pani En.” The front desk was able to handle three check-ins. The service was not bad. The large public bath has not yet reopened under the pretext of infection prevention, but I think it is actually for cost-saving purposes. The rooms on the third floor have sofas and are not small. Be careful of the steps in the bathroom. BS cannot be viewed.

The boss and his family are very welcoming and can communicate in Chinese, which is very convenient. There are many restaurants and supermarkets around, which are very convenient for rest. The nearby matcha shop is also very authentic, and you don't have to go to the Uji River to find it! The transportation is also very convenient. It takes about ten minutes to walk to the tram station, and it only takes half an hour to get to Fushimi Inari. The environment is also quite good. The decoration below the hotel is very life-like Japanese style. Hot tea and coffee are also provided, and there is a kitchen for cooking. The accommodation is very traditional tatami and very clean. In general, it is a very satisfactory accommodation experience, and I highly recommend Chinese friends to stay!

I stayed once before the renewal, but at that time it was not a very beautiful room for compliments. I stayed for the first time after the renewal this time, but it was no longer a separate inn. The room was comfortable, the view of the Uji River and the open-air bath with the room were large and comfortable. The staff was also pleasant and I want to go again if I can afford time and money. However, all dinners during the 3 nights were steak kaiseki shops, but until the first 2 nights, the chef was very good, and the meat was soft and I was able to eat very comfortably. There was a preschool child who was originally prohibited from entering the store at the last 3 night dinner (except for rental), and it was not possible to slow at all in the gaga gaga and the ugly gakinko. It seems that it was a family of your good, but I wanted the line drawing around it to be good.

Came here with family during the Sakura season. It's easy to get to the onset hotel. After arriving at the Ogoto Onsen JR station, towards the south exit you will find a cell phone attached to a board with explanation how to use the phone to call one of the onsen hotels. After the call, their shuttle bus will then come and pick you up between 2pm to 6pm I think. The hotel staff in general are very welcoming. Our family scored a deal with their penthouse suite with private indoor and outdoor onsen. Four of us stayed in the suite and the price is only slightly more than four of us staying in 2 regular rooms. It also came with a beautiful fruit platter for you to enjoy. The suite is very spacious with 2 separate toilets. The bath area has 2 sinks, a shower stall as well as a japanese style bathing area connected to the 2 onsen baths (indoor one is a hinoki wood tub and the outdoor one is a stone one. The outdoor onsen does have a slight privacy issue as there are some residential buildings in a distance. While my mom was a bit too modest to use the outdoor one (which I am not and fully enjoyed it), she did take full advantage of the indoor private onsen. Of course the hotel also has a public onsen for the guests. In fact they have two. One in each towers. I used the one on the top floor in the morning and it was a bless seeing the sunrise while soaking in the hot onsen water. Our package also included both dinner and breakfast that were served at their private dining room. Both meals were done in kaiseki style. We were particularly impressed by their dinner. Not only was it cooked with high quality ingredients and with beautiful presentation, they did not skimp on the quantity as well. Often after eating dinner at other onsen hotel, I would not feel full and actually felt a bit hungry later at night, at Yumotokan the courses kept coming and I was completely stuffed at the end. In fact I did not finish the rice even though it was so yummy (cooked from scratch in front of us with a flamed mini-stove). All in all, a very satisfactory experience. I can recommend anyone who comes to Kyoto/Osaka and wants an excursion and experiences the traditional Japanese onsen.