5-Star Hotels in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

This is a long-established hotel, very close to Kyoto Station, the city's main transportation hub. The rooms are spacious with large windows that let in plenty of light. For breakfast, you have a choice of two restaurants: one is a rotating restaurant on a high floor with great views, offering a set menu. The other is a buffet on the first floor with a very rich selection. The downsides are the lack of laundry facilities, the bathroom isn't wet/dry separated, and the room lighting is a bit dim.

The room size was just right, which I appreciated given how compact spaces can be in Kyoto. The hotel's location is excellent, with plenty of restaurants right outside the door, and a pleasant stroll along the Kamo River is just moments away. The hotel breakfast was very satisfying, offering a wide and delicious selection. The overall European style of the hotel gave it a relaxed, vacation-like feel, as if I were in Europe. The executive lounge was also available for use, and they even had a bonfire in the evenings. I really enjoyed my stay.

The room is quite spacious, and the transportation is very convenient, with a subway station not far away. The most convenient part is the hotel's shuttle bus, which departs for Kyoto Station at 55 minutes past the hour, making it easy to explore nearby attractions. It returns from Kyoto Station at 25 minutes past the hour. The driver was very steady and polite. The breakfast was especially good; the hotel offers a wide variety, including Wagyu beef, grilled salmon, and both rice porridge and Western-style buffet options. The fruit was fresh every day, with sweet strawberries and pineapples. The downside is that the laundry room was under renovation when I visited, so self-service laundry wasn't available. Also, I noticed a lingering smell of renovation, perhaps because the room hasn't been occupied much, leading to less ventilation. The surrounding environment is very quiet.

The room's design is very well-thought-out; you take off your shoes before entering, and it's clean and tidy. There's an openable window, so it doesn't feel cramped like a typical business hotel. The breakfast is quite impressive, even for a high-end Japanese hotel. The popular tempura bar is great when it's fresh out of the fryer, and the menu changes daily. The lounge (pictured in photo 5) is a comfortable place to wait for the shuttle, offering coffee and tea. From 4 PM to 6 PM, alcoholic beverages are available. Enjoying a dark beer while looking out at the view from the window is a truly pleasant experience. I even managed to get one good shot of autumn leaves 🍁 on this trip!

The hotel's location is fantastic! The design is also very modern and forward-thinking. The front desk and concierge staff were all incredibly enthusiastic and always attentive to whether we needed any assistance. It was a very satisfying stay. We stayed in Japan for 7 nights and switched between 3 hotels, and this was by far the most satisfying five-star hotel experience!

This hotel exceeded my expectations! The room was larger than average and exceptionally clean, with a separate shower and bathtub. The Refa showerhead and hairdryer were a nice touch and worked great. The room had modern amenities, and the trash bins were emptied promptly. The hotel's location is super convenient. There are many designer shops and delicious restaurants nearby, and it's just a short walk to Nishiki Market. Karasuma Oike Station is also right next door, offering direct access to Shijo and Kyoto Station. I was really satisfied with my stay; it offers excellent value for money! I highly recommend the wagyu BBQ restaurant next to the hotel (Wagyu Yakiniku Horumon Sankichi). The owner and staff were very friendly, the wagyu quality was superb, and the set menus were great value, plus you can enjoy all-you-can-drink!

The room was very quiet, and the blackout curtains worked perfectly. The staff were super friendly and helpful; they even offered me an umbrella when it rained without asking for my room number, which was a lovely gesture and reminded me of the grand service of yesteryear. It's an easy walk to the bustling downtown area. Right next to the hotel is Foguang Temple, which has two huge ginkgo trees and is surprisingly peaceful with hardly any tourists.

My main goal for this Kyoto trip was to revisit Kiyomizu-dera and Fushimi Inari-taisha, and explore Kibune. So I chose to stay near Kawaramachi, and ended up picking this Hilton. The hotel is right by Shiyakusho-mae Station on the Tozai Line. I'd recommend using the Kawaramachi Plaza exit, as it's the only one with an escalator; if you use Exit 1, you'll have to carry your luggage yourself. Technically, you can't see Honno-ji Temple's graveyard from the hotel, but it is close to the road and can be a bit noisy at night. In the mornings, there are fewer motorcycles, and Sundays are quiet – I even slept through breakfast one day! You can walk to Keihan Sanjo Station, enjoying the Kamo River along the way. If you prefer, it's also just one subway stop. It's not far to walk to Kawaramachi Shijo either, and there are plenty of dining options nearby. This time, I surprisingly opted for a breakfast and dinner package. The variety was better than at Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Premier, but they don't change their menus, so eating the same thing for three consecutive days can get a bit monotonous. As for a drawback, I'd suggest the hotel checks the elevator buttons – the static electricity is quite bad; I got shocked almost every time.

The hotel entrance isn't huge, but the 4th-floor reception area has a wonderful design with lots of greenery, bringing you closer to nature. It's a really comfortable spot to just sit and relax. The room itself is spacious and comfortable, and importantly, it has a small balcony that lets in natural breezes. Having fresh, circulating air in the room is incredibly important to me. There was a short-haired lady at the front desk who was exceptionally kind and thoughtful. When I checked my luggage, she noticed that what I'd bought was a cream roll and thoughtfully offered to refrigerate it for me. She also gave us a warm farewell when we left. Although I'm not entirely sure if she was trying to communicate with me in Chinese because I couldn't hear very well with her mask on. There are some downsides, though. Even on the 8th floor, I was still bothered by motorcycle noise every night. I'm a light sleeper by nature, so I didn't get good rest those two nights.

The front desk staff speaks fluent English, and there were quite a few Western guests during my stay. For the cherry blossom season, the value for money was pretty good. The room was relatively spacious compared to other Japanese hotels. Rooms facing the street can be a bit noisy late at night. Breakfast leans towards a Western style. It's very close to the subway, just a short walk to the Kamo River, and a five-minute walk to the lively areas of Sanjo and Shijo. Overall, it's a decent place.