Hotels near Pulse Plaza, Kyoto

This hotel is incredibly comfortable and super close to the Gion district and Yasaka Shrine – you can easily walk there. It's a bit of a distance if you're relying on public transport, but I just used Uber and it was always easy to pinpoint the location right outside. The highlight for me was definitely the large public bath (onsen)! After walking 20,000 steps every day, soaking in that bath was pure bliss and completely refreshed me. The onsen is open from 3 PM until 10 AM the next day. If you're a bit shy, heading there around 12 AM might be perfect as it's usually empty then, so you can enjoy a private soak.

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.

This is a venerable super five-star hotel with an excellent location, though it's a bit out of the city center, making it quite inconvenient for getting to sights, attractions, and dining. However, the hotel shuttle bus to Kyoto Station is a lifesaver. The hotel was renovated a few years ago, but it still retains its 40+ years of history and luxurious decor, now blended with modern, clean design elements. Charging facilities and hygiene are excellent. I would definitely stay here again!

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.

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.

This hostel it is clean, good location, even if you are 2 km from main popular street is easy to get around. The issues: you can’t really sleep here if u get snoring people as ur neighbors rooms. I ve booked 7 days but I had to cancel the lasts 2 because was really hard to sleep and I was having only ~4h sleeping. And at 7/8 am people are already moving and waking up and because of the isolation of the ceiling(pic) is very easy to hear absolutely anything, any little move. In the first night staying here, after a person snoring so much until 2 am , it woke up go toilet and after it put reels on big volume at more than 2 am, I had to go all the way to knock at his door bcz I imagine it was a guy. The single issue with the mixed floor is this, if you put a girl with only men and they snoring, that girl can’t have any good sleep, if u put only girls and some men but they snoring, all girls will get mad bcz I wasn’t the single one after the first day. In the last night the snoring man wasn’t in the room anymore and they were more girls I ve heard. So if this hostel wants to make a mixed floor then I think they can think of putting only young people with young people and older people with older. Or maybe only 1 floor women and another men and the rest floor mixed idk. They can think of something. Also , there is water dispenser only at 5 th floor! Why they don’t have one next to reception? All the people from down have to climb all the stairs for a glass of water everyday until 5th? And there is the sharing space only at 5th floor where is the water too but again, a person that needs to talk to phone and to not destroy other peace , has to go or outside the hostel or in toilets or at 5th floor… it is a bit of a struggle these things. And for the double rooms u can put a small electric kettle for morning coffee I think and a glass and a spoon. To not get all the way up to 5th floor, if it wasn’t complicated to get all the way up I would have gone to make coffee there too but I tried one morning when I was still not awake and it was a bit of a struggle. That’s all. Oh. And the beds are really comfortable and very soft, too bad I couldn’t enjoy a good sleep in them. And after I canceled the lasts 2 days I didn’t receive back the city tax:)) is not big money at all but details makes the difference.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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