GGuest UserFor a hostel-type experience, it was probably really good, and very reasonably priced. However, as a couple with lots of luggage, we should have just booked a hotel as this was not very comfortable to stay in, in our personal experience.
The room was an okay size, if you are a solo traveller, or travelling light, this will likely not be an issue. However, with 2 people and 2+ bags, it becomes cramped, and a bit like a game of tetris to move the table and your luggage to fit the futon beds on the floor. There is also no elevator (which we should have checked beforehand) but it took us a few trips to get our bags up to the 4th floor (the reception is on the 2nd floor, as you have to walk up some stairs from the street level, 1st floor, to get to the entrance) - I will give the owner credit here though, he helped us bring our bags upstairs when we arrived.
Unfortunately, the room did not feel clean, the provided towels felt like blankets (70% polyester) compared to the hand towel which felt like an actual towel (100% cotton) - we ended up buying a cheap towel from one of the convenience stores down the road - and there was only the overhead light (which, although you could dim and change the warmth, it wasn't great in the evenings). The futon sheets did not feel super clean in our opinion, and AC is centrally operated, I think there was a note that said we could mention if the temperature was too hot/cold, but we always returned to the room after the owner had left the reception for the evening (after 9pm), so we just put up with it. Finally, my umbrella got stolen after a rainy day. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a big deal as I'd just bought it for cheap, and it was a shared space so was a risk to leave it, but it was annoying, even if it was taken by mistake - I didn't want to take a wet umbrella up into the room.
The communal areas (kitchen, lounge area, shower and washing machine areas) were okay but I believe they were only cleaned at the start of the week, then left to people using the facilities to tidy up after themselves (which isn't always successful). There was a bag for composting things like tea bags etc, I think, in the corner of the sink which then decomposed as the week went on, which wasn't ideal. There were only 2 showers for the entire guesthouse (at least 4 rooms per floor - I think there were 3 floors for guests - not sure though), and were average. Body soap and shampoo is provided, the shower pressue and temperature control was good but the overall cleanliness wasn't great. You can imagine the state of the floors if multiple people with long hair are brushing/drying there hair in these rooms - definitely wear slippers when navigating that space. Now, I don't know how the owner could improve this as it's really down to who is staying at any one time - we might have gotten unlucky/being too precious.
Suggestions for things that would have improved our stay:
(1) A small lamp to use in the evenings instead of the overhead light
(2) Better quality towels
(3) A fan to plug in, to circulate the air, if individual room AC/leaving the window open is not possible
(4) Air freshener spray (or equivalent)
(5) Multi purpose spray & wipes for the shared slippers
I will say that the price was really unbeatable, the owner supports great causes, and the location is fantastic for easy access to many popular Kyoto spots (mostly temples), and was only a 20-min walk across the river to Kyoto Station, with an even shorter walk to several others.
If you are on a budget and travelling solo/lightly, I think this place is better than the average capsule hotel or hostel options, as you do get a private room instead of just a bunk bed. But if you have luggage, aren't able to use stairs, or have the means to (and want to) book an actual hotel, I would suggest doing that, as you get what you pay for.
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