Best Places To Stay In Kyoto

Kyoto is packed with great accommodation, but what are the true standouts? Here is a list of what we consider to be the best places to stay in Kyoto, in every price bracket and category.

[The Old Modern Garden Suite room]

If you’re looking for the best neighborhood to stay in, check out Where to Stay in Kyoto. If you’re looking for the best hotels, ryokan, machiya rentals or capsule hotels/hostels in Kyoto, then read on. This is our highly opinionated and very personal list of the best places to stay in Kyoto. We’ve personally inspected every place on this list. For full details on any of the places listed here, click on the accommodation name.

Best Luxury Hotel In Kyoto

The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto
(View on Agoda.com.)
Located right beside the Kamo-gawa River, the Ritz has the best location of any hotel in Kyoto. The rooms are spacious and beautifully appointed, and many have eye-popping views of the Higashiyama Mountains. Note that we also really like the Hyatt Regency Kyoto, which has fantastic service and great restaurants (and much lower rates).

Best Mid-Range Hotel In Kyoto

Cross Hotel Kyoto
(View on Agoda.com)
Right in the heart of downtown, the Cross Hotel Kyoto offers comfortable rooms, a great lobby lounge/bar and rates that are extremely reasonable.

The Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Kyoto Premier is another excellent choice in the mid-range.

Best Budget Hotel In Kyoto

Fauchon Hotel Kyoto (formerly Hotel Sunroute)
(View on Agoda.com)
A short walk south of downtown, the Fauchon Hotel Kyoto (formerly Hotel Sunroute) offers comfortable rooms, efficient, helpful staff and a good restaurant. Rates are at the upper end of the budget range. It’s a great value!

Best Hostel in Kyoto

WeBase Kyoto
(View on Agoda.com
Forget everything you think you know about hostels, this place offers privacy, comfort and cleanliness, all at an ultra-reasonable rate. Check out the brilliant lobby library!

Best Capsule Hotel in Kyoto

Anshin-Oyado Premiere Kyoto Shijo Karasuma
(View on Agoda.com)
In the time it takes you to say this absurdly long name, you could have booked a room in this brilliant capsule hotel in downtown Kyoto. It’s clean, comfortable and the baths and saunas are brilliant!

Best Machiya Rental in Kyoto

Old Kyoto
If you want the convenience and comfort of a vacation rental, but also want to sample traditional Japanese accommodation, then we strongly recommend that you try one of the beautifully restored Kyoto machiya offered by Old Kyoto. These include Amber House, Indigo House, Gion House and The Old Modern.

[Amber House interior]

Best Luxury Ryokan in Kyoto

Tawaraya
Those who have stayed here know that it’s worth a trip to Japan just to sample the delights of this superb ryokan. It’s one of the finest accommodations in the world.

Best Moderate Ryokan in Kyoto

Izuyasu
(View on on Agoda.com)
This classic ryokan offers beautiful traditional rooms and great Japanese cuisine. It’s a brilliant choice for a traditional experience in Kyoto.

Best Budget Ryokan in Kyoto

Ryokan Shimizu
(View on Agoda.com)
If you’re traveling on a budget but still want to try the ryokan experience, we recommend the friendly and welcoming Ryokan Shimizu. It’s great for families and the location is very convenient to Kyoto Station.

Best Vacation Rentals in Kyoto

Old Kyoto
That’s right: we’re listing the Old Kyoto group twice on this page. Their beautifully restored machiya are the best and most atmospheric vacation rentals in Kyoto.

[Indigo House interior]

How Do We Choose the Best Accommodations in Kyoto?

Kyoto is awash with hotels, so how do we choose the best ones? Here are our criteria:

• Location: We only choose places that are well located, usually downtown or near Kyoto Station, occasionally in Southern Higashiyama. These are the most convenient locations to be based in Kyoto (for more details, see Where to Stay in Kyoto).
• Personal inspections: We personally inspect EVERY place on this list (and many others which don’t make the cut).
• Value: We compare the prices of these places to others of similar rank in Kyoto. Only those that are a great value make the list.

In short, the places on this list are places that we recommend to our own family and friends when they visit Kyoto.

Kyoto Hotel Guide

• Where To Stay In Kyoto
• The Best Places To Stay In Kyoto
• Best Kyoto Hotels For Sightseeing
• Kyoto Hotels Overview
• Best Luxury Hotels in Kyoto
• Best Mid Range Hotel in Kyoto
• Best Budget Hotels in Kyoto
• Best Kyoto Hotels For Families
• Best Boutique Hotels in Kyoto
• Best Value Hotels in Kyoto
• Kyoto Hotel Bargains
• Kyoto Ryokan
• Kyoto Vacation Rentals

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