Kyomaru

The Kyomaru is a great place to stay if you’d like an authentic place to stay. It has two floors a common room, kitchen and bathroom on the ground floor and an open bedroom with 4 beds on the top. It’s in the heart of the city, within walking distance of food, atms, and shopping areas. You can easily get to the shrines or trains from various locations. It’s right in the heart of the tea house “district” and we saw several Geisha/Maiko (they are going to work though so don’t disturb them for photos!). Beds are fine, air conditioner worked great, the hot water heater was easily adjustable and it has a good sized fridge for drinks/breakfast/etc. Decent sized storage for hanging items/luggage. Patrick was our check in host and he was super awesome and amazing. Gave us a run down of several things to do – including local fairs and evening shows. There seemed to be a print out he kept running for guests of upcoming local things to do.

Biggest negative has to be the stairs – super steep. It does have a solid hand rail, but it’s definitely not what I was used to. Second negative would be the bathroom. It’s a little tight at 5’10”, a friend of mine was 6’4” and barely fit. Lastly, it was a little hard to find the first time. The google map location was correct, but it was a little far back and the logo on the front had changed. I don’t have a good picture, but it’s just past the tea houses, at a place with a round sign and then it’s the 2nd place on the left side with a blue banner (but no logo like one of the pictures). We arrived before Patrick got off work so perhaps it’s easier to find if he’s there to greet you all.

What an incredible stay! The whole experience was magic. The location is tucked off a tea house street in Gion where Maiko and Geisha are seen going to work in the evenings. The area is serene and beautiful. You can easily walk to an array of temples and hot spots and the subway is nearby for sights further afield. The apartment is absolutely charming with all the amenities and a spacious sleeping area with comfy beds upstairs. It was once the home of a Maiko-san, it feels very special and unique. It was sparkling clean and very cozy. Our family of four were very comfortable and we were so happy coming home everyday. Highly recommend an evening just out the door at Apollo restaurant and Robbins Bar- our best night out meeting lovely people. This is a must stay if you are in Kyoto. You are in for a treat. We feel very lucky to have found this gem.

The bathroom area is squishy and the stairs to the bedroom are more like a ladder- very steep but neither were an issue for us. It added to the memorable experience.

Friendly and helpful host, perfect location for experiencing Kyoto and an unique and comfortable accommodation ⭐️

The stairs to the second floor are a bit tricky and it’s a bit cold during winter. Luckily, the AC on each floor warms it up nicely 🙌

Outstanding location - you're right in the middle of the best of Kyoto (literally will see actual Geishas on the main street a few meters from the door) ...restaurants, temples, historical landmarks - everything is right there. The place is solid, clean and has everything you need.

Washing machine's a bit hard to figure out, but the host, Patrick will walk you through it :)