Hotel Aru Kyoto Sanjo Kiyamachi Do-ri

Location, cleanliness, decor, staff, value

nice hotel, in a great location. Everything is close. Very clean, bathroom comfortable what is not case for hotels in Japan

I wish the room was a little bigger.

I do not recommend this hotel for 2 reasons: 1) The first two nights (out of 6), no matter how much we tried setting the thermostat higher, the vent only blew cold air (it was mid March, and COLD outside!). When I asked the front desk for a blanket and help with the thermostat they tried to convince me that it was because the room was on the cold side of the building. But what about the heating? She finally confessed that the hotel has master controls in the back; she went back and turned our heat on and we were comfortable for the rest of our stay. SO NOTE! Other reviewers have said their AC didn't work. It's because the hotel is saving money by skimping on their guest's comfort. 2) The room was WAY too small for two people and 2 carry on size bags.

Location was great

Nothing

I have stayed at Hotel Aru twice now. This is my favorite hotel in Kyoto for sure! The staff were super friendly helping us check in. I especially love the rooms that have the nice soaking tub in the bathroom. That’s definitely a plus when you’ve been walking all day around Kyoto. The hotel is also located super close to the Sanjo Keihan Station, Pontocho Alley, the Gion District, and more. It’s a great location to take the trains to see a variety of the best spots.

Seriously the only thing I can think of is that the pillows are not my favorite, but they work. Maybe more laundry machines would also be helpful as they were unavailable every time I checked. Not a big deal to me though.

Wonderful staff! So friendly and helpful. Very nice hotel in the perfect part of town - walking distance to most sightseeing areas. Nice breakfast.