Guesthouse Soi

I loved everything about this place and its staff and owners. Its location is incredibly convenient in a quiet neighborhood walking distance away from Kiyamizu-dera. The people working there are very welcoming and kind even for Japanese standards, always helpful and accommodating. There is a free breakfast that is not mentioned here with some jams and fruits, but you can also get a very tasty traditional Japanese breakfast for less than 1000yen. This place is one of those rare gems that deserve every praise it gets. Be respectful and polite if you are visiting this place. These people deserve only the best.

Guesthouse Soi was an extremely comfortable and well located place for our visit to Kyoto. Our room was clean and spacious, the provided breakfast was a simple but tasty start to the day, with the upgraded Japanese breakfast being one of the best meals we’ve had during our stay here. Maki and Sim were so friendly and helpful, and I constantly witnessed them helping people throughout our stay. This saved us when we left our bag in a bus and they were immediately able to contact the bus company and the restaurant we were in prior to confirm where they were - something that would have been extremely hard without a local phone number and fluent Japanese. Guesthouse Soi will be our first choice if we return to Kyoto.

The room and shared eating and kitchen space was so clean and comfortable. The futon beds were very comfortable. The free breakfast was so lovely. Sim, Sigh, and all the staff were so helpful and gave great information, advice, and rang ahead to places for extra information for us. We were just a 20 minute walk from the main areas of kyoto, but the area around the guesthouse was lovely and quiet. If we ever have the chance to come to Japan again, we will definitely stay here again. We stayed in other nice hotels on our travels, but this guesthouse was by far our favourite stay! Thank you Sim and everyone!

Booking.com made a mistake with our booking. This was not the fault of the guesthouse. The guesthouse sorted this for us quickly and easily, no fuss. Booking.com have still not resolved the issue with us directly and it's now 1 week after our stay. So I'm glad the guesthouse were so helpful.

I can’t say enough good things about this place! The owner was so attentive and helped us navigate the area, gave us tips on where to eat and what to do. The free breakfast with toast, jam, fruits, coffee and juices were delightful plus the free snacks they put out throughout the day! It really fills you up! The facility was very clean and there’s a laundry on the rooftop with plenty of drying racks. They even offer free umbrellas for guests to use during their stay. There’s a bus stop thats 3 min walk down the street. Its only 1,400 yen to take a taxi from Kyoto station to the place which I highly recommend because the local buses are packed with tourists! I hope to come back one day. This truly has been one of the highlights of our trip!

Nothing!

The accommodation is lovely. Upon entry you get to a shared area when you can chat with the owners, other guests, or other friendly staff. There's tea, coffee, some snacks, and a shared kitchen as well as some seats. Everything is very cozy. The breakfast which is included in the price of the stay is simple, but really helps you to kick start your day (yoghurt, toasts with jam, some fruits and orange juice). There was an option to order a Japanese-style breakfast as well, just never got round to trying it. There was a washing machine and a dryer on the top floor for a few coins - not ideal (one of machines wasn't working and there was no sign, if you aren't using a dryer, you can hang your clothes but other people will have access to it, which might be uncomfortable), but you get fresh laundry as a result. The room was spacious, had all the amenities, and we had a great time staying in this guesthouse.

The bathroom is a little awkward to use; it's clean and has everything you need but just the layout was a little awkward to use (the window didn't seem to close properly, the curtain was a bit short, and the mirror was positioned weirdly). But this is the only thing that really caught our eye, because everything else was great. If you're traveling with a lot of luggage, have a stroller, or a wheelchair, it might be not the best place for you: you'd need to go uphill (not steep, but with limited availability it won't go), and the guesthouse did not seem to have an elevator.

A group of four of us stayed at Guesthouse Soi during our three-day visit to Kyoto and everything about the accommodation is perfect. Located just a short walk away from the Gion area of Kyoto, it's the perfect base to explore the city. The host and his wife are so kind and courteous and will do everything they can to ensure you have a pleasant stay. On our last day, we had some trouble finding a cab to Kyoto Station and they helped us flag down a cab/Uber. The value of the place is incredible for a group of people We stayed in a bunk bed dorm with a separate bathroom and shower and designated spaces to store luggage for each member. The beds were comfortable with their own privacy curtains and the facilities were clean. The free breakfast is great but the traditional Japanese breakfast was the best and we highly recommend it. It was so good that we got it twice during our stay. Cannot recommend this place enough. If you're looking for an affordable and memorable place to stay during your visit to Kyoto, give Guesthouse Soi a chance. You won't regret it.

Nothing, everything about our stay was perfect. The location can be a bit inconvenient for folks who are traveling from further away and have lots of luggage but cabs are relatively affordable and the guesthouse is just a short drive from Kyoto Station.

First class hostel. I very much wanted to extend my stay but unfortunately I left it too late and it became fully booked. To start they were very gracious and welcoming. They were fantastic at offering advice on places to visit and travel practicalities etc. The hostel has great authentic Japanese character and has a very comfortable communal space with free tea, coffee, and snacks. Good range of books too. Brilliant cleanliness. The dorm had plenty of room for a big rucksack or similar per person as well as a decent sized secure box in the bunk for valuables. Comfortable bed. My room had 4 people which worked very well. Great shower. The standard morning breakfast was simple but really excellent with a lovely array of fruits making it quite a healthy way to start the day. Was able to leave my bag there no problem after checkout while I explored a museum nearby. The hostel is ideally situated for a range of top tourist sites.

Disappointed I couldn’t stay another day!!

There is alot of words to explain how much I loved this place lol, I had a free meal and beer for helping them fix thier guitar. Met 2 guitarists and played with kids for my entire time their and jammed when we returned for the night. I may came at the right time to experience such a lovel place. Even gave me their umbrella to help me deal with the rain. Kyoto station is easy to get because of the bus station.

Nitpick: Bathrooms smell tad bit in my dorm, but thats expected; it's FAR from actual bathrom from a conbini those are dirty. I have no other complaints beside adding a nice freshener.

Guesthouse Soi is a brilliant place to stay in Kyoto. The location is nice and central - close to lots of temples and easy to access the city centre via various buses and a 10/15 min walk to the metro. The staff are great, giving us lots of suggestions of things to do and also helping us find a taxi when we needed one on the day we left. The room itself was really nice, plenty of room in a semi Japanese style. The free western style breakfasts (toast, yoghurt, fruit) was also appreciated as many guest houses don’t seem to offer that. Overall we wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again!

Nothing!

Room was so comfortable, simple, and homey. Loved the bunk-style room, with just the bed and nightstands downstairs and tatami mat floor, coffee table, small unfolding sofa/bed, little 'kitchen' area with kettle + tea + cups, and clothing rack with hangars. In-room bathroom was simple & somewhat dated but perfectly serviceable with quality hot water and shower pressure. TV, air conditioning/heat, small bathroom amenity section. Owners and staff were so friendly and helpful, both with the lodging as well as providing advice on navigating the city and attractions. Nice common area with patrons who would sometimes be polite and keep to themselves, or sometimes be more lively and looking to chat. Complimentary toast, yogurt, fruit, tomatoes, coffee, and tea were available every morning. Separately, ORDER THE JAPANESE BREAKFAST! That mackerel was the best piece of fish I've had in my life. Location was in a quiet neighborhood, about 30 minute walk or 15ish minute bus ride to downtown. Very easy to navigate to. Definitely take a cab upon arrival like they recommend if you have luggage, but after that it's easy to get to via public transportation. Kyoto is incredible. Favorite city in Japan (so far)

Not much space for luggage; can't have it on tatami floor, so we had to leave it on the bench in middle of the room & downstairs at the foot of the bed. Likewise, little storage space for shoes. No bidet in room, although shared bathrooms had them. Bed was a 6.8/10 in terms of comfort, but big and I liked having it downstairs separate from the main living area. Upstairs 'sofa bed' was not great to either sit on or use as bed; we ended up taking the comforters from the cabinet overhead and laying them on the mat to lounge around.