The hotel was in the middle of a beautiful street in Gion district. Coming out and walking around was so tranquil and peaceful with old style Kyoto homes. The property itself was super cute and clean. The best part was the on-site doggies that greeted you with lots of kisses. They had a maiko performance on Saturday for the guests of the hotel. We were able to interact with the performer, played games, danced and there was even karaoke! The staff would provide amazing fruits and snacks everyday. They have a massage chair if you are tired of all the walking and the best perk is that they did our laundry while we were out exploring. The staff were super sweet and though communication was a little challenge we always managed to get everything answered using apps on our phone. We usually stay in 4-5 star hotels but the dogs on site convinced me to stay here and I have to say this hotel was a better experience than any 5 star hotel we have stayed in. I would 100% recommend this place for couples, singles and friends traveling to Kyoto. We were so sad to leave this place but hope we can come back and stay here again.

Nothing

Absolutely perfect location in Gion. These small streets are a different world from the rest of Kyoto. The 4 hosts here are both sweet and very, very funny. The rooms are spacious and comfortable. While breakfast and omakase are not served here, fresh fruit, snacks, and treats are delivered to your room daily. The hosts kindly do your laundry for you while you are exploring. If you are there while they host a Maiko show YOU MUST GO! A private event with a geisha normally starts at 80,000 yen and this is free for guests! Tea, sake, dancing, games, and karaoke. I've never laughed so hard in my life.

If I could give this place 11 I would! We were made to feel so welcome as soon as we arrived, shown around our room and delivered fresh melon. The room was lovely - traditionally Japanese - with lots of nice little touches. Every day they left us a little surprise snack in our room. Although they say they don't provide meals they left us pastries and bananas every day which was plenty for breakfast for us. Our first evening there was a free geisha performance and karaoke which we really enjoyed. The ryokan is located in beautiful historic Gion close to lots of the main sites.

Due to its location in historic Gion there weren't a lot of affordable restaurants close by but I think that's a price we were happy to pay for staying somewhere so special

The hosts, the unlimited bottled water, the tea and coffee as well as multiple snacks. Also, daily, one came back to fresh fruit cut up and stored in the refrigerator. This was our first trip to Japan and we will have been here for 2 weeks. In retrospect, I realize just how expensive fruit is here and the snacks add up. All this was complementary here. We had an atypical situation where various kids joined us at different times … this did not faze the hosts at all. They were gracious and kind. And then the Maiko (geishas in training) show was outstanding. Not only did they again provide complementary sake and snacks, but I found out from a guide that it is rare for a Maiko to go to anyone ‘s house unless it is an old, established relationship. From the humility and interactions with our hosts, one would never guess their status. Other reviews had posted about curfew … there isn’t one. The front desk is open till 11pm. After this, they have a way to come in a different way. We had a quadruple room which was spacious and comfortable. We also had an en suite bathroom which was remarkably useful esp at night. Sadly, we left here to go to another local Ryokan for traditional meal; well it was a mistake. I recommend kyoto ryokan Gion Sano unreservedly.

Loved everything.

The owners were attentive and accommodating to your every need. The rooms were spacious and immaculate. The owners provided free snacks every day plus, they did your laundry for free. The ryokan was quiet and had an excellent location within the “temple” district of Kyoto. You can wander around at night and see the nearby temples all alit. The ryokan is within an easy walking distance to restaurants and the downtown shopping district. A convenient bus stop, linking the ryokan with train station, is only a few blocks away.

Nothing. It was a wonderful experience.

I am so glad I chose to stay here. It was easy to get to via a bus from the train station and it's perfectly near all the major Gion sights. The family who own the hotel are welcoming and helpful and made my stay very comfortable. I could wake up at 5.30am visit a few places before the crowds of tourists arrived and then come back to the hotel for a nap, breakfast and a shower before heading out again. They leave little snacks for dessert and breakfast in the fridge and also fruit, which was a lovely touch. The room was huge and so was the bathroom. Ok the decor doesn't match and its kind of corny but the bed was so comfortable and they provide PJs, Toothbrush etc plus there is a kettle, fridge and TV in your room and a microwave, little oven and snacks you can help your self to in the hallway. One night they had a free Geisha performance with complimentary drinks in the downstairs lounge room. I would stay hear again in a heartbeat.

The hosts are very kind and welcoming. The hotel is beautiful, clean and well located. The hotel provides several amenities. I was sad I did not get to stay longer. I will stay here on future trips to Kyoto. They also have 2 wonderful dogs. This was very helpful as I am not homesick but miss my pets. If you are not a dog person, they keep the dogs away. You cannot tell there are dogs unless you see them. They are very quiet and the hotel is so clean, not one trace of them. I loved sleeping on the tatami mats and futon. Found it very helpful after long days of walking (sometime more than 15 miles), back and body belt great. A

I liked everything about this hotel. 10/10

Staff, atmosphere, location and service. Such a lovely little spot in the perfect location in the middle of the Gion district. Run by the most wonderful couple who really seem to fully enjoy making sure their guests have the best time. Welcome tea provided in the room, afternoon cake in the room (they leave in the fridge of you are out), snack tray in the room at no additional charge and tea/soupd /noodles again at no additional cost on each floor. We were travelling three generations from age 6 to 71 and everyone enjoyed it. Our first evening the hotel was visited by a Maiko / Geisha-in-training, who spent an hour or so doing dances and games with all the guests, really fun and interesting - and my 6 year old daughter absolutely loved it - this while we enjoyed beer and sake (for which we were never charged anything.). Sleeping arrangements are futon mattresses placed on tatami mats - our kids were very excited and everyone slept very well. Really good restaurants in the area especially if you are up for “proper” japanese set menus. Make sure to dowload a translator with ability to read japanese signs as many places do not offer english language menus even if staff try their very best. Please do tip the staff - they truly go above and beyond.

Not a big deal given the fruit and snacks provided, but place does not offer breakfast. They do have a list of nearby places that serves breakfast readily available. Also, bathrooms are a bit dated but very clean and with good amenities.

The whole stay was absolutely perfect! The facilities are amazing, it’s beautiful, well taken care of, a family business, the staff were beyond amazing. I slept on the bullet train from Tokyo and forgot a bag with my ipad and a lot of money, I realized only arriving at the ryokan. I told my story to the staff and the owner personally helped me by calling JR and finding my bag with all its contents. I had it again the next day. He and all his staff were extreme kind and helpful. I had a good time talking with all of them both in English and in my broken Japanese. Oh, and when I arrived they gave me a bigger room free of charge, just because it was vacant. The place is extremely beautiful, clean and well taken care of. The Japanese are known for their hospitality, but they went above and beyond all expectations. The location is to die for, being at the traditional Gion district and less than a minute away from the gorgeous Yasaka Shrine. I felt like I was home and the staff treated me like family. I almost feel like a steal considering how little I paid for it. I want to go to Kyoto again and stay there again for much longer next time. It’s no exaggeration when I say it was the best stay I have ever had on a trip, and I travel a lot!

The only negative side is that I didn’t stay longer! I wish I could stay there for a week next time!

I can’t recommend this place more!! It was in a quiet nook of the Gion area and it was such a great experience. The staff feel more like hosts. They are so accommodating and easy to communicate with even though I don’t know any Japanese. The room has everything you need and the staff give you little snacks and pastries for free which I thought was so sweet. They also helped me do my laundry for me for free. The ryokan is a 15 min walk from the closest subway but it honestly doesn’t even feel that long because there’s so many shops to look at on the walk there. The view from the room was also great I could see one of the shrines just from my window. On my second day there they also had a meiko show for all the hotel guests for free. It was great to experience it and also cool to see some of the other hotel guests. Overall, highly highly recommend if you’re planning on staying in Kyoto! (They also had two super cute golden retrievers!)

I have no complaints!