R. Star Hostel Kyoto Japan

Efficient check-in process, helpful staff, and apparently you can meet the love of your life here.

That my heart would get stolen so easily by a cute French Canadian girl.

We had a quadruple room with shared toilet & bath facilities on level 2 where the kitchen & dining was. Hostel was very clean and bright in common areas. Linens were clean & fresh. The toilets & shared shower rooms were mostly well-maintained and adequate for the number of guests (seemed like a full house during our time). The entire place had a 'new' vibe and was well-designed for different groups. Our room was a generous size compared to the average city hostel in Tokyo and Kyoto. Staff worked like clock-work to keep dishes & kitchen clean, as well as replenish daily amenities, which was a huge plus compared to other hostels!

The international guests who spoke loudly in common areas in the early mornings & late night hours. The male guests who used the female-only shower. And other little inconsiderate acts by guests. Basically the staff & facilities were great. Some of the guests were a nuisance to others. I also felt that there wasn't a need to change towels & give new amenities daily - it might be good for the hostel to look into sustainability & cost-value by simply making some small changes on this point.

I really loved the rooms. For the price, the beds were really comfortable and clean, and the bathrooms were also very clean and private. Also I appreciated a lot the staff, they were really nice. They let me leave my luggage all day after my check out.

My only complain is about the breakfast... It promised "continental breakfast" but it was only bread with jam and coffee or tea... no other options. I was disappointed because I was counting on it.

The staff are extremely friendly and helpful. I reached 3 hours before the check-in time, and yet they let me check-in without any additional fee. I forgot to bring my international adapter and they gave me one without any fee. Fresh towels are provided everyday, bedding is changed every 3 days, bathrooms were extremely clean. The hotel is a 20 min walk from Kyoto station. Could not have asked for anything better.

the location of the hostel is really good: about a quick 10 min walk from Gojo Station; a 30 min walk to Kyoto Station and subsequently Kyoto Tower (or 1 subway stop over from Gojo), a shopping street (i think Shijo Dori?) is 15 mins walk, 20 min walk to Nishiki Market, a 50 min walk to Hokanji-temple, "night life street" 25-30 min walk to area with a stream and a bunch of bars, clubs, karaoke. and lots of restaurants, cafes, and of course, convenience stores near the hostel's radius. a mini mart is like 40 second walk. and there's a family mart further down -- maybe 3 mins walk. a bonus story about great staff : i dropped my passport while walking around said area but the restaurant i went to was only 10 mins walk away so i noticed quickly and was able to retrace my steps fairly easy -- except my passport was not on the ground. because i noticed within an hour it wasn't there, i was fairly confident someone had picked it up so i thought i would get it the next day when i went to a koban (small police station). however the first koban i went to, the officer didn't even write my name down and essentially just told me to go somewhere else (yikes) and something told me to try another one, and so i did and this one wrote my info down and i didn't have a phone (i lost it the day before while skiing) and so they had to contact the hostel if they found it. 2 days later, the hostel employee finds me and tells me the station has my passport. i don't know if the other staff told the guy i didn't have my phone either, but he offered to walk there together which surprised me. it was a fairly rainy day too. he gave me an umbrella and we walked to the district police station (like 10 min walk) making small talk and recommendations, and basically became my personal translator at the station and so i got my passport back smoothly. so yea, basically the staff is super nice lmao i wish i asked for the guy's name!!

just a reminder to those that it's a hostel, so theres a bunch of bunk beds in one room. so be prepared to hear every sound ever made by a human!! it was my first hostel stay and im not that much of a light sleeper so it was fine for me. i could also just put on headphones to listen to musics or watch shows if i wanted more privacy. also the breakfast really is just sliced bread, jam and butter.

I liked how clean it is and how regularly they clean the common spaces. It was very convenient to have a kitchen too. I love how even there’s plenty of people, I usually don’t have a problem getting to a toilet or shower cubicle.

The lockers were not big enough to put big luggages in so if you’re in a dorm, you might have to set your luggage somewhere. It was a little hard to unpack and pack without bothering others. I sometimes would be woken up early if someone is leaving or checking out early too. It’s about 15 mins walk from Kyoto station! If you don’t mind lugging your bags back and forth, then I’d say it’s really worth it.

Very comfortable stay in our 4 bed room with private bathroom. Beds were cozy, bathroom was clean and modern. Kitchen/dining room was exceptionally clean and well stocked (staff even washed our dishes!). Bread was out for a quick toast in the morning before leaving for the day and there were fridges and freezers to keep food. Coin operated washing and drying machines for clothes were easy to use and had automatic detergent so you don't have to bring or buy your own. An easy 10 minute walk to Shijo-dori, about 15 minutes to Gion, and less than 10 minutes to a grocery store. Lots of restaurants and shopping close by.

The hostel was extremely clean, the staff was very nice and they kept the place immaculate. They ask the guests not to do the dishes, but even though people were cooking sometimes, rarely there were dishes in the sink. Good wifi, and location, close to lots of attractions. The beds were comfortable, and each person had their own locker, the AC worked great. They sell earplugs at the front desk, which can be very useful when someone snores loudly in their sleep. Coffee, tea and cold water is available all day.

No much to comment here. The breakfast was simple (just a variety of jams and toast), but it’s better than some other places.

Super clean shared bathrooms. I stayed for 6 nights and never had to wait in line to shower in the evenings. I was very comfortable in the private room and common areas throughout my stay. Staff were kind to wash the dishes in the common area after guest usage. Free drip bag of coffee and simple bread & spreads every morning was a great perk! Convenience store right across the road if you ever need anything.

Location is a 5 mins walk from the nearest station (Gojo station), no complaints as Kyoto has walkable streets and November weather was cooling. About 25 mins walk to Nishiki/main shopping area, 15 mins slow walk to Kyoto main station.

A lovely hostel - immaculately clean! Staff are nice and very hard working. The location was very good for us - very close to a subway station which was very helpful.

It was great to have breakfast included but the only options were bread (which could be toasted!). While there was a very large selection of bread varieties (milk bread, sesame bread, coffee bread, strawberry bread, chocolate bread!!), it was a little disappointing not to have a little more options (e.g. Cereal, fruit, yoghurt). There was a good selection of spread/jams.