+ Staff were friendly, helpful, well-trained and provided high quality service + Staff were smiling at all times and made guests at ease + House keeping staff was very professional + To be able to enjoy private onsen in a city location + Room facilities were well-maintained and generous refreshments provided + Breakfast in the restaurant was delicious + Good location in shopping area

None.

Close to points of interest in Kyoto, Gion, Hirashiyama, temples, river, restaurants, shopping, Nishiki market, etc. Bus and subway lines easy access. First rate and clean facility even by Japanese standard, including the onsen. Rooftop view, foot bath, well stocked fridge wjrb drinks, excellent staff (some English speaking), treated well. Kind of a boutique hotel.

Small hotel compared to bigger chain hotels we have stayed. Therefore if you’re expecting a pool or gym, there are none. Closet space is minimal. Ideal for short stays, like a weekend. But they make up for it in many things.

Quiet, quality, beautiful rooms. Can't go wrong with an onsen in the room.

The breakfast! Ryokan style traditional breakfast is nice..but we were very sick of it after 5 days. We just wanted basics. Bread, yoghurt, eggs or even just a rice dish would be nice. But 5 days of rare raw fish and vegetables is a bit too much. The option of the western breakfast is even worse. Hard boiled eggs and salad.. I don't think why Japanese people believe westerners eat salad for breakfast..we do not. I'm not aware of any western country that eats salad for breakfast, yet all the japanese hotels seem to think thats what we eat.

Soraniwa Terrace Kyoto Bettei exceeded my expectations. The photos on the website do not do this hotel justice. The hotel is fantastic from reception to departure. When staying on the Bettei side of the hotel, you have a private reception with a jaw dropping view of the mountain. Bettei guests have their own private entrance and elevator to the hotel. Once the initial awe from check-in has worn off, you are taken to your room. The room was amazing. It was extremely spacious for Japan. The beds were very comfortable, the balcony had plenty of space, and there was space to stretch out in the room. The bathroom was great. The floors of the toilet room and the shower were heated. The shower was spacious. The highlight of the room was the private open-air bath. When I booked this room, I was unsure if the bath would actually be private but it was. The shutters can be opened so you can look out at your view. We stayed on the 6th floor and our view was great. I could see quite a few attractions from the bath or the balcony. I used the open-air bath every night we were here, it was a great way to recover after a day of walking. The rooftop bar/foot-bath area was another highlight. The foot-baths can get quite crowded but if you wait, one will open up. This was another area I visited multiple times. The view is great from anywhere on the roof and you can come here to relax. The hotel is walking distance to Gion. I took advantage of the location and woke up early a few mornings and walked to the various shrines up the mountain. I did not try the breakfast as I rediscovered a shellfish allergy earlier in the trip and read reviews around the breakfast containing prawns/shrimp. I also did not get a chance to use the public baths. The TVs had a great alert to let you know if the bath was crowded or not. I loved everything about this hotel and hope to stay here again on my next trip to Japan.

I tried to think of something and I cannot think of anything. Everything was great.

Whilst the location was a taxi or bus ride to Kyoto Station, it was nicely positioned near to the main shopping centre and restaurant/bar precincts. It is a very generous hotel with a few extras such as free afternoon drinks as well as drinks and snacks in our fridge. Afternoon drinks were provided on the rooftop where you could drop your feet into the Onsen and relax while taking in a view of the mountains. We also had an Onsen on our veranda so we had the best of both worlds. The rooms were clean and well maintained. The room was spacious for the most part.

Even though the room was spacious, in some parts, it can be cluttered with the odd chair and the bed was probably a bit too close to the wall if you slept on the left hand side (making hard to get out without disturbing your partner). That all said, they are minor in the whole scheme of things and are just noted for this review.

Everything. From the moment you stepped into their reception which is on the 9th floor. The view from there was immaculate with Kyoto city, temples and shrines. The best part of it was the private Yunohana onsen right behind your bettei room. Immersed yourself in private onsen all to yourself every day at the end of the night prior to retire to bed. Or a little dip in early in the morning before starting your day - AMAZING!! My husband and I chose to stay in Bettei which is separate from others. Very quiet and has your own private back door to nostalgic alley of ‘Gion’ vibes. If that’s not enough, wait till you get to their rooftop bar and foot hot spring. They have gas heater too on the rooftop in case you’re cold. Besides all that, make sure you choose to have in house Japanese breakfast - Kaiseki. If you can’t afford to pay for a private onsen in your stay. No problem they have public one too except you have to respect their rules and Onsen etiquette. Moreover, the hotel actually refilled your snacks and drinks even though my husband and I hardly drink alcohol.

It’s only minor. It was not a big issue. However, There was no view from our private onsen because our room is located on the ground floor.

I liked everything in the hotel, and the facts that the hotel provide best ice cream ever for free. the people were very friendly and accommodating out needs. The hotel is in a single word it is beautiful. We are definitely coming next year but it is going to be during March time so we could catch the cherri blossom.

Noting not to like, everything was so nice. The balcony was so beautiful, everything have exceeded our expectation. We has a great time. guys you should book the room with the private Onsen, remember this will make your stay more even nice and relaxing. I highly recommend to try the in room massage service, they are professional and I had the best experience ever.

Hotel was close to the station, easy to drop off baggage before checkin, checkin was very smooth, we appreciated the tour of amenities. My husband and I used the private onsen at least 5 or 6 times during our 2 night stay, it was perfect for relaxing from the hours of walking during the day. Overall I don't have any complaints and loved our stay. The rooftop lounge and welcome drink are a very nice perk as well. The price was not cheap but that was expected from a private onsen hotel.

We didn't really have any complaints. Only minor comment was that the room felt a bit small for amount paid, but that was also expected of general hotel room sizing in Japan.

The location and amenities at the hotel was wonderful. I enjoyed the hotspring in the room but liked the outdoor one even more. The rooftop terrace with the footpath was also so unique and a great way to unwind after a day out. I loved the uniqueness of the hotel!

The only thing I could say is I wish there was breakfast available at an extra cost. I don’t like booking breakfast because I travel alone and the price usually includes two people. I pay separately at hotels. But this hotel didn’t allow me to do that and said I need to book way in advance for breakfast. I was unaware of this beforehand and thought I saw the price of breakfast while booking so couldn’t imagine there would be an issue. Oh well! There are other options but sometimes it’s just nice to eat before you go out

Small but very cosy, has everything you need, absolutely well designed interior space — especially the toilet. The private onsen is a plus point, definitely made the high cost more worthy although still a bit pricey. There’s also a convenient and beautiful back entrance leading to the alleyway that takes you to Kiyamachi-dori and also the Gion district easily.

Breakfast need to be reserved 3 days in advance, booking.com’s “breakfast included” option does not count as an observation. We were not informed of this prior to our stay so we ended up without breakfast for the two mornings we were there.