Gion Hatanaka

We loved staying here! All of the staff were super friendly and easy to communicate with even if you speak very little Japanese. Our room was spacious and beautiful and we loved having breakfast and dinner served in the room. All of the food was delicious and the tatami mats were surprisingly comfortable! Definitely worth staying a night here on your trip to Kyoto! The location also cannot be beat and you can walk right into the Gion area to see nearby temples, eat sweets, and visit cute shops.

If you want a taste of traditional Japan, look no further! The place was wonderful, I was given a big room furnished with typical Japanese furniture; a private onsen was available as well downstairs. Every guest has his/her personal room attendant, and mine has been wonderful, preparing my room and explaining me everything, also welcoming me with some delicious matcha. I do recommend having the kaiseki breakfast in your room for a wonderful good morning, and if you want the definitive experience, treat yourself with a dinner in the company of a geiko-san and a maiko-san. I would give 11/10 if I could, and I'll surely come back!

There are no metro/rail stations nearby, buy it's a price to pay if you want to stay in the Gion district, so it's not really a defect. And luxury comes at a premium, of course.

The staff is impeccable, always kind and helpful. Overall, I felt so well taken care of by everyone. The room was spacious and it was nice to have a private bath. The sunken tub was heavenly. It was nice to have a separate sitting area and fridge. The dinner and breakfast are good and a great way to experience eastern dining, but it was too much food for one small person. So tackle it with an empty stomach. The room attendant for dinner spoke some English and did her best to translate the dishes for me. I didn't expect her to do that, but appreciated it a lot. The public bath was nice and provided everything you needed, it's small so a nice way to start if like me you've never been to one before and need to learn proper etiquette. Slippers, geta and clothes are provided to wear on the property and for sleeping. The tabi socks, stationary, towel and napkin make nice souvenirs. The property is well-maintained and quiet. The bedding is comfortable. I loved that the air condition didn't freeze you to death like in the US, but was set to a comfortable level. I loved the little touches like the old school phone, the decorative keychain, the cloth covering the TV. Maruyama Park is beautiful, peaceful and just a short walk. It was a nice way to spend the morning. Strolling the narrow streets during the day was great. There are lots of shrines, pagodas and shopping in easy walking distance. Definitely an area to get the feel of old-world Japan. There is a rickshaw company across the street if you'd prefer to tour the area that way.

There wasn't anything I didn't like about the ryokan. However, I was surprised how few people were out in the evening and did feel a bit uncomfortable walking alone on the dark narrow streets. I had expected lots of lanterns lit and lining the street and many people strolling around in the evening. I recommend grabbing convenience store food and placing it in the refrigerator for dinner or taking a cab at night if you don't get the room service dinner.

Breakfast and dinner were truly wonderful experiences. We wanted a fully immersive Ryokan experience and we were not disappointed. The location was right in the middle of Gion with good access to some stunning places. The onsen was wonderful.

Not particularly close to a train/tube station so if you are arriving from Kyoto main station, I would recommend taking a taxi. It is very expensive and difficult to justify the price but as a one-off experience, I guess we had to treat ourselves.