Gion Ryokan Karaku

The full and real Japanese experience. Really fun and an enjoyable experience. Would recommend to try the Japanese breakfast as well to really get an understanding of the traditional food culture.

If you want to experience the Ryokan atmosphere we can only recommend Gion Ryokan Karaku. The rooms are large, clean, light and bathroom/bathing facilities are nicely decorated. Both rooms and lounge areas give you the perfect Ryokan feeling. On top of that you get the best service we have experienced. A personal welcome, an introduction to the house facilities and how the Ryokan experience works. We had a suitcase missing when our luggage arrived and the staff went out of their way to help us. We got the missing suitcase later on arrival day. Very helpful staff. The location is perfect for experiencing local Edo period buildings, shrines and temples. Good selection of restaurants in close walking distance.

Great location near sights and shopping, friendly and helpful staff. Wonderful experience staying in a traditional style lodging. There is an elevator in case your group needs one.

This Ryokan was wonderful. The room we stayed in fit our group of four fairly well, although with the four futons down it was a bit tight walking through if people left stuff on the ground. It was a beautiful room, with a nice, deep Japanese bath The hotel offers Japanese breakfast and dinner for an additional charge - both a bit pricey, but when you see the large variety and the quality of the items served, it is worth that cost. We had one breakfast and one dinner. The dinner is Kaiseki style (not sure if the breakfast fits that category). Both served very small portions of many items that were tasty and artistically presented. On first sight you'd expect to go away hungry because of the small size but there are so many items served that it was filling. The front desk and dining area staff were very helpful and friendly. They seem able to speak some English but we speak Japanese and used that to communicate. We purposely chose a location in Higashi-yama, and it was great for what we wanted - a 10-15 minute walk to two train stations, one of which goes to the main Kyoto station, right next to Maruyama Park and Yasaka Shrine, and a 15 minute walk from Kiyomizudera my favorite temple of all. Walking the other way Heian Shrine was also in reach. Everyplace we wanted to go outside of Higashi-yama could be reached by the two nearby trains.

If you want an authentic Japanese-style BnB, this is an excellent choice. The rooms were well equipped including the traditional futon mattresses. The staff was extremely attentive and courteous and we're always active to assist guests. Don't skip on the traditional Japanese breakfast... it was a delight. Bonus, the shrine next to the hotel is beautiful and open at night with beautiful lanterns.