Hotel Ethnography Gion Shinmonzen

Room was a bit small but beds were super comfortable and the shower/bath was excellent. The in room coffee (Hario coffee mill and pour over setup) was the best I've had in a long time. Tried both breakfast offerings here and at the sister property around the corner, both good. Super convenient location yet on a quiet street.

Gorgeous little hotel, very clean and delicious Japanese breakfast. Great amenities with tea, coffee, luggage storage, toothbrush, hairbrush, shaver etc all provided. Great location to train station and Gion entertainment district.

Excelent place, no 24 hr deskfront but You can get inside at any hour. Weard way of comunícate throught a cello phone if You have a problem, make me think about spying ... But don't think so 😅

Very comfortable. I was surprised about the mini bar being free. It didn't have all the things one finds in a mini bar, but it was nice to get complimentary water and ginger ale. Clean. Great bathtub. The shower head position was a little strange as it didn't point at the bathtub. You were supposed to take a shower standing outside of the bathtub, but it was a minor detail. We just moved the shower head in the direction of the bathtub, and the stream was a little crooked thats all. It was still a good shower. Taking a bath was great, we just don't do that as often. Downstairs they had complimentary coffee and tea. Service excellent, as in all of Japan

Very quiet street in the midst of busy Gion. Walkable to city markets and sights on the east side. Nice Japanese breakfasts, dining room open all the time for tea or coffee, or just sitting around to schmooze.

Safe, beautiful location on a quiet street but close to everything. Clean, comfortable, and quiet room with good amenities. Coffee, tea, ginger ale, and fridge provided. A 7-11 just around the corner, which we used for breakfast and many other items (including Pokémon cards for my son!). Couldn’t have chosen a better place to stay in Kyoto.

Boutique hotel with good service and newer facilities

This is an absolutely gorgeous inn! We loved it here. The neighbourhood and the decor of the room really added to the authenticity of the place. Gorgeously clean. I didn't originally book the breakfast option, but was allowed to add it on - it was very good (eggs, toast/bread, yogurt, granola, cheese, salad, fruit, juices, coffee/tea) and the western breakfast is served at their sister location around the corner, a short walk. The property has an elevator so that was really appreciated with our heavy bags. The room had two larger twin beds and duvets (really comfy), a desk and chair, a small stool that we used for one of our luggage cases, a safe, coffee/tea facilities, a mini fridge, free ginger ales provided, and an absolutely beautiful, spa-like bath and shower room. The only thing I can say about it is another chair would be great in the room. Staff were quick to assist with dinner recommendations and taxi arranging. a lovely place!

I loved the green tea that was available for guests, it was absolutely delicious! This was a lovely stay, with a really comfortable bed and great water pressure in the shower. Some downsides were the cups in the closet weren't super clean when we arrived and the outlets are awkwardly place behind the pillows in the bed frame, which makes it difficult to charge digital devices, since the chargers tend to fall out when you lay down.

Close to everything shops dining temples and trains also bike hire walking distance very clean hotel friendly staff coffee always available downstairs Doonas soft like a cloud thank you Hotel Gion Misen we enjoyed our stay

Well appointed boutique hotel in a great location in Gion District. The twin bed room and bathroom were well-sized for Japanese standards and provided with nice amenities. Staff did an exception job at cleaning the room and common areas. The staff was also very friendly and helpful in answering questions and recommending shops and restaurants in the area. Hotel was a located within easy walking distance to the Sanjo-dori, Shijo-dori, Pontocho, Karasuma, and Gion shopping areas and multiple transit lines that will take you throughout the greater Kyoto area so you have access to all of the major attractions. Highly recommend and will definitely stay at this hotel on future visits.

The hotel staff was excellent and the location was right in the heart of everything. The few issues were the room had a damp smell, the pillows were so flat even after stacking two of them, and the tub stopper didn't work. Other than that the room was very clean and I would probably stay here again.

飲み物カウンターにダウンライトが欲しいのと、風呂場のカビが生えつつあった。 壁の汚れやしょうじの汚れも気になりました。

Nice and experienced staff. We’re English-speaking and had no language barrier issues. About a 10 minute walk from the station. There was some signs of wear and wall stains in our room, but the bed and bathroom were spotless.

Cute little hotel in a great area of Kyoto. Friendly, attentive service. The room was spacious by Japanese city standards but smelled kind of dank/damp.

Cute little hotel. Staff was great. Rooms were standard size for Japan. Very clean. Everything was walkable. Metro was close. Perfect for a 3 night stay.

Great location in Gion. Close to the train station and an easy walk to shopping areas and many restaurants. Street is nice and quiet at night. Our room was a bit damp and had a bit of a strange smell, but was very nice otherwise. Comfy bed and nice shower.

Very confused about the overwhelmingly positive reviews. WiFi- terrible, never worked for us. Room- in bad condition. Poop stains on the bathroom wall. Lots of scruffs/scratches on the walls in general. Sink was shaky. Poorly designed and broken plugs on top of the bed that were built were your head would go for some reason. No windows in our room which was fine but should’ve been made more obvious in our listing. Amenities- free water and coffee in the lobby but otherwise nothing. Location was the only real redeeming quality for this place. Great location. Again, confused about the positive reviews. I would not stay here again.

祇園にマッチした施設が良かったです。 部屋もとても清潔でした。

Very clean

The best features of this hotel are the location and the staff. It's situated in the heart of Gion and is possibly one of the most desirable parts of the city to stay because of the historic ambience and the many interesting antique shops and galleries nearby. The rooms are overpriced and poorly laid out. Most face a parking lot, the street or a wall.. The decor is Faux Scandinavian meets Japanese. The Sliding Paper Screens which covered the blinds did not keep out the light from the parking lot. My room was on the backside and apparently the situation is worse in the street facing rooms. Those don't have blinds and the light shines right through the paper screens. There is no closet or space to store things. Instead 5 hangers rest on a pole in a recess of the wall. The bathroom has no place to hang towels. And the small toilet closet and separate shower and bath room are weird. The sink area outside provides little space to arrange toiletries. The ceiling in the room was low creating a box like feel. And there was no where to sit other than the desk chair. I had a double room which supposedly was bigger than most but I still felt claustrophobic. The staff were very sweet and helpful. I think it is outrageous how much the owner is charging purely based on location. I know that there are much nicer places to stay in Kyoto for the same price that might be located a bit farther away from the center.

The hotel staff was excellent and the location was right in the heart of everything. The few issues were the room had a damp smell, the pillows were so flat even after stacking two of them, and the tub stopper didn't work. Other than that the room was very clean and I would probably stay here again.

Beautiful boutique hotel on a lovely quiet street in the heart of Gion. Our room was on the 4th floor with a view over the rooftops of Kyoto- very charming. Decent size room for a small hotel. Staff was friendly- location just perfect.

Excellent stay. Staff was very friendly, and would help out at a moment’s notice. We stayed with 3 people and the rooms were quite spacious. Would recommend this property not only for its beauty but also as it is so close to the very busy commercial areas, yet shielded from all the hustle and bustle.

The room was large by Japan standards with chic decor and an excellent traditional bathtub and separate shower.

This hotel is very western (nothing wrong with that), so if you’re looking for a more authentic experience, this is not it. Staff was fluent in English. Pillows were super thin. Nice location. For $185 a night, you can do better. This hotel is not located on the river as one of the pictures might lead you to believe.

Clean, quiet, helpful English speaking staff. Comfortable beds, air conditioning. Room had pot for hot water, tea and coffee. Small fridge with ginger ale. Terrible WiFi. Couldn’t make WiFi calls at all. Room was small. Towels were thin. Bathroom sink area was terribly dark. I used a flashlight to try and style my hair. Sink area is tiny. No room for 2 people’s toiletries in the sink area, . We wanted a western style breakfast, which required a 3 minute walk to the sister hotel. It consisted of a green salad with tomatoes, cereal, plain yogurt, white bread, jam, butter, little packets of cheese, hard boiled eggs, pineapple, orange slices and bananas. This hotel is in a good location for walking to shopping, restaurants and local sights. The breakfast was our least favorite of the 5 hotels we stayed in during our Japan vacation. I’m guessing the price reflected the location, more than the amenities. If that’s the case, I would choose to pay more and have better amenities. But the hotel certainly had everything necessary, just not what I expected.

Loved how unique this hotel is. Our room was quite large compared to other places we stayed in Japan. Very clean and so close to so many attractions.

Very nice hotel and great location. My room size is larger than expected. Definitely will stay here again next time.

The hotel was very nice. The room had a great layout and easily fit myself, my husband and our teenager. The beds were the most comfy of anywhere we stayed in Japan. Only negative was the room does not have blinds, only opaque sliding traditional screens that do not block light. Unfortunately our room was right over a bright parking sign so the entire room remained VERY bright all night long. We slept with small bath towels over our eyes. Recommend bringing an eye mask for sleeping.

We chose this hotel after so much research and finally decided to give it a go! It was a little tricky to find as there is no big sign but once we found it it was easy after that! Check in was smooth and the staff throughout the stay was exceptional with helping us with recommendations, questions and getting cabs for us!! The room was beautiful, we had a ground floor room with a zen garden view. It was spacious and we had a lot of room to spread out! Overall this was such a great stay!

Very pleasant and informative check in

Very nice, clean rooms in an amazing location! We liked the extra room touches like fresh whole coffee beans and a grinder in our room to make our own fresh coffee in the morning. Staff was polite but not always available to help at busy check-in time.

Excellent location, clean property and the staff were incredibly helpful with all of our needs navigating taxis and dinner reservations. I would absolutely stay here again.

The Gion Misen was a standout among the many places I stayed during a three week trip to Japan. As a solo female traveler it was safe and welcoming, and supremely convenient for exploring Kyoto. The Japanese breakfast was tasty and changed up daily. A word about the staff: uniformly friendly, well-informed and multi-lingual, they went above and beyond when my passport went missing. A manager handled all the inquiries on the phone and in the police station, and I had my document in hand for my return trip the following day, thanks to her dedication.

This hotel was perfect! The staff were extremely helpful, the breakfast was amazing (we tried both Japanese and Western style) the beds were super comfortable and the rooms spacious and silent - Right in the heart of Gion - well connected by subway to the rest of Kyoto. We loved the extra touches (a coffee grinder in each room to make fresh filtered coffee) a deep bath and automatic toilet seats!

Staff are not friendly and need to be trained!

Incredible hotel. Jacopo was especially helpful and found us dinner reservations for one of the best meals I’ve ever had nearby. Walkable to many transit stations and access to great finding and shopping close by!

Hotel Gion Misen is located in the beautiful and historic district of Gion, Kyoto. I was very grateful for their effort in coordinating a champagne surprise for my husband’s birthday and writing a thoughtful message ahead of our stay – it was a lovely gesture. However, our experience with the staff left something to be desired. During our visit, we stopped by the sister location just a short walk away, where we experienced excellent hospitality. The staff there helped us with a restaurant reservation we had struggled to make due to a language barrier, something we had hoped to receive assistance with at Hotel Gion Misen. Unfortunately, when we asked the front desk at Gion Misen for help, there was hesitation, followed by an email saying the restaurant was closed, even though we knew it was open (it was only closed on Tuesdays, and we requested for Wednesday). Thankfully, we decided to go to the restaurant directly and had a wonderful time, but had we followed the information in the email, we would have missed out on a great experience. While the location and the thoughtful gesture for my husband’s birthday were highlights, the mixed service from the staff on a couple of occasions at Hotel Gion Misen was disappointing. I hope they can improve in this area for future guests

Excellent value and location, and helpful, friendly staff who all speak good English. Will definitely return.

We chose this hotel after so much research and finally decided to give it a go! It was a little tricky to find as there is no big sign but once we found it it was easy after that! Check in was smooth and the staff throughout the stay was exceptional with helping us with recommendations, questions and getting cabs for us!! The room was beautiful, we had a ground floor room with a zen garden view. It was spacious and we had a lot of room to spread out! Overall this was such a great stay!

So very comfortable! Lovely bedding, pjs, slippers, and lots of toiletries. In walking distance to ask the gion sites and temples. Nice bars and restaurants nearby as well. Staff very friendly.

Excellent location to the Gion area. Lovely back streets of Kyoto!

This was an amazing gem of the property that was close to the GION district. Super walkable to the metro center we traveled all over the Kyoto area, including going to Nara Park and the bamboo forest on the west side of town. The room was awesome for my family 04 with two small boys and everything was on point easy check-in zero hassle and just overall pleasure to be there.

Beautiful boutique hotel on a lovely quiet street in the heart of Gion. Our room was on the 4th floor with a view over the rooftops of Kyoto- very charming. Decent size room for a small hotel. Staff was friendly- location just perfect.

Cute little hotel in middle of amazing Gion. Very walkable from the metro and great area to explore for culture, shopping & food options. The staff are super nice and very helpful. Would definitely come back here again and stay even longer!

Loved the traditional feel of the neighborhood. The subway line was close and lots of restaurants in the area.

The location was great and we did a lot of walking in every direction. There was so much to discover and restaurants were everywhere. The room was lovely and we had all that we needed. Comfortable beds and a lovely bathroom/tub. I would definitely recommend this hotel.

Upon arriving to this property is a beautiful walk right next to the river that flows through the area. It was a little hard to find at first but just follow the maps and look closely for there hotel name. It was a nice traditional feel in the room and it was very clean and friendly staffed. Walkable distance to a lot of stations and there is so much to do in the area for sure!

景観を損なわない京都ならではかもしれないが、ホテルの外に看板もなく、暖簾のみで探すの苦労する。 別館もあるみたいで、どちらに電話をかけても外国人スタッフ。 明るいうちにホテルに着くように行って、近くを歩いてる人に聞くしかない。

The hotel is wonderful. The staff is wonderful. I just knocked off a star from the amenities because the included breakfast was not a lot of food. It was lacking in that we actually went to eat out after we had the breakfast. That said, the breakfast was really tasty though and everything was wonderful.

Good location, however WiFi connection kept dropping off like nonexistent, I told the hotel staff but staff wasn’t aware of issue hence no fix, we had to constantly use our own data staying here. Breakfast is repetitive with no meat so very plain. No onsen available here.

Room was a bit small but beds were super comfortable and the shower/bath was excellent. The in room coffee (Hario coffee mill and pour over setup) was the best I've had in a long time. Tried both breakfast offerings here and at the sister property around the corner, both good. Super convenient location yet on a quiet street.

The breakfast is so bad if you don’t like tha Japanese food

Very close to river bank(within 5 minutes). Even though nearby big streets and shops were overflowed with so many tourists, once inside the hotel, very quiet, relaxed atmosphere. Only thing I was disappointed was breakfast. Japanese style breakfast only. Quality and quantity is not great

Loved every detail and the location was perfect! The Japanese breakfasts were lovely.

Excellent service, highly recommend the traditional Japanese breakfast

Excellent in every way! I’d go back there, and recommend highly to anyone! Friendly staff. Excellent Japanese breakfast! It’s a keeper!

This is an absolutely gorgeous inn! We loved it here. The neighbourhood and the decor of the room really added to the authenticity of the place. Gorgeously clean. I didn't originally book the breakfast option, but was allowed to add it on - it was very good (eggs, toast/bread, yogurt, granola, cheese, salad, fruit, juices, coffee/tea) and the western breakfast is served at their sister location around the corner, a short walk. The property has an elevator so that was really appreciated with our heavy bags. The room had two larger twin beds and duvets (really comfy), a desk and chair, a small stool that we used for one of our luggage cases, a safe, coffee/tea facilities, a mini fridge, free ginger ales provided, and an absolutely beautiful, spa-like bath and shower room. The only thing I can say about it is another chair would be great in the room. Staff were quick to assist with dinner recommendations and taxi arranging. a lovely place!

Excellent Japanese breakfast. Lovely small hotel in a great location.