Sakanoue

Google Maps describes this as a 5* hotel but it is not anywhere close to that. It was $500/nite all in, but I booked it because I thought it would be nice to splurge for a week. Not worth that price. It's in a great location, but it reminds me more of a tired Hampton Inn (a budget hotel in the US) - minimal charm and zero elegance. They describe it as a ryokan, and they do offer Kaiseki meals but that and a few traditional rooms are about all that make it a true ryokan experience. There's no dedicated nakai, just whoever is working at the desk or in the kitchen at that time. Food is served in a charmless, windowless room that again is more like what you would see in a budget hotel. I wouldn't think it would be worth paying extra for. The room was pretty decent (though they put us in the basement despite booking 6 months in advance!). Not a place I would recommend for the price.

A traditional ryokan and a non-traditional choice for me, but I really enjoyed the experience. Small and intimate, with a couple of quirks: dropping off your physical room key when leaving for the day (I haven’t done that since the ’90s!) and using a shoe locker at the entrance before switching to communal sandals inside the hotel. Stairs for humans, but they had a service elevator for bags in a service room. The location was excellent. It’s an easy walk to the busy shopping areas, including Teramachi and Nishiki Market, with plenty of both modern and traditional restaurants nearby. Taxis were easy when going further afield, although we found it simpler to arrange pick-up at the bottom of the street. Breakfast was good, with a mix of Western and Japanese selections — who doesn’t love miso soup and beef curry for breakfast! There also appeared to be a traditional Japanese breakfast available, but this was never offered or explained to us. We only realized it after asking about the different setup at another table one morning. Staff were friendly, including Adrian, originally from France, so we enjoyed chatting with him and getting his perspective. Otherwise staff interaction was limited to functional exchanges.

Ryokan Sakanoue, Kyoto - stayed here as a couple and it was a genuinely lovely experience. The setting feels natural and peaceful, the kind of place that actually makes you slow down. The room itself was roomy and surprisingly spacious - more than we expected for a traditional ryokan, which made it even more comfortable to settle into. Location is great, price is fair for what you get, and one night is honestly enough to soak it all in properly. Don't skip the private bath - it's a must. Breakfast was nice, and they throw in 2 complimentary drinks per person plus free wine tasting, a lovely touch we weren't expecting. One thing to keep in mind - reception closes at night, so sort out your check-in timing before you arrive. Not a dealbreaker, just worth knowing ahead of time. Great little ryokan for couples wanting a taste of traditional Japan without blowing the budget.

The good is that you are close to the historic gion which is wonderful. Now the bad... This Ryokan is advertised as having "public baths". This usually means a spa area, but here it was literally a bath tub in the basement in a pokey room with lukewarm water. You had to book the bath and it was actually a horrible experience. I think they should stop advertising this in this way or make it much clearer. Next, this Ryokan features apparently "traditional Japanese" rooms. Especially when you then get a choice between western or traditional Japanese, you would think that what you are getting when selecting Japanese is sleeping on tatami mats, especially when you emailed them ahead of time to reconfirm this. No communication and when we arrived we found out that there were rooms were you sleep on a tatami mat, but that those were now fully booked??? We booked over 2 months before we arrived. Lastly, the service was over bearing. This lady would just start shouting Japanese phrases at us whenever she saw us in the corridor or when we entered. It was just too much and insincere. For the price they were charging which was almost 200gbp a night, this was a basic hotel with over promised and under delivered features. Dissappointing. The positive aspect is your proximity to the historic Gion district, which is splendid. Now for the downsides... This ryokan promotes itself as offering "public baths." Typically, this implies a spa facility, but here it was merely a bathtub situated in a cramped basement room with tepid water. One had to reserve the bath, and it proved to be a genuinely unpleasant encounter. I believe they should cease marketing it this way or provide much greater clarity. Furthermore, this ryokan supposedly boasts "traditional Japanese" rooms. Particularly when offered a choice between Western and traditional Japanese, one would naturally expect that selecting the latter entails sleeping on tatami mats, especially after reconfirming this via email in advance. There was no communication, and upon our arrival, we discovered that rooms featuring tatami mats existed, but they were now fully reserved? We had made our booking over two months prior to our arrival. Finally, the service was overbearing. This individual would simply begin bellowing Japanese phrases at us whenever she spotted us in the hallway or as we entered. It was simply excessive and disingenuous. Considering the price they were charging, which was nearly £200 per night, this was a rudimentary hotel with features that were overstated and underdelivered. Quite disappointing.