The Westin Miyako Kyoto

I had a wonderful stay at The Westin Miyako Kyoto. The facilities and rooms were exceptionally beautiful, modern, and impeccably maintained. Having stayed at many Westin hotels around the world, I can confidently say this is one of the finest properties I have experienced. What impressed me even more was the outstanding hospitality. The staff were attentive, professional, and genuinely caring throughout my stay. I accidentally left behind a personal item, and they handled the situation with great kindness and efficiency, which I truly appreciated. I highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Kyoto, and I will definitely choose to stay here again on my next trip.

A nice hotel, with good amenities. The foyer and dining spaces are spacious and opulent and let you know that this is an upmarket hotel. The rooms and hallways upstairs are not quite as beautiful, but clean and thought out. Rooms are spacious with large comfortable beds and pillows. Climate control in the room was easy to work and effective, adjusting this during the day was simple and it changed the room temperature fast. Very nice, just not incredible :) The nespresso in my room was broken, which was a shame. Staff were wonderful in all cases. From check in, to helping me with my suitcase and showing me the room, to the shuttle bus drivers, the taxi helpers outside the hotel, the bartenders in the hotel bar; everyone was very kind and helpful, and didnt bat an eyelid or treat me differently when i was in my vacation clothes (very non-formal). I was very gretaful for this. Requests are accommodated easily - i requested some more towels and got them delivered to my room within a few minutes, no questions asked. The location is the biggest downside... its a half hour walk from most bars or restaurants and the bustle of kyoto. It sort of isolates you to the hotel facilities (which are very expensive for Japan), or comits you to a taxi or a trek back to the hotel after exploring elsewhere. The shuttle bus helps, conveniently dropping off in two handy locations as well as the station, runs every half hour. Unfortunately you cant get picked up from those other stops, but it at least means youre only having to do the trek one-way. Value for money wasnt quite there for me overall.

The hotel is ok. Location is pretty good, but the property overall is very plain. Probably closer to a Fairfield than a Westin for comparison. My wife and I are Titanium members so we spend 50+ nights a year in a Marriott brand hotel. For our honeymoon we stayed at 5 different Marriott properties; this was our least favorite. Again, it’s not terrible, but it’s not great. If you want your hotel to be more than just a room you sleep in then there are better options(especially for the price point). If you just want a place to drop your bags and go then it’s ok.

We visited Kyoto for the first time and stayed 4 nights at The Westin Miyako Kyoto. After doing thorough research, I was confident this was the best place to stay in the city — and I wasn't wrong. The Westin made our stay in Kyoto truly memorable. The hotel is nestled in the beautiful Higashiyama district, close enough to Gion, Kyoto Station, and central Kyoto to keep you connected to the action, yet secluded enough to feel like you've escaped the tourist crowds. The highlights are many: the warm and welcoming staff, the incredibly comfortable beds (the best sleep of our entire 11-night trip in Japan), the spacious and well-appointed rooms, the complimentary shuttle to the train station and Gion area, and the stunning gardens on the 7th floor — especially the Japanese Garden, which is an absolute must-visit. The buffet breakfast was excellent, and the surrounding area alone is worth the stay, with temples, canals, and beautiful gardens just steps away, mostly off the beaten path. I do want to give a special mention to one staff member who went above and beyond during our stay: Andrea (from Italy). He was exceptionally helpful, polite, and always ready to assist. On our last day, he arranged for our luggage to be sent ahead to the train station and gave us clear instructions on where to collect it — but my husband forgot them and we also lost the map, so we found ourselves wandering what feels like a real-life maze of a station, overwhelmed, stressed, and terrified of missing our train and flight home. We called the hotel, and when we were passed through to Andrea, his patience was truly extraordinary. He stayed on the phone with us, calmly guiding us step by step to the pickup point. I still don't know where he found that level of patience — we simply could not get to where we needed to go — but he never once lost his composure. Thanks to his incredible patience and problem-solving skills, we finally made it. Thank you, Andrea — you turned a stressful situation into just another part of the adventure, and we hope our paths cross again someday, whether in Kyoto or wherever life takes you. In the spirit of a fair review, there are a few things the hotel could improve. While they do inform guests about the spa's tattoo policy at check-in, it would be much more helpful to disclose this on their website or booking page beforehand, so guests are aware before they even arrive. The rooms have brochures for self-massage kits and fitness kits, which is a nice touch, but the prices are not listed anywhere — that information should be included upfront. Small bathroom amenities like shower caps were missing, and the hair dryers could be much stronger — though to be fair, this seems to be a widespread issue across hotels in Japan, so if you need a powerful dryer, pack your own. There was also a persistent odd smell coming from the toilet that we couldn't quite identify throughout our stay. None of these are dealbreakers by any means, but they are areas where the hotel could easily do better. If you're considering this hotel and still on the fence: trust me, you won't regret it.