Matsumoto Ryokan

Excellent location and very friendly staff! The breakfast was wonderful. It would be even nicer if the hotel changed the menu more often since we had breakfast there for a few days. Overall, excellent value!!

None. Everything was great!

Perfect Location: Directly across from Kyoto Station; ideal for transit and sightseeing. Authentic Vibe: Traditional tatami rooms and a relaxing communal bath for a true Kyoto feel. Warm Hospitality: Very friendly, helpful staff and a delicious Japanese breakfast.

Strict Curfew: No entry or exit between midnight and 6:00 AM. Small & Dated: Rooms are quite compact and the building shows its age.

The room is quite spaceous, sleeping on the floor gives that traditional feeling. Location is super (across Kyoto Station). Staff is very friendly and helpful. You have to take off your shoes in the hall and use slippers provided by Matsumoto Ryokan which gives the stay a tidy feel.

There is a curfew starting from 00:00 to 06:00, you cannot enter the ryokan between these hours. If you're planning to go out make sure to arrive back after the curfew ended. The slippers provided do not support large foot size, with EU size 45 and up the slippers feel uncomfortable.

This traditional ryokan is located just across the road from Kyoto Station, making it a very convenient base for exploring Kyoto and nearby destinations like Osaka and Fushimi Inari. The rooms are spacious and styled in a classic Japanese manner, with tatami flooring and futon beds that offer an authentic experience, though we personally did not find the bedding particularly comfortable. Each room includes a private bathroom, which is a nice addition to the traditional setup. The staff were generally polite and friendly. They informed us we could return between 15:30–16:00 for early check-in, but when we arrived at 15:50, we were still asked to wait until 16:00, which made the earlier guidance feel a bit pointless. That said, they did allow us to leave our luggage ahead of time and had it delivered to our room, which was appreciated. The ryokan follows traditional customs, such as removing shoes in the hall and wearing provided slippers. Yukata outfits are also provided. One of the highlights is the public bath facilities, including a natural mineral onsen, which we used daily and found relaxing.

However, there were several aspects we did not like. The shared slippers felt unhygienic and took away from the overall comfort of the stay. There is also a strict curfew from midnight to 6am, which felt quite restrictive and uncomfortable—especially compared to other places (for example, in Osaka where hotel key cards still allow entry after hours). The public bath signage was confusing; clearer men/women signs would be much easier to understand than relying on Japanese writing or color coding. Using pink and blue is not ideal, as in many places—especially in the West—color is not a reliable indicator of gender. Simple visual icons, such as a geisha for women and a samurai for men, would make it much clearer for international guests. This confusion led to an awkward situation where we initially entered the wrong bath. Additionally, the onsen closes at 9am, and while we were getting changed shortly after, a staff member entered to clean despite us indicating we were still inside, which made for an uncomfortable experience.