Villa Kyoto Saiin

Clean, comfortable, friendly staff, helpful

Nothing

Everything, we loved our stay.

Not applicable.

This accommodation is a shared house in a 1960's residence in the area of Saiin, well away from any tourist centres, but well connected by bus and Hankyu Rail. I booked it because it was very cheap - and on the strength of previous reviews. A day before arrival, I communicated my check-in time with the accommodation and received a message to say that my Check-in time was accepted. I then went out sightseeing all day, and then I arrived pretty much in the middle of my check-in window, in the early evening, I stood outside a locked front door... not greatm having hauled all my luggage from the train station and needing to use the bathroom quite badly. I rang the doorbell and stood out there for what seemed like eternity, until some other guests kindly let me in. Admittedly, the owner had sent the door access code on the day of my check-in, but I did not have a Japanese SIM card, therefore, could not access it... and fully expected someone to be around, since it was early evening. Anyway... managed to find my room, which was okay. Like seen in the photos, spartan , but clean, on the second floor, reached by a very steep staircase. It had a decent size, a comfy futon, big window. Decor wise, very bland, a tiny table and stool so not great for working, or eating in the room, and no sink. Heating via airconditioner worked well. Didn't like the sheets which felt a bit nylon-y, but clean, so no big deal. I have no issues with the house, which appeared well maintained, with a fully equipped kitchen, laundry room, two toilets and a shower room - all on the ground floor. There are three guest rooms on the second floor, so if you need the bathroom, you have to go down and up the very narrow steep stairs. there was some limited seating in the kitchen but no common room as the photos suggest.

The area of Saiin is fine, not touristy, with loads of local restaurants, several sento. Public transport (bus and Hankyu Railway) get you to Downtown Kyoto, Kinkakuji, Kitano Tenmangu, Arashiyama very easily and directly. While this accommodation was fine on the whole, it was by far the worst accommodation I had in Kyoto so far. A lot more could be done with the rooms in a house that has great potential. What was worst for me, though, was the poor communication with the owner. Every other place without on-site staff warned me about this in advance and provided access details at least 24 hours in advance. Once I had checked in, my messages were not responded to until it was time to pay and check out. I had to send about three emails asking for a payment receipt. While the stay was okay (cheap, clean) , the poor communication really ruined it for me, and I would not stay here again. Still haven't received a proper VAT receipt (only credit card payment confirmation) but have given up.

I was a little disappointed this time. I stayed here last year and had such a wonderful experience—the people in the house were incredibly kind and helped us with everything. All the small details were perfect, which is why I wanted to bring my mom to see it too. Unfortunately, this visit didn’t live up to the same standard. When we arrived, there was no one to welcome us, and the place smelled strongly of smoke. The only time we saw someone, it was just to ask us for payment—there wasn’t much interaction or hospitality beyond that. It’s a shame, because I know how great this place can be. I hope things return to how they were before. The people that run the place before seemed to have so much passion and love for the place and people. Now it just felt more like a hostel and a way to make money. The house overall is nice though, and it is a nice experience. But I guess it depends on the people too.