Gion Koyuan

Amazing lodging experience

Traditional and comfortable in the centre of many temples and shrines. There are lots of great food options very close and public transport for exploring further afield.

Living like a local! The house is in the traditional layout with tatami mats in living room and bedroom and sliding screens to the living room. Kitchen and bathroom very modern high spec yet have the traditional feel. We walked to many tourist attractions directly from the house and excellent bus services are nearby. Futons are directly on the tatami mats, and the sitting room consists of just a low table and cushions to kneel on. There is a footwell under the table, so we could sit rather than kneel at the table, which was rather more comfortable for us Europians not used to kneeling and sitting on our feet. From the sitting room was a view to the delightful little courtyard garden. You have the whole house to yourself. A cleaner comes in at some point during the day, but no other staff. What we didn't realise was that we had to ring the agent to be met at the house. We turned up at check-in time but the place was deserted and my mobile phone didn't work. You need 4G in Japan. The taxi driver didn't know the address and you need a printout of the map to show him!

Charming house in the heart of Gion, a beautiful combination of Japanese tradition and comfort. Morning cornflakes in a nice imari bowl contributed nicely to the Kyoto esthetic overload.