Kyoto Hotels and Accommodation

(Kyoto, Kansai, Central Honshu, Japan)

Kyoto is home to one of the biggest selections of tourist friendly hotels in the whole of Japan and visitors will be sure to find many choices to suit their needs and pocket. From luxury ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) to less expensive local guesthouses and airport hotels, Kyoto is sure to please.

Many people visiting Kyoto choose to stay at a ryokan and there is a fairly extensive selection of affordable ryokan accommodation all around the city, where tourists are always made to feel welcome and hearty meals are often served. Just 40 minutes away by train, the city of Osaka is within easy reach of Kyoto and boasts a huge range of hotels worth considering.

Where to Stay

The best places to stay, in Kyoto in terms of convenience and easy access to the main shopping centres, eateries and tourist attractions, lie around both the eastern and south-western regions of the city. Here you will find a mixture of accommodation, from budget hotels to lavish ryokan. Many of the best hotels in this part of Kyoto often boast their own swimming pools and international restaurants.

Several excellent budget ryokan can be found close to Kyoto Station, such as the Ryokan Murakamiya on the Shichijo-agaru-Higashinotoin-dori, and the Ryokan Kyoka on the Shimojyuzuyamachi-dori-Higashinotoin, which is just a short walk from the downtown district. Also close to Kyoto Station and at the very opposite end of the accommodation scale is the Rihga Royal Hotel Kyoto, a quality establishment where you will find some pricey rooms.

Downtown Kyoto is a great place to look for accommodation and hotels here are easy to find. The Sun Hotel Kyoto resides in this part of the city, on the Kawaramachi-dori-Sanjo kudaru, and comes highly recommended. The nearby Hotel Gimmond is also worth considering. If you are looking for luxury accommodation in the very heart of downtown Kyoto, then the Kyoto Hotel Okura on the Oike-Kawaramachi intersection is hard to beat, as is the Kinmata Ryokan on the Shijoaguru-Gokomachi-dori.

Further accommodation lies on the south-eastern side of the city and includes the cheap and cheerful Higashiyama Youth Hostel and also the good-value Kyoto Traveller's Inn. On the south-western side of the city, the best hotels and accommodation options include the budget Crossroads Inn, the Ryokan Hinomoto, the Kyoto ANA Hotel and also the Hirota Guest House. Both north-east and north-west Kyoto contain a number of solid places to stay, including the 100-year-old Kaguraya B&B, the ISE Dorm, the Holiday Inn Kyoto, the Utano Youth Hostel and the Kitayama Youth Hostel, amongst others.