Prince Smart Inn Kyoto Shijo Omiya

It’s a modern-style hotel with rooms that are slightly larger than the typical size in Japan—very clean, with a spacious and comfortable lobby. A simple breakfast is provided (a sandwich and coffee or tea), which does the job. There are lockers available to store your luggage if you arrive early, as check-in is strictly at 3:00 p.m. The hotel is located on an avenue about 1 km from Kyoto’s main shopping area, but it’s an easy walk back and forth. Alternatively, you can take a bus just a few meters away, including to other attractions like the castle or the bamboo forest. It’s surrounded by convenience stores and dining options.

The hotel exceeded my expectations, it is basic but meets all standard needs. The room I was given was bigger than I expected and it came with two beds! The shower has it's own little room inside too. Onsite you can leave your luggage in the lockers before and after check in which came in handy and you can pick up free amenities in the lobby (pyjamas, toothbrush etc.). Also had breakfast included which was nice to have and a laundry room if needed! Staff were also very helpful and kind! The hotel is also situated in a quiet area so there was no noise at night. I would recommend here for a short stay!

Everything was great for the price point! I couldn't fault our stay. The beds and pillows were super comfortable. Super clean and new. Their amenities counter, including toiletries, was well stocked. Water bottles available for each night. Good sound proofing even though we were near the elevators. The Shijo Omiya location was super convenient to access the Randen tramway, Hankyu line, and many city buses service this area. Lots of local eateries that weren't tourist traps, even though it's just 2 km from the busy Shijo-Gion area, Nishiki Market, Pontocho, Gion, etc. McDonalds is a 2 min walk for those who really need it. For those wanting a local sento, Gokoyu is a 900m walk away. The 12 min walk along quiet streets showcases how locals live - some homes are tiny!

I may have got lucky with the price at the time so I'd say very good value for money especially since I booked quite short notice only a few days before checking in as prior accommodation I had booked needed to be cancelled for personal reasons. The hotel was ideally located if you're wanting a little bit more of a chill vibe but still want to be close to the "central parts" of Kyoto. The hotel room was nice, clean, and spacious. The beds and pillows were great, had plenty of room to move about and really appreciated the table and stools to have a comfortable place to snack and keep all the mandatory conbini snacks bought at the end of the day. Love that the hotel had it's on dedicated laundry room and vending machines for guests, quality of life facilities really make the stay more comfortable. Again location wise it was perfect for us, 25-30 mins on bus from Kyoto station, 25-30 mins walk to Kawaramachi shopping district.

The room had a good size and a big window that let a lot of light in. We arrived before checkin time and the staff at the reception desk were very kind to keep our luggage until we were able to checkin. They also kept our luggage on the day of checkout. They served us breakfast at the restaurant in the ground floor (coffee or tea, a small salad, bread roll and scrambled eggs or some other protein). Some reviewers complained about the breakfast, but for us, who only eat bread and black coffee, I thought the breakfast very convinient (and it was free). Room was quiet. The location was great. Staff was very very nice and helpful.