Saka Hotel Kyoto

What kind of hotel is Saka Hotel Kyoto?

This is a nice boutique modern ryokan-style hotel.  There are 38 rooms only.  If you love Kyoto like me, you may want to stay here.  It’s an amazing location for Kyoto lovers. The area around the hotel is surrounded by the atmosphere of a quiet town where Kiyomizu Temple stands.

Access to the hotel from Kyoto Station would be inconvenient unless you take a taxi, but the atmosphere around here is very much Kyoto. There are some nice sights and restaurants around the hotel within walking distance, so you won’t need to use public transportation to get around while staying here. Rather, I would recommend that you take a leisurely stroll around the area.

Also, if you are in a situation where you want to stay at the 5-star Park Hyatt Kyoto or Luxury Hotel SOWAKA, which are located in the best locations in Kyoto, but your budget doesn’t allow for it, I would recommend Saka Hotel Kyoto.

Then some of the rooms had private open-air baths, and these baths were fantastic. Although it was not a hot spring, I could enjoy the open-air bath filled with Japanese sake over and over again, and since there was a TV in the bath, I couldn’t help but take a long bath and spend a luxurious time. Japanese Sake from Fushimi, Kyoto is said to have a beautiful skin effect and a warming and moisturizing effect.

Then if you are planning a workation in Kyoto, I would recommend it. There is a nice lounge on 3F. Complimentary  Japanese sake, sparkling and white wines, coffee, tea, soft drinks, snacks, etc., are available. Alcoholic beverages are available between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. only. You can chill out there while drinking and eating whenever you like.  The lounge is open between 7:00 and 24:00.  

The only drawback is that most of the rooms do not have a good view, despite the hotel’s excellent location. There are many World Heritage sites in this area, so the building code restricts the view, which is unavoidable.

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Is the location easy to access?

A free shuttle service is available. If you make a request at least one day in advance, you can be picked up from Kyoto Station, Kiyomizu Gojo Station, or Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station between 11:00 and 18:00. *There is no shuttle service from the hotel.

If you walk from the nearest station, Kiyomizu-Gojo, it takes 20 minutes.

If you take a taxi, it takes 10min from Kyoto station and costs about JPY1,500.

Please note that Saka Hotel Kyoto is brand new.  Most of the TAXI drivers wouldn’t know it.  You may want to show the address and TEL No. in the below Japanese as a cab driver can enter the phone number into the car navigation system to confirm the destination.

坂のホテル京都
〒605-0862 京都府京都市東山区清水４丁目200
電話番号 075 561 0061

I am familiar with Kyoto, but I still wondered how a hotel could be located on such a small street. I would recommend checking the location of the hotel in the light of day. At night, it might be hard to find.

Then it is nice to have free parking in Kyoto, where parking fees are very high.

Rooms I would recommend?

If you are going to stay here, I would recommend a spacious room as much as possible.  Some rooms tend to be cramped.  Alternatively, I would recommend a room with a private outdoor bath. The rooms are decorated with lots of wood to create a warm and relaxing ambiance.

Then there is no communal bath, but most rooms have Japanese cypress wood bathtubs where you can relax in bathtubs of Japanese sake. *Rooms with open-air baths and deluxe triple rooms (with balconies) only do not have wood bathtubs.

Overall, the rooms on the first floor are spacious in every way, but dark at night.  The rooms on the second and third floors are a bit smaller, but well-lit throughout the day. Also, take off your shoes when you enter the room.

Then if you don’t want to sleep on Japanese-style mattresses called futons, you may want to book a western-Japanese room with twin beds.

How about toiletries & in-room amenities?

All of the amenities are taken care of including enough toiletries, yukatas, pajamas, a Japanese tea set, a coffee machine with some capsules, etc. There are Aromatherapy Associates bath amenities and skincare products in the bathroom. There are some pillows which you can choose from. Free use of VOD on TV. It’s also very well cleaned. Room service is available. Free wifi was good in the building.

Then, the hotel is child-friendly.  The staff provides amenities, such as bouncers, diaper pails, baby shampoo, and soaps, etc. if you request in advance. There is no charge for children under elementary school age to sleep with you. If meals or bedding are required, they will be charged separately.

How about In-house Facilities?

There is no communal bath, but there were two private family baths when we stayed here.  One was called the Japanese Sake bath, and the other was the Yuzu bath.  They are not hot springs, though.  You need to book when you check in if you want to use them.  It costs 4,400JPY for 50min.  First come, first served.  They are open from 7:00-10:00, 15:00-24:00.  You can fully enjoy soaking in the baths while viewing Yasaka pagoda.

Then the hotel is almost universal design.  Wheelchairs are available for borrowing.  If you bring someone with weak legs, you might want to inform the staff in advance as they arrange a room near the lift.

Then there is a convenience store nearby. There are vending machines for drinks on 3F and a launderette on 1F.

How about meals?

Japanese cuisine for dinner was wonderful.  Although not authentic Japanese cuisine, all the dishes were delicious because they were made with fresh local ingredients. After dinner, they provided us with an evening meal of rice balls.

When I stayed at this hotel when it first opened, I had dinner here and had to wait a long time. However, the second time I stayed here, the service was very smooth and the staff was very efficient. It seems to have improved a lot.

For breakfast, we enjoyed a richly varied and well-stocked Japanese breakfast while looking out over the courtyard. Breakfast is from 7:00-9:00.  Dinner is from 17:30-21:30.  All meals are served in a private room in a restaurant.

On the second day, we tried to have dinner in the Kiyomizu Temple area near the hotel, but most of the stores were closed in the evening. It is a 15-minute walk to the Gion area, but most of the restaurants were crowded with tourists. If you want to have a relaxing dinner, I would recommend booking a room with meals. Especially in the Gion area, most of the restaurants seem to be crowded during the travel season, spring and fall.

My impressions

Overall, the property has good value for money if compared to others in Kyoto. I could really feel the thoughtful service of all the employees.

At last, don’t forget to visit Kiyomizu Temple in the early morning before breakfast or after dinner.  It takes just 5min on foot.  The temple is open from 6:00 AM.  As you may know, the temple is always very crowded in the daytime but there would be almost no people around there before 8:00 AM and after 8:00 PM.  You can see “true Kyoto”.  It’s well worth a visit.

The location of the hotel, where you can take an early morning stroll along with the tranquil Kiyomizu Temple, is a major attraction. Also, In spring and fall, the temples and gardens near the hotel are lit up, so after dinner, you can go out on foot. The atmosphere is different from the daytime, and you will be surrounded by a solemn and mysterious atmosphere.

Have a nice trip!  Welcome to receive any questions about Saka Hotel Kyoto from the below space.  You need to inform the staff of your expected arrival time in advance.  Check Availability and Pricing for the hotel on Agoda 

Info about Saka Hotel Kyoto

Style	Modern ryokan-style Hotel
Check-in and out times	15:00/11:00
Estimated Price	30,000 JPY for 2 adults per room
Contact E-mail	Call at 0799-22-2521 from domestic Call at +81 799-22-2521 from overseas
Internet Connection	Free wifi in the hotel
Facility information	Wheelchairs are available Pets are not allowed The free parking lot is available *You need to book it in advance Availability is limited.
Location	Saka Hotel Kyoto’s MAP
Access	10min TAXI from JR Kyoto Station.
Address and TEL	〒605-0862 Kyoto Higashiyama-Ku Kiyomizu 4-200 Tel +81 75-561-0061
Official Homepage	Saka Hotel Kyoto’s HP

*All information above is as of the date that I posted on my blog.

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