Location and staff

Wir hatten einen großartigen Aufenthalt im Ryokan Sawaya Honten. Die Besitzer waren sehr nett und zuvorkommend. Wir hatten das schöne und große Zimmer mit Gartenblick. Hier hat man die Koi-Karpfen von Zimmer aus sehen können. Das Zimmer war klimatisiert und war sauber. Das Frühstück war wirklich sehr gut und reichhaltig. Alle Angestellten waren sehr hilfreich und konnten gut englisch. Das Ryokan liegt nahe der U-Bahn und nahe einer Bushaltestelle. Mit beidem kommt man in Kyoto sehr gut vorwärts.

The property was very clean and the staff who managed breakfast were very friendly and explained what we were eating. A traditional Japanese breakfast served in a beautiful dining room.

Although the kids were fine, my husband and I struggled with the futons and pillows which were very hard. But - we had wanted a traditional ryokan experience so still glad we did it. Just be aware that there are no Western options for breakfast - it's a traditional guest house. It's a little too far from Gion to walk but is in a non-touristy location.

It was our first stay in a ryokan, it's definitely something to try as it's so unique. Our room didn't include breakfast so we added it and it was the highlight of our stay as it was delicious and a very special experience. Our luggage was there when we arrived, the room was very clean and spacious and we slept very comfortably on the tatami. My partner also tried the onsen and enjoyed it, they provide the proper clothing to wear, which is beautiful as well as practical.

For the price we paid I feel like the experience was a bit of a letdown in some aspects. We had a bit of a rude welcome upon arrival which was not the best way to start. The location is also a bit more difficult to access as it's further away from the metro and even though there are some sights close-by if you want to be reach the centre of Kyoto it will take more walking and transportation (not too difficult but just something to keep in mind). I wouldn't rely too much on their washer and dryer, after we finally managed to get the right amount of cash for it (the lady at the welcome desk was very helpful for this I must say), it washed well but the dryer barely did anything even though I ran it twice so we ended up putting all our stuff to dry everywhere we could in our room, which was not ideal lol.