The authenticity of the place and behavior of the staff

No natural spring water onsen but I guess that’s difficult in Kyoto

Tout ! L'expérience était parfaite du début à la fin.

Rien.

This was a great authentic Japanese experience -- from the delicious breakfast, spacious room and amazing gardens. The staff could not have been more gracious and hospitable.

I saw a lot of reviews complaining about the shared-bathroom situation. Honestly? We quite enjoyed the sento-like experience. Of course, you do need to like Japanese-style bathrooms. I also liked the little snacks in the common area and the Nespresso machine.

First: The breakfast is wildly overpriced. I honestly don't know why anyone would go for it. The rooms, too, felt like they could use a bit of care. Ours had a hard pillows and the futons were placed right under the air conditioner. Still, those are details we could have easily overlooked… if it weren’t for the ryokan’s biggest flaw: they simply do not read the room. Literally. It’s fine to hover if your guests are into that. Maybe some people enjoy being gently policed while on vacation. But here, we found ourselves tiptoeing around the staff like misbehaving teenagers. They took our room keys hostage, kept watch like sentinels, asked constantly where we were going (um, out?), and entered our room without asking. The worst: you cant use the shower when you want to even if you are the only ones present there at that moment. Unless you booked a time at least 12 hours in advance, the shower room it seems is off limits. If you enjoy spending $400 a night to feel policed, this might be for you. Otherwise, maybe keep looking. Japan has plenty of gems that don’t come with a chaperone.