Hotel She feels like a slight step up from a hostel, but unfortunately not much more than that. The location was quite desolate, which made it inconvenient as Kyoto is a city where your home base really shapes your experience. Being farther out made getting around noticeably less enjoyable, and it didn’t set a great tone for the stay.
The staff were friendly, but they didn’t seem very familiar with the surrounding area, especially when it came to recommending places to eat.
Additionally, even though our room was already prepared, we were handed the key and still told to wait the full 10 minutes until the official check-in time before going up. Not a huge issue, but it added to the impression that the service lacked flexibility and customer experience wasn’t a priority.
Overall, while the hotel had some charm, it was a thin veneer. The combination of the isolated location, lack of local guidance, and poor first impression make it hard to recommend. If you’re planning a trip to Kyoto, it’s worth spending a bit more to stay somewhere with a better location and a stronger guest experience.
