Guesthouse Soi

They posted relevant and changing things on a notice board, eg. a light show that was on for winter, a sale on clothing brand, a market. Everything a traveller and tourist might want! Breakfast was so nice, opportunity to have real coffee and fresh fruit and yoghurt. Every touch was great, like there's washing machines and places to hang clothes up on the roof. Always water and tea available to take, and nice areas to socialise and read if you want to, including travel books and novels in English, Japanese, and a few other languages. Our private room with ensuite was modern and clean. Maki our host was amazing, she and Sim seem like really interesting people. By chance realised I had stayed in one of their previous guesthouses in Chengdu, same peaceful and friendly vibes. Great beer and sake bar down the street called the Windmill, he had great music, and local recommendations for food also. Is clearly a guesthouse for made by travellers, for travellers. Best place we stayed out of 6 in Japan.

Breakfast was delicious (great coffee!),rooms were lovely and comfortable and great location. Sam and Maki were so kind, helpful and you can tell they genuinely care about their guests and trips. They are very passionate about their guests having the best experience in Kyoto. They helped with our planning too. They have lots of tips a about current events and we saw brilliant fireworks because of their recommendations. Really friendly atmosphere for guests in the communal area. Beautiful family and their daughters were lovely. Highly recommend!! :)

The staff here were wonderful. They were very friendly and spoke good English. They were very knowledgable about activities and other details like transport options. The guesthouse itself was very clean, and offered a great free breakfast of fresh fruit, toast, yogurt, coffee etc (with the option to have a paid for traditional Japanese breakfast) Our room was generously sized with good bedding and layout. The bathrooms and other facilities were clean and within easy access (there is also a small elevator for luggage if needed)

This guesthouse is very professionally run and offers everything a traveller might need, at reasonable prices. Although set in a traditional Japanese house, everything looks modern and elegant in a simple way. My private room had generour shelving, space for luggage, and then a lovely tatami area with a little sofa, table and a futon. Everything was bright and very comfortable. The shared bathrooms were very clean. There is a little sitting area downstairs with coffee and tea, and in the mornings, a self serve (free) breakfast. As this is a relatively large guesthouse, it is usually staffed during the daytime. But the best thing was the bicycles for hire, directly from the guesthouse, at just 500 JPY per day, including a helmet! It is little advertised on their site, but I was delighted when I saw the bicycles and hired one right away, so I could start my sightseeing early and efficiently. They may not be fancy bikes, but my three-gear shopping bike was well-maintained and carried me many miles through Kyoto, much faster than the bus.

Loved our stay here- could have stayed even longer! We took 2 rooms to accommodate our teen kids in one of the twin sharing rooms with shared bathrooms. The staff were all so friendly and welcoming. Sim and Maki have the most incredible vibe and the morning breakfast spread is just special with delicious fruits, yoghurt, hot coffee and toast with a jam buffet. Sim often pours you a cup of hot coffee himself and Maki and he provide the most special recommendations for dining / sight seeing also. No need to pre plan anything at Kyoto when you stay at Sim and Makis - just wake up and ask them where they think you should go and just head there.. there are some very special snacks kept in the dining area and the fridge is stacked with the most delicious craft beer on sale. I even bought the loveliest post cards and stamps and posted them on my first day there. I cannot thank Sim and Maki enough for making our stay so special.. and cannot recommend this place enough. It’s a short taxi ride from the main Kyoto station and perfectly located so you can walk to the Kiyomizu temple and Ninenzaka area. They also rent bikes so you can ride around town. We went to the imperial palace and Nishiki market on the bikes and had the loveliest time. Hands down the best place to stay in Japan..