RYOKAN YAMAZAKI

We had booked a suit with a private garden, but due to the cold weather, we were unable to enjoy the view outside. Additionally, the ground heating only worked in the living room, making the bedroom very cold. As a result, we opted to sleep in the tatami room with a futon bed. The hotel is located in the middle of a mountain, and it can only be reached by a 15-minute taxi ride. There are no restaurants or convenience stores in the vicinity, but the hotel has a small canteen where you can get meals (not sure, but they provide breakfast with an additional charge). It's recommended that you prepare your meals or bring some snacks to the hotel.

Nice, very traditional. Quiet and calm. Staff are kind and helpful. Garden is beautiful. A modest stay, a little bit out of city center but there are transportation options. Good for a relaxation trip.

I will split my review into multiple parts, but overall, I had a lovely experience. a) Getting There It is suggested to have a car or take a taxi to the location if you have large luggage to avoid inconveniencing the locals who take the bus. The taxi fare was about 2,500 yen, depending on road conditions; which is not too different from a longer journey on a train. b) Ambience The Ryokan is close to nature, with a running stream of water just next to the compound. At the living compound, there is a mini-garden in Japanese style. These were pleasing to my senses. c) Room I had booked the room with a private toilet, which suited my needs. The toilet and shower/bath area are in separate rooms, which is typical in the Japanese style. The sleeping area is cozy and has ample room for me to put my luggage and personal effects. It is also in the traditional Japanese style, complete with futons. I am grateful that the futon was already set up for me, as other establishments had a more DIY approach to assembling the futon. I did get some sheepish knocks from other guests mistakenly thinking that the private toilet was a communal space. There was also a Yukata set for guests to wear during their stay. The inner Yukata seems to be replaced every 2 days by the room cleaning service. The room cleaning service seems to happen from 9 am to the afternoon, and there is no 'do not disturb' sign, so be sure to inform the staff beforehand or to talk to the staff when they do come in to clean, if you wish to be left alone. The workspace provided has ample space for 2 people. There are also some useful guides on interesting places in Kyoto placed in the room, albeit in Japanese. Nothing that Google Translate can't help with. There is also a TV for local Japanese programs, hot water for tea, and a tea set. Travelers should not hesitate to ask for help from the friendly staff for assistance on how to make their own tea. Hot water was refilled by the daily room service staff. d) Service and Interactions While some staff can understand English, speaking Japanese got me a better standard of service in my opinion. Some staff may not be confident in their English and feel more at ease when speaking Japanese. Though they do still make an effort to understand your needs if you can only communicate in English. e) Food Exploring Kyoto requires a lot of calories, and that's what the kitchen in Ryokan Yamazaki made sure I had no shortage of. They also made sure that there were no repeats of the dinner menu, which I appreciate. I also liked that I did not have to spend time choosing what to eat, as the staff had already prepared the meals according to the season for me. I had booked 5 nights but had a flight to catch on the 5th day. The Ryokan was kind enough to offer either a refund or lunch. I mentioned that I was taking the Shinkansen back to Tokyo for my flight, and to my pleasant surprise, I had a delicious Ekiben made for my Shinkansen ride. I had also requested

The bedroom and facilities are clean and well maintained. Free parking is available and the receptionist is so nice to provide support. We had a great time during our stay here. Shall visit again next time!

This Ryokan does indeed appear to be recently renovated and under improved management. Our en-suite room was spacious, clean and new. Kaiseki dinner and Japanese breakfast both exceeded expectations. Given the reasonable price this is a good introductory Ryokan. The location is well out of the city centre so generally quiet. We arrived on foot from the station en-route from Arashiyama bamboo grove and departed by bus to Kyoto station which worked OK. Staff speak good enough English. Heating/AC a bit noisy. The JR bus passes the door heading for the station approx twice per hour (free if you have a railcard); plus No8 bus once or twice per hour.

The service was very personal and the food was good with variety and affordability. The place was clean with a beautiful garden in the middle of the restaurant portion. The bedrooms had more room than expected. My only negative comment would be regarding the sleeping situation. If you are not prepared for a small firm futton mattress with a small pillow you may want to pay for one of the more luxurious rooms. Also the location is a little outside of town so you will need to either walk a little ways or take one of the many busses in the area. Very peaceful.

It was not good as it looked on the picture. Quiet old and smelly . Not feel like staying in a nice traditional Ryokan place .