Hifumi Ryokan - Kyoto

It was very near to the Kyoto station, so there wasn't any issue with food and transport. The ryokan staff were excellent as they allowed us to check in at about 1445 hours, instead of 1600 hours, when we arrived at the ryokan. The room was also clean, though a bit small. This was also my first experience staying in a ryokan, hence i didn't know what to expect/not to expect.

I was a bit shocked that the shower facilities had no privacy. I understood that it was a shared bathroom, but had initially thought that there was at least some privacy. As such, i didn't expect that the bathroom was open kind (any male guest could walk into the bathroom while you are bathing).

Service is great.

There's only one washing machine, so I have to wait it for a long time.

I am used to staying at "Hotels" however, knowing what it was like to stay at "ryokan" in my youth in Kyoto/Nara area:curfew, public bath time limitation, walking the cold hall way to public toilet, I had just a great time staying there as an adult. My french girl friend just loved it so much more than myself. My point is that staying there is quite comfortable, the staff members were very nice and considerate. If you hadn't have any chance staying at "ryokan", you ought to try it once. Unless you are like me, a Japanese tourist who is well travelled within Japan staying at Ryokans... Well... Wifi was decent speed... Though I often use my 4g mifi router in Japan.

It's not about Nishikiro... It's about those guests who do not respect other guests after "curfew" time... I have nothing negative to say about Nishikiro.... Nishikiro was soooooo close to 10.

Nice staff and nice Japanese-style rooms. the location is perfect to catch all buses to visit Kyoto.

the price but that's Japan...

I liked that it was a 5 minute walk to the train station. The whole place was really clean. The staff was always available. We had complementary tea with snacks every day delivered to our room. Everyone was very courteous. Being in there made me feel like I was truly in Japan. It was a very traditional Zen place. I would recommend it for couples.

We had a private bathroom, but my friends had to use the public one, which didn't have a lock, so if you don't like sharing a bathroom, I suggest paying extra for the private one.

The proprietors knew enough English to be helpful. The place was very clean and I had my own bathroom. I also got to experience the Japanese-style of guest room. The hotel is only a block from the train station.

I found the Japanese-style of room to be uncomfortable, from the bean bag pillow to the futon. Also, it was very cold during my stay (December) and the heater had to run constantly, but still I was cold since I was sleeping on the floor. The owner was thoughtful and brought an extra thick fuzzy blanket to put over the down comforter, which helped a lot, but I couldn't enjoy staying in the room without being wrapped-up in blankets. Although convenient to the train station, to tour by bicycle as I planned, I had to spend 20 minutes of careful navigation on crowded sidewalks to get to the attractions I wished to see. It would have been better to find a hotel just north of Gion.

the reception person / owner was very nice and very accommodating.

Nishi (the owner) is lovely. We had 40kg of luggage delivered and it was in our room when we arrived. She also helped take our other luggage up the steep stairs and stored luggage on the day of our departure. The layout is very pleasant, particularly the small number of rooms and the central fish pond. The rooms are of a reasonable size for Japan. We were able to get two rooms next to each other, one with a bathroom and one without. This worked well for a family with older children. Nishikiro is located very close to Kyoto Shinkansen and the local subway/ bus station. There is an elevator to the subway on the corner of the street. This is the easiest way to get to the south side of the station, which is where the airport bus leaves from. Nishikiro is across the road from Yodobashi, McDonalds and Starbucks, as well as being close to Japanese restaurants and temples/ gardens.

These were our most expensive nights in Japan. My family couldn't understand why it costs so much to sleep on the floor! For a Ryokan in central Kyoto it is reasonably priced. However, if you are not looking for a traditional Japanese experience, there are other cheaper/ more comfortable options available.