November 2018
Our accommodation in Kyoto is ‘Guesthouse Urban Kyoto’. It’s a 8~10 minutes, 650m walk from the Kyoto train station and is on bus #5 route. Right in-front of the apartment is the bus stand to Kyoto station whilst bus coming from the Kyoto station stops just before the apartment. A taxi ride to/fro Kyoto train station cost +/- ¥650.
Frontage of Guesthouse Urban Kyoto. Our rented apartment is at the top right. Unit #302, 3F (2nd Floor). The ground floor consists of a Pharmacy & a cafe.
Map showing Guesthouse Urban Kyoto relative to the Kyoto train station.
The ground floor of the apartment is occupied by a pharmacy and a cafe. The entrance to the apartment is via a side door behind the pharmacy. There is no elevator and you’ll need to climb a narrow staircase, not something an elderly or a traveler with heavy begs would cheer about. Access to the apartment is by entering number codes at the main entrance as well as to your unit. So, it’s rather a key-less entry system, no worries about loosing your keys or entry card. There is no manned counter and entry information will be e-mail to you prior to your arrival. Check-in is 15:00 and check-out is 10:00
The narrow and steep staircase. Hauling a heavy beg is a challenge.
Apartment #302 in the centre. A mechanical keypad is used for entry.
Our apartment is a corner unit which is bigger than the rest. I wonder how small the others are, as our apartment meant for 3 guests, but only occupied by two of us is considered compact. (The owner also has 2 guests apartments in this building). The kitchen is small however we only used it to heat instant meal packs. The bathroom is tiny, it’s difficult not to bump against something inside. Even for us small size Asians, movement is restricted in the bathroom. During our 4 nights stay, no rubbish collection nor room cleaning was done. Booking of this apartment can be made through hotel aggregators.
Mini kitchen with an induction stove.
Water kettle, microwave oven and a small refrigerator.
Multi drawer cupboard and small LCD CTV.
2 single beds side-by-side. A foldable mattress under the bed for a 3rd guest.
The apartment has an air conditioner cum heater and if you need to do some laundering, at the ground floor you’ll find washing machines. A 7-Eleven convenience store is close by the apartment. If only an elevator is installed, this apartment would be a recommended option to a hotel.
The VERY tiny bathroom. Even the wash basin and bath tub is half size and the WC is positioned at an angle to optimise space.
