We stayed at a great place in kyoto called the Matsubaya Ryokan...Mrs Matsubaya was great, spoke no english but it really didn't matter too much. A little cold in the spring when we went but close to kyoto station and buses. http://www.matsubayainn.com/
http://frommers.com/destinations/japan/0229020931.cfm

I was in Kyoto about two weeks ago. I stayed in an inexpensive hotel- Palace Side- and was very happy with the staff and location. Then for variety's sak we moved to Rikaya Inn. It ws a moderately price ryokan with avery good locatiom - between Gion and the parks and shrine/temples to the east.
The first was about $100 and the second around $150.

Thanks for the suggestions! There are so many different accomodations to choose from.

Lilli and Randy, could you give us more details (the more, the better!) on the lodgings you mentioned, esp. Matsubaya and Rikiya? I've heard of these two over the years, and would really appreciate more insights and descriptions based on your personal experiences with the rooms, meals, baths, surrounding neighborhood, proximity to transportation, etc. Also, how did you make your reservations? Thanks very much for whatever info you can share.

Ann,
When you said upscale ryokan, would you like to stay at the one with onsen/hot spring? There are several near Kyoto, like Sagano. But I stayed at one onsen hotel in Ogoto called Yumotokan. My wife and I had unforgettable experience. http://www.yumotokan.co.jp/
Although the homepage doesn't have much English, you can still see the photos of different kind of onsens there. We chose the plan costing Yen16500*2 persons (include 2 meals, 50 minutes private onsen bath and unlimited public bath) http://www.yumotokan.co.jp/html/haru/o-tokubetu.htm
If you are interested and need more info, let me know.

Hi Ladybug...

I really enjoyed the Matsubaya Inn and it was very convenient for me to get around. It was about a two block walk from Kyoto station and close to the Higashi-Honganji Temple....right across the street. This was great so that in the morning we could take a short walk to the buses and head out to the other sites...very easy for me and i don't speak japanese. There are kiosks at the buses to help you pick the right bus to what you are looking to see. The Matsubaya Inn was very comfortable in the rooms and very traditional with wooden screens and tatami mats and futons. And the heater kept the rooms warm. Outside the rooms in the communal washrooms it was pretty cold, but there was a hottub for cold nights. It was a nice place to stay for some comfortable nights but it really wasn't as traditional as I would have liked. There were many other tourists staying there and the pop machine in front of the Inn seemed a bit out of place. I would have liked a place with less western elements but then the english might have been more difficult and more expensive. I would recommend a combination of this less expensive place to stay and a few nights at a more expensive and more traditional place. I didn't try the meals at the Matusbaya but would think they might be better to have at a higher priced ryokan. Also, I would have liked to try a traditional onsen (hot spring) but didn't have much time in Kyoto. Hope this helps.

Ricky, can you please tell me more about Yumotokan? I looked at the site, and the pictures are beautiful. The prices don't seem extraordinarily high, either. Is it very traditional? Can you get there from Kyoto without a car? Would you recommend it to a couple on their honeymoon in Japan?