Brendt

I will be in Kyoto, in April next year, with my wife and two children (around one and three years old). Can anyone recommend moderately priced (preferably less than 10,000 Yen per night) accommodation (hotel, minshuku, or budget ryokan) suitable for a family with two young children? Situation within easy walking distance of public transport (e.g. subway station) is more important than a central location, and a room with private toilet is desirable (which seems to exclude most of the budget ryokan).

Brendt

KimJapan

Children below elementary school age (6) can generally stay in places free of charge with the exception of food. It is assumed that the child/children will share sleeping arrangements in the same room as the parents...no extra bed or baby bed are provided without paying extra in most places.

For ¥10,000 per night, your best bet might be some of the budget ryokan style hotels whose guests tend to be foreingers....like Tour Club or Budget Inn. A business hotel also falls in this price range, but the rooms are small and cramped for 1 person, I can't imagine 4 in a business hotel room. Know that this sort of place will not at all be a "ryokan expedience" outside of sleeping on a futon on the floor.

Check the prices at places like the Granvia, Westin and Hyatt. I have seen them available for under ¥20,000 and offer much more in terms of comfort and facilities for a family than a budget ryokan or business hotel does if you can stretch the budget. If not, I'm sure you'll find someplace that meets your requirement.

lcuy

Kyoto Central Inn. Ask for a Japanese style room. They are larger than the western style rooms and have private bathrooms with shower and furo. Japan style means you'll all have futon beds on the tatami floor. Rooms have TVs, tables, electric tea pots, etc.

The hotel is right on top of the subway station, across the street from Takashimaya Dept store. Great location for walking to shops, as you are next to the covered shopping streets and walking distance to the river and Gion area. Almost every bus in k
Kyoto passes the corner that is 20 yards or so from the hotel entrance.

I always warn people that the lobby of the hotel is tiny and the hallways dim, but the big, quiet rooms and location make for an excellent bargain choice.

Frances

My husband and I stayed in the Budget Inn in September.We paid 10000 for three( my daughter didn't come with us but we had booked for 3).We had 3 futons and a small cooking unit and a private bathroom.
The location was super- about 5 minutes walk from the station. It was quiet and it felt safe to walk around at night.
Later in the trip we stayed in Ryokans and not only cheap ones where we had to share the bathroom. I found it easier to have our own.
The staff were friendly and knowledgeable.
There was a family of 4 staying there at the same time as us.
It is not large- I suspect 6 rooms but some are operated as dorms

Cosmo

We stayed in a Youth Hostel in Kyoto with our 3 children who were 8,10 and 12. It was perfect and in a great position - and so cheap with 2 meals included if you want to eat there.

bkkmei

Hi
stayed at the Palace Side Hotel, and thought they were very reasonable and pretty well located.

http://www.palacesidehotel.co.jp/english/fr-top-en.html

but I don't have kids...

harsha

Try the Gojo Guest house at 3-396-2 Gojobashihigashi, Higashiyama-Ku, Japan.Close to the station.
I stayed at Iida Hotel which is also very close to the railway station and is very basis but comfy.Tatami floors with futon to sleep on.Common loo and a community bath ( a concept which the westeners have to get used to mainly in southern Japan)with a hot spa after a hard days sight seeing.They have a curfew time of 23.00.They accept credit cards.They are at the following address;
717 Shiokojiagaru, Akezudoori, Shimogyo-ku, Japan.Check their web site.The other option is the Kyoto Cheapest Inn ( well thats how they've called themselves).A relatively new hotel.T%hey are at:783 Sabamatsu-cho, Marutamachi-dori Matsuyacyo Nis, Kamigyo-ku, Japan.
I dont have their contact phone numbers.Guess you'll have to find them on search engines.
Check this site too:
http://reservations.bookhostels.com/...int.com/hostel.
Good luck and enjoy your planning(thats the best part of the trip)

harsha

Sorry!the above website reads as follows:
http://www.travellerspoint.com/budge...en-ci-645.html

Brendt

Thanks for all the helpful responses. Unfortunately, my search is still in progress as many of the more popular options suggested here are already fully booked for the period of our trip.

We are also considering spending one of our nights in Kyoto (or perhaps Nara) in more upscale accommodation, for the traditional ryokan experience. Can anyone recommend a ryokan which represents particularly good value for a price which is not too outrageous? Quality of the Kaiseki dinner is an important criterion (we enjoy Japanese cuisine, and are not squeamish about dishes which are unusual to Westerners).

Brendt

KimJapan

Unfortunately, "a nice ryokan with a quality kaiseki dinner" and "price that is not too outrageous" are phrases that seldom are used to describe the same place. Especially in Kyoto, you will need to spend at least ¥15,000 per person per night to get much at all, and a lovely ryokan experience with an excellent dinner will very likely be more in the ¥40,000 per person range.

While there are plenty of less expensive options, they are not of the class of a good ryokan, never mind a luxury ryokan (which command an even higher price). Hiragaya in Kyoto is an example of a top class ryokan that welcomes foreigners frequently enough to have website in English.

How much are you willing to spend for your ryokan experience? That should be your first question. Then, what kind of experience do you want? What are your priorities...aesthetics, food and service OR price? If you want the aesthetics and the service, you will have to go way beyond your budget mentioned before. If you just want the futon on the floor and a basic bath and go out for dinner and breakfast somewhere else, you should be able to find a place quite easily within your budget.

KimJapan

http://www.hiiragiya.co.jp/en/

forgot the link.

Brendt

Point taken. Our budget would be up to 20,000 Yen per adult, if it includes the cost of a really good dinner. I realise that may not be enough for a top-level ryokan, but would at least like to find the best aesthetics, service, and food (emphasis on the food) within the available budget.

The comment "especially in Kyoto" implies that a good ryokan might be less expensive elsewhere. Any suggestions for Nara, Kamakura or Nikko? (We'll be staying in Tokyo as well, but I assume it's even more expensive.)

KimJapan

The price really depends on what sort of experience you are looking for. As Kyoto is a huge city that is heavily touristed, there are lots of places to stay for every budget. But it is a huge city where people want to sightsee for the most part, rather than stay put in a ryokan and relax...so the number of nice ryokan is fewer than in an area where people go for the specific purpose of staying in a ryokan/onsen hotel.

For ¥20,000 per person, you should be able to find something that is nice enough. Ryokan price typically includes dinner and breakfast. At the ¥20,000 per person level, the food should be fine, but probably not amazing or special. But, that too, is relative, as kaiseki is highly specialized and the taste for it is refined. It is much nicer to eat kaiseki with knowledge of what you are eating, so some studying beforehand would be a good idea.

You could start by looking at www.japaneseguesthouses.com for some ideas of what you might get for your price range. Know, though, that they only list a handful of places for each location, and there are many, many more places than they list.

It seems that the food is most important to you. If that is the case, it might be a better value for you to stay in a lower cost place that does not include meals. Then, you could have a gorgeous kaiseki dinner in a specialty restaurant. The price of such a meal would start at around ¥10,000 per person for the most basic kaiseki course, and increase in price for more special dishes. There are many restaurants for this, and wherever you choose to do this the tourist info counter should be able to help you reserve.

angethereader

We stayed at Hirota Guest House - not really a ryokan, but we loved it. If you have at least 3 people you can get the guest cottage out back. It has several rooms and an upper loft. Also a small kitchen area under the stairs and your own bathroom. The room was always chilly (we were there mid March), but there was a kotatsu and a kerosene heater to warm you up.

Hirota has very good Englinh. I'd try getting her number off web site. I called her because I didn't trust email. She reserved our cottage and I sent her the deposit (only $100) to hold the room for 5 days.

With 3 people it was 8,000 per person per night. It's right in the heart of the old part of town and we loved walking around there.

lilipad

this place is BIG so they may have room:

we paid in october 9400 yen for the ROOM WITH a private bathroom. PLUS it's next door to the subway and walking distance to GION area:

IROHA RYOKAN, KYOTO
RESERVED ON
http://www.itcj.jp/

tower

Brendt:

For mid-April, we have booked the Three Sisters Annex, recommended by several trusted friends, and someother Fodorites. 18170 yen, including taxes, private bath, near Heian Shrine and many other Eastern Kyoto sights. No meals included...but we prefer it that way. You have to reserve by fax or phone.

Fax:75-761-6335
Phone: 75-761-6333

Stu T.

tower

Brendt...that's 18170 for two of us...just got my confirmation by fax this moring..they are very responsive, and they included hand-drawn maps of the city, distances from the train station, and all kinds of additional info..

Stu T.

Brendt

Thanks for the recent suggestions - I shall investigate.

Brendt

lilipad

sorry! i lied - we reserved Iroha through their web site and got a discount based on days for 9400 for 2:

here's the web site:

http://www.hotel-iroha.co.jp/english...ial/index.html