Hi-
I'll be in Kyoto the beginning of July with my 10 year old and 12 year old. My husband will be joining us the next day and we've booked the Hotel Granvia from then on. I saw the Kyoto Kokusai hotel and thought it would be a unique experience for my children. It looks like we could get a Japanese style room for the three of us. Any reviews of this hotel?

Hi

I don't know the Kokusai, however, I did want mention that we just returned from Kyoto with 2 teenagers, and stayed at the Hirota Guesthouse, in a traditional cottage, with a small kitchen, bathroom, tatami sleeping areas for 28,000 yen a night. It was wonderful.
You may want to explore this if you are looking for a "Japanese style" accommodation.

I second Okoshi2002 on Hirota Guest House.

If you can get the cottage in the back it has a loft that can sleep up to three, a tiny kitchen, your own bathroom and 2 other rooms for relaxing and sleeping (Hirota will put the futons out for you).
We slept on the upper room and our son slept downstairs, but you could easily put the kids up.

Hirota was wonderful, and will give you lots of advice and directions for you sightseeing.
It was 8000 yen per person for 3, which is a good price for this type of accomodation.

It's also located in an old neighborhood with lots of shops. I got many kudos from both my husband and son on finding this place.

Hi-
My family and I checked out of this hotel just yesterday. We have 9 and 11 year old kids, and found the location to be very convenient, and the rooms to be comfortable. We stayed in two western style rooms (three twins) for six of us, including grandma and auntie, and it worked out just fine. This hotel is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. It wasn't as modern as others in town, like the new Hyatt, obviously, but we loved the location. It is just across the street from the Nijo Castle, and a cheap cab ride or bus or train ride to anywhere else you want to go. It was certainly clean and the staff was very accommodating. No pool there, but my kids didn't object too much as there was a lot to keep us busy in Kyoto. Also, there is a geisha-in-training there with whom you can have your photo taken, then she performs a traditional dance for everyone, every evening at 7pm. The one restaurant we ate at for breakfast in the hotel served Japanese and Western food, and gave us a good start for the day. Overall, I would stay at this hotel again for the value, and with the number of people in our group. I know nothing about the Japanese style rooms, but I can tell you that we only saw one other western-looking couple during our two-night stay at the hotel. It seems to me that if the Japanese stay there themselves, then it must be okay.

Redhead 119- what is the name of your hotel ?

Hi Okoshi,

Kyoto Kokusai Hotel.

okoshi2002 - when are you posting your trip report? Wasn't Hirota great? Did you go to Antonio's??

Agethreader actually I did post a report on June 16.

That tells you where my head is at!
Not only did I read your report, I posted some responses.

I think angethereader is perhaps having a major case of Japan withdrawal syndrome. I recognize the symptoms- desire of detailed long trip reports, intense enjoyment of reliving one's trip, click on every post on Japan, can't stop thinking about those great experiences, sights, people. I had a bad case of it after I got back from my first trip. The only thing that helped was planning the 2nd trip.

Yes, emd has me pegged.

Thankfully a coworker also recognized the symptoms and prescribed the Mitsuwa Japanese Mall in Arlington Heights, IL - it's only 90 minutes away. I think a trip down there is in order.
They even have okinamiyaki at one of the restaurants. It looks like the Osaka version, but beggars can't be choosers.

Next time you go to Japan, bring home one of the round okonomiyaki-making kits w/you. It contains instructions, the batter mix, and the sauce, and it is actually pretty good. I got mine at the grocery store in the basement of Hiroshima station, but I saw them in Kyoto grocery stores also.

The mall will hopefully help, but looking into my crystal ball I see another trip in your future...

Yes, After Evan graduates (2 years) he'll probably do the JET or similar program for a year or two.
We can plan a trip around that. Hopefully his two older brothers can come with this time.

Or, if he and his girlfriend keep in touch, we may have to visit her family in Australia. Decisions, desicions.