Kyoto Ryokan SAKANOUE

The location is exceptional, and the staff was very, very friendly. The room was very comfortable and peaceful. Having a private wooden bathtub was quite an unexpected treat.

Some guests might dislike the simple, spartan approach. Some of the fixtures are not modern. For me, that's part of the charm, but I can see that some travelers being used to new, western hotels might complain.

I'm not sure I've ever given a hotel a 10/10 review before, but Ryokan SAKANOUE definitely earned a 10. This hotel is ideally located in a quieter part of Gion, near a beautiful temple park, making it a great location for tourists wanting a more authentic Kyoto hospitality experience. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful, answering any questions carefully and offering to assist with any support needs of guests (we left some documents at the hotel and they reached out to us to let us know, then overnighted the documents to us at our next hotel). Each morning breakfast was thoughtfully prepared, and the owners showed us how to properly prepare our breakfast at our table. The hotel itself is beautiful and peaceful, which is very refreshing in the middle of a somewhat busy area of the city. It was DELICIOUS!. We were very sad to leave and already have plans to return on our next trip to Kyoto. I cannot recommend this place with enough enthusiasm.

The staff were wonderful, the room was beautiful, and we loved how walkable the location was. The baths were a perfect way to recover after walking all around Kyoto!

I really love the beds. The whole like atmosphere in the hotel, the baths were amazing. And the staff was really, really nice.

Even though they messed up our breakfast reservation, they made it up to us by giving everyone in our group breakfast. Which was really appreciated.

We booked a room with private shower/bathroom, it was extremely comfortable and spacious. The arrival was warm and welcoming, as were our interactions with the lovely team each morning before we left for our day trips.

Everything was excellent, we even had the chance to use the laundry which helped as we travelled very light.

The location is superb. Assuming you are coming to Kioto for the history, go all the way and stay in Gion. Sakanoue is a great balance of the premium location and the price. We stayed in the room with Western beds: it was quite large and very comfortable. There is a laundry on the bottom floor, which is a plus if you’ve been traveling for a while. If you need to forward your luggage, the front desk can arrange for it (so cheap!). There is a continental breakfast each morning and small wine tasting at night. We did not take advantage of it, regretfully, but there is a private bath you can book to relax after a long day. We did have a giant bathtub in our room though! However, the main reason I’m writing this review is the staff. I have never experienced a place that was more welcoming or friendly. Thank you all so much for making our stay so special!

We really liked and appreciated the property for what it was. However, it’s an older building, you will see some minor things that need a touch-up. To my knowledge, there is no elevator. That said, if you are willing to overlook a few minor things, you’ll have a great stay!

The location is excellent. The Ryokan was quiet and clean. The restaurant was under construction so breakfast was minimal.

I would have liked to know that the restaurant was under construction.

We had a wonderful time here. The staff was so friendly and helpful, the bedroom was so nice and the bed very comfortable, and the private onsen was a blessing at the end of a long day. Highly recommend!

The only thing we didnt like was that we had to leave our room key with the front staff, but it really wasn't that big of a deal when everything else is considered.

Location is extremely positive. Staff are as friendly as possible. Atmosphere is great.

Construction on site during my visit made this stay very uncomfortable, making breakfast unavailable. but still, the overall experience isn't great. Carpet floorings are dirty beyond explanation. You have to put your shoes in a locker, and they give you SHARED sandals to wear on site, these aren't marked or tagged, and they will be taken away from you by another guest right before your eyes. Very unsanitary. The onsen style private bathtub you have is useless, with only LUKEWARM water available for it for unknown reasons. If you want an actual onsen you have to use the shared one, and have to tell them in advance...ridiculous. even though breakfast wasn't available and construction went on during my stay, no changes were made to the rate I payed which was very high, and an additional accommodation tax was also required of me. Oh they give you a QR ticket worth exactly 240 yen for a vending machine as...welcome? Not worth the money. Should remove a star.

Loved everything about this Ryokan, would gladly stay again. The host and staff were very kind and helpful. The rooms are beautiful and the complimentary sake was so nice. If we come back we would stay again for even longer.

I would've liked traditional beds on the floor, but I didn't notice the pictures of the beds beforehand so no fault of theirs and the beds they did have were very comfortable. It was a tad expensive to not have meals included but overall a great value.

The room was very clean and comfortable- bed was great .The rest of the property was dirty - carpet was stained and the whole place was under renovation. They should have told us ahead of time .That being said the rooms was very comfortable and I assume after the renovation the dirty hall carpets will be removed,The location was excellent - right in Gion

Dirty carpets - no flexibility on a late check out

It felt authentic and the room was spacious Location was greatStaff was very friendly

Great vibes, comfortable and well appointed room, easy access to Gion.

Hot water was a bit slow get going, breakfast is a bit basic, and there was some room noise.

The staff was friendly and obliging, and the breakfast was excellent. Not many of the staff spoke English, but with Google translate we were able to communicate with each other. We loved being in a Japanese style inn with other Japanese travelers. The halls were a bit shabby on the way to our room, but the room itself was beautiful and well kept. The bathroom was amazing with a deep, tile bath, and of course we loved the Japanese style toilet! ?

We enjoyed the whole experience.

the beautiful quiet, the luxuriously comfortable bed, the shower was nice and breakfast was good

It was unclear when the wine was being offered - so we missed out.

This place is like an Oasis. My room was beautiful, the bathroom was stunning, the bed was comfy and the lil amenities were so nice!Adrien and Hatsu were very attentive and so welcoming from day 1. All their staff in general was great! My congratulations to the manager for hiring such nice team of wonderful people to manage this gem of a place.

Wifi was very poor. My room was in front of the reception area and I barely had one or two signals the entire time so couldn’t do video calls using the wifi. There was some humidify in the restaurant area, nothing to worry about but I noticed it If you see a light sleeper like me, I would ask not to stay in the room by the front desk. You can hear all guests outside despite the staff attempts to keep the environment quiet and peaceful

great location and quiet

just needs to be fresher refreshed some … paint / carpet

I really enjoyed the hospitality and how well put the rooms were. The couples bath was amazing and the breakfast blew my mind. The whole traditional aspect of the hotel was an amazing experience. I would love to stay here again!

I liked that it was really quiet and the room was spacious.

It’s hard to think of something I didn’t like during my stay. The only thing I can think of is the bed and pillows could have been more comfortable.

Breakfast was simple but nice/traditional. Location is fantastic! stay if you can find a room.

The Private onsen is a little dated. Will likely need a refurbishment.