5-Star Hotels in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

This is a venerable super five-star hotel with an excellent location, though it's a bit out of the city center, making it quite inconvenient for getting to sights, attractions, and dining. However, the hotel shuttle bus to Kyoto Station is a lifesaver. The hotel was renovated a few years ago, but it still retains its 40+ years of history and luxurious decor, now blended with modern, clean design elements. Charging facilities and hygiene are excellent. I would definitely stay here again!

We stayed here for a family trip over Children's Day in May. Banyan Tree is such a renowned brand even in Korea, so I had high expectations when I booked our stay. However, we were hoping for a mountain view, but instead, we got a cemetery view – and on a dark, rainy night, it was quite enough to give us nightmares. If you're looking for a relaxing experience, like soaking in a Japanese cypress (hinoki) bathtub, you'll be satisfied, but I have to say the view was extremely disappointing. On the positive side, the Japanese tatami room vibe was very pleasing, and the aroma oil program at the spa was really interesting.

Our experience at Six Senses Kyoto was truly wonderful. As a new hotel opened in 2024, it exudes an elegant Japanese Zen style, and the public courtyard is particularly photogenic. The room was spacious enough at 42 square meters, and the attention to detail was impeccable. The breakfast selection was rich, offering both local Kyoto flavors and Western options, and the quality of the food was excellent. Its location isn't far from Gion and Kiyomizu-dera Temple, making it very convenient for sightseeing. The only slight downside is that it's a bit of a distance from the subway, so I'd recommend taking a taxi for getting around. The service was meticulous and attentive, making for a very relaxing stay overall, perfect for those looking to slow down and enjoy a holiday.

After extensive research on various social media and travel apps, I chose this hotel, and my experience far exceeded expectations – it was truly worth it. The airport/station transfer was convenient, and the front desk staff provided excellent service, making me feel right at home. The room was spacious, and all amenities were exceptionally complete. The hotel's location is also superb; it's quiet at night, and various attractions are within walking distance, just across the street from the luxurious Capella. The public bath was a delightful surprise, much cleaner and more professional than many hot spring resorts in China. A soak before bed truly helped me recover and recharge. Regarding some reviews mentioning preferential treatment towards white guests and ***, I didn't experience any of that, except for one odd instance during breakfast where my half-eaten meal was cleared away prematurely. The breakfast selection was incredibly diverse and plentiful. Overall, a fantastic and worthwhile stay!

Wonderful, Convenient Stay at Hotel Nikko Princess Kyoto Rating: 5/5 | Travelled as a leisure tourist I recently spent a few nights at Hotel Nikko Princess Kyoto and could not recommend this hotel more highly - our entire trip was elevated by incredible service, an unbeatable quiet location, and seamless convenience for sightseeing around Kyoto. First and foremost, I want to single out a staff member Suga for her outstanding hospitality that turned our nice stay into an unforgettable one. Suga greeted us every day with a warm, genuine sweet smile and was very attentive to the requests we had which included local recommendations, transit guidance, and help sorting out travel logistics, Suga was super helpful, resourceful, and all with a great positive vibe. She made us feel genuinely welcome and cared for throughout our visit. The hotel’s location struck the perfect balance between peace and accessibility. Tucked in a calm residential neighbourhood, we slept soundly every night. Even better, the surrounding streets are lined with an amazing selection of local eateries: traditional kaiseki, ramen, izakayas and pizza, so we didn't have to travel far for delicious meals. Major subway and train stations are only a 5–10 minute walk away. Hands, Daimaru are about 15 minutes leisurely walk away. Nishiki Market and Gion are also a nice 30 to 45 mins walk. There is a 7-Eleven just a 2-minute stroll from the hotel entrance where we bought a lot of yummy yogurts and cup noodles. The room is big in Japan's standards, bed & pillows are nice and clean. Their bathroom is immense! My daughter and I showered together and there's plenty room left! Their breakfast selection is not a lot but it's good quality - offers Western and local Japanese selections. If you’re planning a trip to Kyoto and want a clean, conveniently located hotel with heartwarming, top-tier service, book Hotel Nikko Princess Kyoto without a second thought. A huge thank you again to Suga for such thoughtful, cheerful assistance - we will absolutely return on our next visit to Kyoto!

We are highly recommend to stay in this hotel, while the location, room size, cleanliness, design, and service are excellent. Moreover, the breakfast style is enough to choose, you can either enjoy in western or Japanese style breakfast per day. And we have encountered a traffic jam issue when we are coming back from Nara Station, something bad happened and the train was suddenly stopped. So we cannot be able to back to hotel on time for retrieving our packed luggages in room. We called to the hotel and explained this unexpected situation. The staffs show understand and offered free late check out one more hour for us, we know it is not easy to have free late check out at Japan but they did treat us so well. Thank you so much, we appreciated and we will stay in future as well. Thank you!

It was extremely hot during our stay in Kyoto. Fortunately, the hotel is located right next to Kyoto Station, which made getting around much easier and helped us save energy in the intense heat. We chose to pay extra for larger rooms, and they were spacious and comfortable. Since we had a late evening flight, we paid around JP¥14,800 to extend one room until 6:00 pm for a late check-out. While it was convenient, we felt JP¥14,800 was quite expensive for just a few extra hours. One thing we found surprising was that hotel guests still had to pay extra JP ¥1,000 per person to use the swimming pool. We thought this was rather unusual for a hotel of this standard.

The hotel is tucked away in a lively area, and I had a fantastic three-night stay here. 1. The service was incredibly responsive, and all the staff were wonderfully warm and friendly. 2. The room's bedding was comfortable, and it was so quiet I fell asleep instantly on the first two nights, haha! (Though the pillows are quite soft, so guests with neck issues might need to request a different one.) The cleanliness was impeccable, very friendly for germaphobes. 3. The breakfast selection wasn't vast, but the taste was good, leaning towards a refined, small-scale type of meal. I'd give it about a 6.5 out of 10, with a focus on a European-Thai fusion flavor. 4. Local dining options aren't super concentrated; you'll generally need to take a taxi 1-2 km to find food. I highly recommend Kubota Tsukemen, about 20 meters to the left of the hotel! Absolutely delicious! As a carb lover, I adored it! Try to go during off-peak hours, or you'll be waiting in line for a long time.

It is a very nice hotel with attentive staff! The hotel is about a 7 minutes walk from Kyoto station. It’s a very convenient place to stay if you’re catching an early train or arriving from a late one. I don’t know if I’d recommend it for a longer stay since the area is quite boring. There’s plenty of restaurants and shops within the station but they’re very crowded and more expensive. It’s also quite far away from the main sights of Kyoto, so for a longer stay I’d recommend staying downtown. The included room amenities are good but nothing special. There’s shaving kits, towels, haircare, skincare, tea, water, and yukata robes (the robes are not souvenirs). There’s a pool, a spa area, and a restaurant, which all have an additional fee. My room was clean, but I found some scuff marks on the walls and a crack in my bathtub. From Kyoto station you can see Kyoto tower but it’s not an amazing sight hahaha. It takes about 25 minutes to downtown Kyoto from the hote

Excellent hotel, would definitely stay here again. The rooms are very spacious and bright, and the location is super convenient. You can easily walk to Takashimaya, Ichizawa Shinzaburo, and the Kamo River – it's just so handy. The only downside was the breakfast, which wasn't very good. So, you could opt for a room without breakfast and eat out, as there are plenty of convenient options nearby.