Guesthouse Soi

I had a wonderful 3-night stay here. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. The owners clearly take pride in welcoming visitors to Kyoto. As the guesthouse is difficult to find on a small residential street, they sent detailed directions, including in Japanese that I could show to a taxi driver at the train station. My room had both a 'western' bed and a traditional matress on tatami mats. (Originally a friend was to join me, but then had to cancel.) There was also a private bathroom and air conditioning. I found it very comfortable and relaxing. The room was on the main floor, so there was some noise from the nearby common area during the day. Still, I slept great on the traditional mattress. The room was not overly large, but very functional. I didn't come to Kyoto to spend time in a room anyway! The hotel offered some very good amenities. For one, they have guest laundry on the roof. That was fantastic. The common area had some nice tables and chairs. In the morning, they provided a basic breakfast: bread, fresh fruit and coffee/tea. They also have a communal refrgerator if you want to bring your own drinks or food, plus a space for preparing it. Location-wise, they are a bit removed from a lot of the big tourist areas. There are not many restaurants in the immediate area either. It's about a 15-minute walk (downhill) to the nearest train stop, Shichijo. For the more adventurous, you can walk from the guesthouse to, for example, Kiyomizu-dera or Yasaka Shrine (both ~20 mins).