Gion Ryokan Q-beh - Hostel

We stayed in a family room with shared bathroom. It had a lovely view into a garden of green with a stone structure outside - very serene and beautiful. My kids fell in love with it as soon as they walked in, and we had breakfast every morning sitting there on the tatami area looking out the window. The ryokan is walking distance to Nishiki Market, the historic Higashiyama district, and Kiyomizu dera. Along the way, there are onigiri sellers who sell the most delicious onigiri we’ve ever tasted. You can also ask the hotel staff about Japanese breakfast options nearby, which we regret not knowing about until it’s too late. The only complaint I have about this place is how thin the mattresses were. They were only about two inches thick, and you could definitely feel the floor when you sleep on it. After a sleepless night, the staff gave us foams to put under our mattresses which made it much better, but I think it would be better if the ryokan just invests in some thicker mattresses. We’ve stayed at ryokans with thicker mattresses and they were wonderful, so I was disappointed in how uncomfortable these were. Also, no place to hang anything except your towels. It’s really a hostel. The shared bathrooms and wash basins are nice though, and even though the showers are found only on the first floor, toilets are on both floors which makes going to the bathroom at night convenient.