Hotel Monterey Kyoto

This was an amazing hotel that made us feel like royalty. Absolutely stunning facilities, amazing staff that always made us feel welcome, and so many wonderful amenities. The upstairs onsen was wonderful, and the secret rooftop garden on the 3rd floor blew me away. Very special stay for our whole family.

Good location, modern interior. Lovely chandeliers in dining room! Reception area though is too dark it felt almost as if we were entering the Adams family front hall! Rooms are small but in keeping with Japanese hotels. Nice colour scheme almost regal. Beds are solid and good for sleeping. Pyjamas are provided!!! Which I love about Japanese hotels. Our room faced the street and was directly opposite the cleaners room ( which was opened and visible each time we left our room! Not a good idea or visual) Bathroom amenities very good. BUT I will echo the views of the other previous guests… please sort out the design of the showers/style of shower heads. The water flow can be wonderfully powerful BUT it hits the back of wall and floods the bathroom floor! We had to resort to a very low flow setting for our showers defeating the purpose of such a powerful shower head. Suggestion to out of town visitors, this property is strict about check in and won’t even allow 10-15 min early check in (even if your room is available) without charging extra. Not a way to endear your guests, as far as we were concerned as we had travelled early up from Tokyo. So be prepared to leave luggage and hit the pavement or book train/bus et al to arrive closer to 3pm check in. Breakfast is good - a mix of Japanese and western food.

Great room size for our family. 4 beds! And a reasonable price. A few blocks away from the subway, and from shops. A few places to eat nearby, but not a ton. There were convenience stores and a grocery store though. Whole family enjoyed the onsen on the top floor. Was nicer than I expected.

Excellent location! Can’t stress this enough. Surrounded by many cafes and eateries. McDonald’s just up the road. Close to 2 subway stations. 7-10 mins walk to Nishiki market and another 3 mins to Gion. Playground just a couple of blocks away. We end up just walking around make days and it’s the best way to explore Kyoto and it’s beauty. Hotel itself is also pretty awesome. Rooms clean and efficient. Didn’t try breakfast as it’s JPY35,000 per person. We ended up at Starbucks and other cafes just a couple of mins walk away. I would recommend this place for family with kids and couples (suitable for all really).