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Reviews of Guest House Yamato

3 out of 5
Guest House Yamato
539-23 6chome Gojobashi-Higashi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 137 out of 269 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 93 out of 269 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 33 out of 269 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 4 out of 269 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 269 reviews" "

9.0/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Staff & service

9.0/10

Amenities

8.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

TIANXIANG

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Very nice experience. Feel home. The location is perfect, and the garden is definitely amazing. Strongly recommended.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very homey stay.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Ashley

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Traditional home in Kyoto
The room was very clean with equaly clean bathrooma on the 2nd floor of the home. We the host was a very kind and gracious and provided ua with hot tea and cookies in the afternoon and juice in the morning. Even though there were other guests on the same floor, the room was quiet and we were able to sleep peacefully. There are many things to see and do within walking distance.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This guest house is run by an older couple (younger than me probably.) They are wonderful hosts. Tea in the evening a nd upon arrival. Juice box the morning you leave. Very close to public transportation. But, if you take a taxi ever during your stay tell the driver it is very near where all the tour buses park. From airport take airport shuttle bus to Kyoto station. Then it is easiest to take bus 100 because it is an express. What googke maps doesn't explain is that it is on the opposite side of the bus terminal information desk at bus depot was very helpful. This guesthouse does have rules on late showering and the doors are locked at 10. But for the right people a great experience. They do have cats but not in guesf area. Modern showers and toilet. Beautiful garden created by man's mother.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Good location, nice couple’s home. Great location from the beautiful temple complex, just five minutes walk.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was a very nice inn close to Kiyomizu Temple. The owner couple was very nice. My son enjoyed spending time there and liked watching their cats. We can see the garden which cherry blossom was blooming from our window.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Sandra

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A quiet but convenient stay
Yamato is a small guest house with a garden in a quiet street close to a very interesting area.The shared bathrooms were spotless and the beds comfortable.The owners were very nice despite limited English. No cafes or restaurants nearby but a good bus service at the bottom of the hill going to all areas of Kyoto.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice Stay
The guest house is only 10 mins walk to Kiyomizu Temple. They have 4 rooms and we lived in the Japanese room. The owner of this guest house is an old couple. They only can speak very limit English, but very nice. They have 2 free parking lots.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
interesting
out of way to main area, small rooms, good for couple who is just there to rest for the night. shared bathroom and toilet. Managed by a very nice retired elderly couple. ;just need to follow their rules, and timings for bath and door closing time.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018

8/10 Good

Nicholas, China

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Mixed Feelings
We had some difficulty with having our children with us. Basically, they wanted to charge us an extra $90 for a two day stay just because our 4 and 7 year old would be staying with us. It was mass confusion before both parties ultimately agreed to cancel the second night's accommodation. To the credit of the hotel, the bathroom was excellent, the matron of the house was kind, and the guesthouse did bring in an English speaker to help with translation. Finally, the guest house did help me get a refund on the second night by contacting Expedia for me.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice location
It is a quiet place to stay and the host has a pretty backyard. The host family is really nice. If you would like to take a shower at night, make sure you do that before 10 pm. Shower and Bath cannot be used after 10 pm. Also, you can hear noises from next door or the hall way. The host provide tea and some snacks everyday, which is pretty nice.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2018

8/10 Good

Bruce, Edmonton, Alberta

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location near Kiyomizu Dera
Lovely home run by a sweet retired couple. House is in a great location near Kiyomizu Dera Temple and there are lots of great shops nearby. The couple only speak a few words of English so if you don’t speak any Japanese you may not have much to discuss with them but they have little flash cards with instructions on how to use all the facilities. Best to get there by taxi. There is a curfew of 11:00 so if you are a night owl and like to stay out past 11, this may not be the best choice for you.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2018

10/10 Excellent

Bruce

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We really enjoyed the special care shown by the owner and his wife, even though neither of us possessed the best language skills. From the first showing us where to park and all the things about staying at the guest house, to having tea and treats each evening. Location is great. Just a short walk to a bus stop or walking through eastern Kyoto to all its sights. A personal place to stay.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Next to Kiyomizu-dera
Very nice place. The hosts are very nice. The place is very clean and comfortable. It is in the middle of Kiyomizu area- in the side ally on the right hand side of the picture below
Zxw's Kiyomizu picture

10/10 Excellent

Eric

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel , definitely recommend
Very nice Japanese garden , excellent location

8/10 Good

Yy, BC, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
So close to Kiyomizu dera!
It was not the easiest to find because I arrived after dark, but the room was clean and comfortable. The hosts were kind and the best part was that it was so close to Kiyomizu dera. Unlike other temples and shrines in Kyoto, Kiyomizu dera opens at 6 am. I could go there and enjoy before the arrival of the tour buses.

10/10 Excellent

Nadav

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location, very friendly hospitality by the host and nice and convenient rooms. Highly recommended!

10/10 Excellent

pdsieg, Austin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
a cozy and convenient and old-style Japanese inn
Steps away from the street leading up to Kiyomizudera, this little guest house offers a distinctly Japanese experience to travelers prepared for it. Tatami mats, futon, Japanese style fixtures and decor -- all are here, as well as a Western-style room or two. The result is an elegance NOT what the hotel star rating measures. This is a minimalist aesthetic: sleep on the floor? sit on a stool when you shower? tailor your schedule to the rhythms of the whole house? It's not for everyone. The couple who run the guest house are pleasant, kind, and well-versed in running a small inn. Some Japanese language, however, would be a necessity for any guest in the case of unexpected issues!

8/10 Good

Mary, Scotland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice guest house
Everything you need. 4 guest rooms with 2 toilets and 2 showers. Room that we had was spacious. Although the owners didn't speak much English we could still communicate. Nice little touches like getting green tea when we came back in each evening.

6/10 Okay

Larissa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

4/10 Poor

Andrea, UK

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely people, great location & price but unclean
The hotel is very conveniently located, although quite a walk uphill from the nearest station - not great if carrying heavy luggage. Owners lovely, but English very basic and communicated via pre-written cards. Welcome drink provided and hot drink every evening. Two cats on property but I like cats, so not a problem. Biggest problem with this room was cleanliness. Not cleaned at all in 5 days was there and bedding dirty when arrived. Got bug bites from bedding. Shared toilets and sink also unclean. One very small and uncomfortable pillow meant I had to sleep on my cardigan most nights.

6/10 Okay

Eric, Toronto, Ontario

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
Nice hosts, nice room, nice bed but horrid pillows
Nice stay overall but hotel VERY difficult to find. Hosts are very friendly but don't speak English (they provide sheets with instructions). They brought tea and Japanese cookies every night in our room. The house is clean and very charming, close to several interesting shrines and temples. In our case, the major inconvenience were the pillows : very small, soft and filled with small balls... pretty impossible to get a good night sleep unless you like to sleep with your head flat. The house is difficult to find (we took the bus from Kyoto station and wandered in the area for an hour with our suitcases). It is better to take a taxi.

8/10 Good

ester, portland or,usa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
As a guest house great facility
Very quiet neighborhood,clean with basic necessities . The facility are renovated modern. We enjoyed staying and would go back for sure.

8/10 Good

Joel, uk, yorkshire

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great accommodation with friendly polite staff
Great accommodation with polite friendly staff. The room size was great ( we had three beds for two of us ) The location was a little hard to find at first but perfectly placed for the temples and gion area of Tokyo. Short bus ride from the station ( don't forget to get a day pass for busses from the train station before you get on the bus ) Very very happy with the stay. Clean , tidy , comfortable , quiet and all set in great private grounds. Definitely recommend
Triple room overlooking the garden
The main entrance from the front - beautiful

10/10 Excellent

William

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Yamato good stay
Great place, absolutely beautiful hosts !

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

10/10 Excellent

Sean, Wilmington, DE

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The Perfect Stay in Kyoto
I didn't expect the Guest House Yamato to be so great, I was honestly a bit worried once I realized that it was actually a guest house rather than a large hotel. In the end though, the family's English was very good, they were incredibly friendly, and the accommodations themselves were very clean and perfectly located.

6/10 Okay

Leung

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
One night in Kyoto
Friendly owner, nice place with lovely cat. Only problem is we can't take shower after 22:00.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed one night
Very nice little home, good location. A little hard for taxi to find, but quaint little area.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Exactly how I hoped it would be
Beautiful guest house run by lovely people who will welcome you into their home. Bathrooms are shared, but are very well equipped, and there are 2 bath/shower rooms and two separate toilets so waiting is unlikely. Would recommend to anyone not dependent on 5* hotel service.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Kyoto
I did not realize that I was just getting a spent room and that bath and toilet facilities were shared with other guests. Operators were very friendly and provided hot tea and a sweet in the evening. They provide a good amount of information about the local area.

8/10 Good

Garry, SYD

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Homely and convenient
Such a nice little place, the owners were adorable and it felt a bit like we were staying in someone's house, which was daunting at first but actually very lovely. We enjoyed it and it was in close proximity to many major sites.

10/10 Excellent

maddy, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice house. Quiet room overlooking lovely garden. No breakfast but snacks and tea before going to bed. Charming hosts but no English at all. very clean. Near touristy street with souvenir shops. Bus to / from city center often packed, too far to walk really.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good location for exploring old Kyoto
Friendly couple run this Japanese style inn. Shower is downstairs from the rooms. There are curfew times for the shower and for being back at night, which is understandable, as it is also the couple's home.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A warm and welcoming experience.
When you arrive at the house they invite you in and serve you tea. You must remember this a Japanese house where you remove your shoes. They furnish you with slippers to wear while your there. The house is very quiet and has a beautiful garden in the back. This is NOT like a impersonal hotel. You do share the bathrooms and showers with other travelers. This is a great place to stay if you want a more Japanese experience.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Authentic Japanese lodging, superb location
Lovely people and terrific location in heart of the old city. Somewhat of a trial having to venture out of warm room to downstairs frosty shower room.

6/10 Okay

PAUL, Singapore

Liked: Cleanliness
Family run ryokan, very clean and affordable.
Family run ryokan. public bathroom closes at 11pm. no lifts, so if you have large luggage, its abit troublesome. There's free parking available, but the streets are really narrow, which makes it difficult for SUVs to navigate.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

4/10 Poor

John L, USA

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel for Longer Visit
We stayed at the Guest House Yamato for 7 nights, too long. For 2-3 nights it would be fine for someone there to just visit a couple sights. We had the room for three adults, three twin beds. The beds were hard and the pillows were very uncomfortable, we each had one oversize bean bag type pillow. Because there are just 4 guest rooms sharing the two bathrooms and showers was not an issue. However if you enjoy the simple comforts most hotels provide; TV, closet/dresser, private bath, desk or table with a couple comfortable chairs you will miss these at the guest house. Furniture is limited, we shared one closet with shelves, no dressers. The bed cover was not clean and the little bit of furniture there was was dusty. Our room was "cleaned" twice during our visit, the pillow cases were changed and trash emptied. The hosts are pleasant and offer a nice western or Japanese style breakfast for $6.50 (you need to let them know the night before). There is an 11:00 PM curfew. Their English is limited which was challenging at times. No laundry is provided, we were directed to a coin laundry about 3/4 miles walk from the guest house. The location is convienent to visiting a couple of the popular tourist sights.

10/10 Excellent

Lisa, Boston, MA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely hostel with super nice staff
The hostel is only 5 min walk from the famous Kyomizudera temple, and also very convenient to go to other places. The price is a bit high (~12,000 yen per night), but very reasonable given that it was the weekend before Obon festival and their service is way beyond my expectation. They even bring tea and snacks to your room every night, using delicate containers. The rooms are very clean and comfortable, and there is a lovely backyard. The hostel is run by an old couple plus their son, and 2 cats. The staff are really really nice. The don't speak much English, but enough to get through the check-in process smoothly and answer some frequently asked questions. Breakfast is offered at the cost of 650 yen, and you can choose Western style or traditional Japanese style. Amazing food and beautiful display of food, really worth the money. Strongly recommend for anyone planning to visit Kyoto.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great guest house for the price!
This guest house is run by a lovely Japanese couple. The house is very clean in general. The room was a bit dusty, and the bedding was not like in a hotel, but more like things one would use when staying at a friend's place. The house is really a house, so if the other guest are noisy, you will hear them. However, this house is in a fabulous and quiet location. The price is very reasonable. The couple is very kind. They offered me cake and coffee for free twice during my stay. I basically sat in their dining room. I enjoyed the room much more than my previous stay at a Japanese style place with old futons. This house has western beds and it was quite comfortable. I would go back definitely at the price I paid and just to see the lovely couple again. The site I booked through said there would be breakfast, but when I got there, the man said that they had stopped the breakfast service. This didn't bother me as there are many places to find food nearby.

10/10 Excellent

Tommy, HK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent room and services
nice breakfast and nice place to live. the host is nice and provide everything we need. the room is clean and comfortable.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely
A great guest house. Friendly staff and I would recommend the delicious Japanese breakfast.

6/10 Okay

L C, Malibu CA

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Adjacent to important shrines
This is a guest house, not a hotel. The owners are cordial and provide you with all the necessary instructions for the shared bathrooms, breakfast options, and getting around. The shared bathrooms are very clean, but the walls between rooms are quite thin so you can hear other guests. The rooms are decorated with traditional art and mats, so they are great for taking photos. Our room was quite spacious. The Japanese futon beds were comfortable but the pillows were not. It was an authentic Japanese experience, and is great if you are wanting to step out of your comfort zone. The daily tea service was a nice touch. Walking distance to most major sights in Kyoto, but tucked away off the street and hard to find upon arrival.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best place we stayed in Japan
Spent 2 nights here and wish we'd been staying longer. Fantastic location (just down the road from Kiyomizudera and close to Gion) and amazing hospitality (e.g. special vegetarian options made for breakfast, tea and a snack provided on a tray whenever we came home). We stayed in the Japanese-style room which was beautiful and very peaceful. Would definitely stay again and would recommend to anyone visiting Kyoto.

10/10 Excellent

Russell, Emerald

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
we stayed for 5 nights
Attentive hosts and great variety of genuine Japanese breakfasts . Only a short walk to Kiomisudera. Highly recommended family stay. See the other review too

10/10 Excellent

Russell, Emerald

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
quiet spot near kiomisudera .genuine home experien
Very attentive hosts and very convenient for kiomisudera attractions. Bus 206 or taxi from Kyoto station.Very genuine and attentive hosts. Very clean and very good value breakfasts with thoughtful variation .

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities