Rihga Royal Hotel Kyoto

“Nice hotel, ok stay”

The Rihga Royal Hotel in Kyoto was a fine experience. From the outside it may not look like much, if you’re used to the type of lavish resorts you find in the US like the Four Season, Waldorf, or Ritz or if you spend a lot of time on the Las Vegas strip, however, the hotel is not without its charm.… more

The Rihga Royal Hotel in Kyoto was a fine experience. From the outside it may not look like much, if you’re used to the type of lavish resorts you find in the US like the Four Season, Waldorf, or Ritz or if you spend a lot of time on the Las Vegas strip, however, the hotel is not without its charm. The interior is a different story entirely. It is impeccably clean with modern designs and beautiful décor. The staff are friendly, helpful, and very professional. The amenities include a gym and pool which aren’t always found in Japanese hotels. There is also a sauna but only for men. I do mark points off for the amenities as they are only available at an extra cost even to hotel guests. I’m not sure if this is standard in Japanese hotels as I’ve never attempted to use the amenities at other hotels I’ve stayed at in Japan since we’re usually always on the go but it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a hotel charge extra to use the amenities. As for food, the hotel has a nice breakfast buffet (I would recommend going early as it does get quite crowded) and a beautiful restaurant which is located at the top of the hotel in what appears from the outside to be an observation deck. Though we unfortunately didn’t have time to try the restaurant, the pictures online look very nice. The rooms in the Rihga Royal were surprisingly spacious, which again, is not usually the case in most Japanese hotels unless they are on the higher end. While they are clean and nicely up-kept, they are a bit dated. Our room had 2 double beds, and a pretty good amount of space for sitting and lounging including a desk with a chair and a couch with a small coffee table. Bathroom was also a decent size compared to some of the other hotels we’ve stayed at in Japan. Where it lost points for me was the beds which were very firm. Not so bad if you’re you like firm mattresses and are a back sleeper, however, if you like anything other than a very firm mattress then you might find it difficult to get a good night sleep on these. Overall a nice stay but I wish the beds were a bit more comfortable and the amenities were available to hotel guests without an extra charge. Customer service: 5/5 Amenities: 3/5 Rooms: 4/5 Comfort: 4/5 Value: 4/5 Overall rating: 4

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“Meh”

Mediocre hotel. Bathroom had a weird smell, bed was ok and breakfast was not that impressive.