We stayed at this inn in Kyoto in July of 2012. I was traveling with a group of 40 (32 high school students, and 8 adults), so our primary concern was finding a low cost option that could accomodate that large of a group. The owners of the Sparkling Dolphin were very gracious hosts and made our group feel welcome.... More

We were travelling in a group of 5 and so we chose to stay at Sparkling Dolpins inn becasue they have a room that can accomodate all of us. The room is tatami style and spacious enough. It is clean and we did our own cooking as there is a fridge and stove available. The bathroom is small but just... More

This place is good if you just need a place to stay. Staff is helpful and friendly. The atmosphere seems more like a hotel. Clean showers and clean rooms. Overall, descent place to stay but not very fun and had a dull vibe to it.

We were in Dolphins for a night because everything else was overbooked in Kyoto due a bank holiday last october 2012. We were in a very small dort, super tiny, 10 beds, and in beds number 7 and 8 there were BEADBUGS!! We could kill 7 or 8 of them, and next morning we show them to the staff and... More

This is not a traditional ryokan, but an inn with a tatami sleeping room. you have bathroom & toilets within the room, plus a fridge & wash basin. The room is quite spacious, with a balcony outside. And right when you want to sleep you can enjoy the fluorescent sparkling dolphins in the ceiling paper - thus the name The... More

We were looking for a place to sleep after sightseeing. We wanted internet access and a private bath. This was what we got. We did have internet in the room. It was not inconvenient to leave the suitcases outside of the sleeping room as there really wasn't room for them there anyway. There are a number of restaurants in walking... More

We booked for a 4 night stay in this hotel and as per our online booking, they accept credit cards for payment. We arrived close to midnight in Kyoto and decided to take the taxi who unfortunately does not know where our hotel was. Taxi driver was non- english speaking and kept answering in Japanese. Took two rounds on same... More

We stayed there recently realizing that the traditional Ryokans of Kyoto were out of our price range. We spent a week there. Our family of 4 didn't plan on spending much time in the rooms besides sleeping so the lack of amenities wasn't a big deal. The price was right. (12600 yen per night for 4). The noise from the... More

Well, what can I say about Kyoto Sparkling Dolphins Inn? If you are looking for what a ryokan should be then look at http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/db/tsumago/matsushiroya.htm and have a browse. If you are under 30 and not at all fussed about your accomm - then this could be an okay place, but it is over priced. Make no mistake the Kyoto Sparkling... More