Reviews from our community
95 reviews
18 hotel reviews
102 helpful votes
Recently stayed at the Shikokuan in January 2014. We were really looking forward to this and were not disappointed. This machiya is situated in a great location. It is near to all of the action - both shopping, dining and sightseeing - but still quiet and peaceful during the evenings - which is very welcome for Kyoto due to the huge tourist numbers. Nearby the machiya we found a lovely restaurant called Kawa Cafe - located right on the river - for New Years Eve - this was perfect. The machiya is also close to train transport, so it was very easy to travel to Arashiyama and Fushimi during this stay. We purchased breakfast items at a nearby supermarket and thoroughlyy enjoyed consuming this in our own private garden in the mornings. As it was a midway point during our holiday - we made use of the laundry facility - and our clothes dried very quickly overnight.
We had a delightful stay.
Pros - ambiance, old world charm meets elements of modern luxury, super location
Cons - the house is delicate so only those who are mindful of original glass features and steep stairs should stay, also the table for breakfast isn't flat.
I would recommend to those who can truly appreciate the charm of the building and are happy to be independent.
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5 reviews
3 hotel reviews
3 helpful votes
Wonderful central location, authentic experience, beautifully designed and decorated with taste and style, very clean. Hiro-san was very helpful with recommendations and familiarizing us with the city, went out of his way to see we were comfortable and enjoyed our stay. Will definitely book again when we are next in Kyoto. Next time a larger house for a larger group!
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35 reviews
15 hotel reviews
31 helpful votes
This was the second house I rented in October from Machiya Residence Inn, and it was beautiful and ideally located, as was the first (Koyuan). A few feet from the Pontocho Canal (no view), it has a perfect little kitchen, a washer-dryer, soaking tub, and two single beds, and two chairs, upstairs in a generously-sized bedroom. The house is immaculately kept, in perfect condition, and the agency that rents it is extremely helpful with everything: travel arrangements, advice about local sights, shipping of luggage, everything. I could not have been happier with the house, the location, or Hiro, the manager with whom I dealt. I can't wait to stay with them again.
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108 reviews
55 hotel reviews
79 helpful votes
- excellent alternative accommodation to a hotel, a traditional environment with all the mod cons situated minutes from useful transportation, amenities and of course walking distance to most sights/ areas of interest that are in the east of Kyoto.
- great place to relax after sightseeing and located near a large number of excellent restaurants
- so glad we stayed here and not another hotel, 5 nights after touring other parts of Japan.
- very helpful staff
- people with mobility problems would have difficulty reaching the 1st floor bedroom area as very steep stairs
- very good bathroom
- loved sitting by the garden area
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2 reviews
1 helpful vote
We loved the location - right in the middle of town walking distance to the great night time eat streets, and train stations, and a stones throw from the canals & river. The accommodation is traditional in style but new and up to date with a great bathroom, air-conditioning (very necessary in summer!)
We were early for our checkin but were able to leave our luggage in the foyer whilst getting started exploring the city. Similarly on our check out day we left our luggage til 2. It was very easy to find, our cabbie rang Hiro to clarify the directions from the station and all went swimmingly.
Not having a key but a pin code to get in was awesome as the three of us weren't always returning at the same time. And we weren't expecting a cleaning service whilst we were there so that was a lovely surprise!
Highly recommended!
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2 reviews
1 helpful vote
I travelled to Kyoto with my parents. The three of us stayed in Shikokuan Machiya Residence Inn for three nights. It is a beautiful Machiya, with a great ambience. The location is fantastic - close to everything you need to see and do in beautiful Kyoto. Very comfortable and highly recommended!
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1 review The machiya was everything we expected it to be and surprisingly affordable way to accommodate four people in a beautiful setting.
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- Was it a good value for the price paid?
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