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Reviews of Ryokan Sawaya Honten

3 out of 5
Ryokan Sawaya Honten
25 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto

Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 290 out of 415 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 99 out of 415 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 20 out of 415 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 415 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 415 reviews" "

9.8/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

9.4/10

Amenities

9.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Wenjing

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Wonderful and memorable stay!!
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Kazuto on 25 Apr,2024
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

arthur

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
A wonderful experience with very sweet and helpful staff
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Kazuto on 23 Apr,2024
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Paarth

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Locations is perfect! Very quiet and accessible. The room itself is top notch and comfortable. Highly recommend
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Kazuto on 21 Apr,2024
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Thanh

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Charming ryokan. We had a lovely stay. It was clean and well kept. I enjoyed the public bath. Staff were very nice and helpful.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Kazuto on 17 Apr,2024
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Yi

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Kazuto on 26 Mar,2024
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Gavin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great place. We got lucky and we're the only people there due to it being off season. Amazing staff, speak good enough English, and helped us get taxis multiple times, also offered luggage transfer services.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024
Response from Kazuto on 15 Jan,2024
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Chris

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Kazuto on 17 Nov,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Rosemarie, summit

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely traditional ryokan. Peaceful public bath. Great view of small garden with koi.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Kazuto on 24 Oct,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Nicola

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staying here was a highlight of our trip. The Ryokan was so peaceful and beautiful - we loved the little gardens and water features. Breakfast is delicious! The public bath was so relaxing
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Kazuto on 23 Oct,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Jose

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Kazuto on 23 Oct,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Ian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Kazuto on 17 Oct,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

8/10 Good

angelo

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Quaint Ryokan in a quiet area but lots to do in a shortish walk.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Kazuto on 27 Oct,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Kristina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Kazuto on 12 Oct,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Margaret

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We loved this place. It was very clean, staff was super friendly. We didn't have the breakfast option with our stay but there were plenty of options in the area.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Kazuto on 4 Oct,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Ryan

Travelled with partner
Liked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice, clean and large room. Very friendly staff, such a pleasure to have stayed here! The property is close to the 206 transit line and the hotel can sell you a daily bus pass for ¥700, which worked out really well. Not the most convenient location overall, but still a great place to stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Kazuto on 29 Sept,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Ulises

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
One of the best acomodations in Kyoto, spacious, traditional and so pretty. The staff is very nice and the neighborhood is very safe, walkable and near a subway station.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Kazuto on 25 Sept,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I loved the traditional Japanese feel of this property and the friendliness of the staff. It was wonderful.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Kazuto on 26 Jul,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Luis

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The personal are the best, they are so kind and they help to us at any moment.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Kazuto on 22 Jul,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Catherine

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The ryokan is clean, quiet, and spacious with great amenities especially the onsen. There is a washer dryer that guests may use. The staff also reserved a taxi for our early ride to the airport. We did not have our breakfast there because I forgot to reserve this but they do offer this option. I would definitely consider staying here again. Many thanks to all the staff who took such good care of us.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Kazuto on 9 Jul,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Jason Harold

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The location and staff were great! It was very clean and spacious for a family of four!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Kazuto on 20 Jun,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

JENNIFER, bradford

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Kazuto on 1 Jul,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Peter

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very friendly. Nice experience
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023
Response from Kazuto on 1 Jun,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Rosie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in May 2023
Response from Kazuto on 1 Jun,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Lan

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in May 2023
Response from Kazuto on 31 May,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Alexandrina

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We loved Kyoto and this ryokan. It is clean, quiet and has an amazing staff.
Stayed 5 nights in May 2023
Response from Kazuto on 25 May,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Mihoko

Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful
Staffs were very friendly and kind. The breaksfast were great.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023
Response from Kazuto on 23 May,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Mihoko

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great staff, rooms, and breakfast
I was leading a tour with my weaving students. I wanted them to experience authentic Japanese ryokan. Sawaya was a perfect place for that.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023
Response from Kazuto on 20 May,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Rocio

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Staff was friendly, clean and very comfortable.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023
Response from Kazuto on 19 May,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Elita

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The Ryokan is absolutely beautiful and the service was unbeatable. Highly recommend the Japanese breakfast that comes with the Ryokan!
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2023
Response from Kazuto on 10 May,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Anita

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I have a memorable experience with this hotel and had the family feel. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The place is very unique and clean, it was a great experience for me.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023
Response from Kazuto on 27 Apr,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

H Timothy

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Close to Heian Jingu. Wonderful old property. Welcoming and helpful staff. Robust and delicious traditional Japanese breakfast. Large tatami rooms.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023
Response from Kazuto on 25 Apr,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Theresa

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Wonderful experience. Staff were attentive and so polite. The Japanese breakfast experience was fabulous.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023
Response from Kazuto on 17 Apr,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Traditional Ryokan Perfect
We loved our stay here. The staff were all so friendly and welcoming. The room was amazing we loved how traditional and comfortable it felt. Breakfast was so good every morning. Location was convenient - easy to get to the subway to get all over Kyoto. There was a 7/11, Lawson, and Family mart all within walking distance. We enjoyed that it was a bit further from the Kyoto train station it had a more relaxed vibe and after dealing with the craziness of all the must see spots it was so nice to come here and just feel like we could relax. I would definitely stay again and recommend to others.
Outside of the hotel
Our room
Traditional Japanese Breakfast
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023
Response from Kazuto on 14 Apr,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Alexander

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fantastic staff and room. We had an excellent stay that included the traditional breakfast.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023
Response from Kazuto on 11 Apr,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Natalie

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Response from Kazuto on 7 Apr,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Amy

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Kazuto on 4 Apr,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2022
Response from Kazuto on 3 Apr,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

8/10 Good

Kristopher

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very nice ryokan with delightful closed off public bath. The most friendly staff throughout my stay in Japan. Only downside is there's not in the immediate area surrounding it.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Kazuto on 1 Apr,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Celeste

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great staff
So amazing! Staff were always helpful, especially in negotiating a tricky Japanese website. That were always around if only to give a greeting. The night manager who dreams of going to Mexico was especially chatty which we loved. While the room cleaning took so we time, it was worth the exceptional care they put in. We’ll done all around.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Kazuto on 25 Mar,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Steve

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Quiet, Peaceful and Spacious
A traditional Japanese experience with a super friendly staff. The room was large and gave us plenty of space. The entire facility was spotless and very peaceful. In room bathing room and toilet were perfect, but the community bath was even better and a great way to wind down and relax at the end of each day. The location is okay, but close enough to subway station. About a 25 to 30 minute walk to the Gion district, but the entire city is acccessible by walking, subway and bus. Your phone direction app will always recommend bus or car but we made it around entire city using subway, JR line and LOTS of walking.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Kazuto on 14 Mar,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

6/10 Okay

Jan

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
We were looking for a Ryokan off the beaten track and really liked the facilities. The building is a little older, but has a very original vibe and feels especially quiet and calm. Also the rooms are beautiful with exposed wood - although our room faced to the street it was quiet and light (the windows were covered though). The bathrooms could use an upgrade, though, and the spa / onsen is very simple, just one tiny bath. We did enjoy the breakfast and the very lovely breakfast staff, which really cared for us - the best part of the stay. The reception staff however felt very detached and not eager to help us or talk to us, with especially random and strict breakfast, checkout and luggage timing rules ("you can only leave the luggage here until 3"), that did not seem to be justified by business. Other Ryokan's would help suggest or book dinner, but they told us to just walk there. The location is, as expected, a bit off, and despite being close to the train and bus stations, not easy to find things - so a little help would have been nice.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023
Response from Kazuto on 5 Mar,2023
Thank you for your stay at our ryokan, and thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your comments and will utilize them for further improvement. We look forward to welcoming you again if you visit Kyoto again.

10/10 Excellent

Camisha, Birmingham

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was a wonderful experience!
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023
Response from Kazuto on 9 Jan,2023
Thank you for staying at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

8/10 Good

Gabriela

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The room was spacious and clean, although the one I got had many external AC units right out of the window and ended up being que noisy. Other than that, I'll recommend the hotel
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2022
Response from Kazuto on 5 Jan,2023
Thank you for your stay at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that your stay here was a good one. We hope to welcome you again as our guests!

8/10 Good

Jodi

Travelled with family, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff were very friendly and helpful. There were many local restaurants close by and a handy leaflet was provided with directions. We loved the communal bath which was small but clean and pleasant. Public transport was within 5-10 minutes walk but to get to major attractions it was at least 20-30mins.
Response from Kazuto on 9 Dec,2022
Thank you for your stay at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. It is true that our place is a bit far from the city center, but we hope you enjoyed your stay in a quiet environment. We look forward to welcoming you as our guest again!

10/10 Excellent

Bernhardt Eric

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Wonderful staff! This ryokan is located in an ideal area of the city. It’s short walking distance to the subway with plenty of dining options nearby. Stayed here with my family and had a wonderful stay. Would stay here again!
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2022
Response from Kazuto on 27 Nov,2022
Thank you for your stay at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that your stay here was a good one. We hope to welcome you again as our guests!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing staff! Very comfortable and conveniently located.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2022
Response from Kazuto on 16 Nov,2022
Thank you for your stay at our ryokan. We are happy to hear that you liked us. We look forward to welcoming you again!

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A traditional ryokan, steps from temples on the east side of Kyoto (there is one 3 minutes walk from the door). Incredibly helpful staff. Traditional rooms. Great way to spend time in Kyoto.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2022
Response from Nakamura on 29 Oct,2022
Thank you for staying with us.We are looking forward to seeing you again.

10/10 Excellent

Lynn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This was a truly wonderful ryokan. My room was spacious and lovely with a very comfortable futon. There were separate public baths for men and women which were also very nice and a great way to start or end the day. The staff spoke English and were very gracious.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2022
Response from Nakamura on 27 Oct,2022
Thank you for staying with us.We are looking forward to seeing you again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Diego

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Phenomenal experience
We loved our stay at Ryokan Sawaya. The rooms are very spacious, which is rare in Japan, we had a lot of space! The ryokan amenities are great, especially the public baths, excellent to relax after a day of touring Kyoto. The building is clean and well preserved. The attention to details is fantastic, as everyday you get little treats like tea and cookies. The staff also was very friendly and polite. The location is convenient, close to a subway station and bus stops, and there are several restaurants nearby, but still in a quiet neighborhood. Maybe a bit distant from the most important Kyoto's landmarks, but still easy to move in the city using public transportation.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2019