Property grounds

Reviews of Kyoto Ryokan SAKANOUE

4 out of 5
Kyoto Ryokan SAKANOUE
502 Washio-cho, Shimogawara, Gion, Kyoto, Kyoto

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 100 out of 168 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 53 out of 168 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 10 out of 168 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 168 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 168 reviews" "

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

8.6/10

Amenities

8.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Arvind

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great place to experience an authentic Ryokan stay at the heart of Kyoto. Quite walkable to public transportation and sightseeing places such as Kiyomizu-dera and Kodaiji. Night visits to Yasaka shrine were great - just a 2 min walk from the Ryokan. I did not like that there were no vegetarian options provided for breakfast. Breakfast is a traditional egg, fish, vegetables and rice. Even the vegetables and rice are cooked with fish broth and hence cannot be consumed by vegetarians. I feel the meals can be made vegetarian friendly - at least the rice and vegetables.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jeremy

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing experience staying in a Ryokan. Hosts were very friendly people and only too happy to help.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023
Response from Yumi on 17 Nov 2023
Thank you for choosing to stay with us and for your kind review.We are glad you enjoyed your stay.Hope to see you again in the near future!!

10/10 Excellent

Tugcenur

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We loved staying at Sakanoue. It is in the heart of Kyoto, which was very convient and perfect to wake up early to get beautiful pictures in the empty streets. The temples were a walking distance. Lots of good cafes and restaurants around. The floor bed was very comfortable, only pillows were a bit hard to sleep on. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I would love to go back to this hotel!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Ryokan Sakanoue on 5 Sept 2023
Thank you for staying with us and the review.We look forward to welcoming you back!

4/10 Poor

Taneshiro

Travelled with family
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Threadbare, futon mattress single and hard, futon laid and kept laid throughout visit, bathroom wooden slab black with mold. Staff were helpful but short staffed to whit not putting away futon each day. Overall overrated and overpriced.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023
Response from Sakanoue on 19 Apr 2023
Thank you for taking the time to write to us. We appreciate guests who let us know when things are not right. We apolpgize if our room did not meet your expectations.If guests do not hang the cleaning tag, we will not enter the room for cleaning or putting away futon.However, we should have explained more specific. We will look for more effective products that killing mold. Again, please accept our deepest apologies.Sincerely,

10/10 Excellent

Elina

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Elina

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great property and stuff were very friendly!!!
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023
Response from Ryokan Sakanoue on 6 Apr 2023
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us and found both the property and staff response to your liking. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back in the near future.

10/10 Excellent

Nayoun

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023
Response from Ryokan Sakanoue on 6 Apr 2023
Thank you for your review! We're glad you enjoyed your stay and are looking forward to your next visit.

8/10 Good

Sho

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

Rory

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Comfortable ryokan in interesting area of Kyoto
Comfortable ryokan in lovely part of Kyoto. Friendly welcoming team and we enjoyed the traditional Japanese style room. Found a great cosy restaurant to eat in nearby and had a delicious full Japanese breakfast at the ryokan before leaving.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2020
Response from Front desk on 14 Apr 2020
Thank you very much for staying with us. We are looking forward to seeing you. We would like you to try Kaiseki dinner next time!

10/10 Excellent

Judith

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Response from Front desk on 14 Apr 2020
Thank you very much for staying with us. We are looking forward to seeing you.

10/10 Excellent

Charlotte

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Response from Front desk on 14 Apr 2020
Thank you very much for staying with us. We are looking forward to seeing you.

10/10 Excellent

Yoseb

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great choice to stay here without regrets!
Overall, I was assured that I made a great choice to stay here. Their service was superb, and the facilities were nice and cozy.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Nina

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very good location, in the heart of gion. Breakfast and dinner is incredible, super nice service
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2019
Response from Front desk on 12 Jan 2020
Thank you for staying with us. We will change the dinner menu every season, so please come to enjoy dinner next time. We are looking forward to see you again!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Like the bathtub in the room, could have included some bath salt to add into the tub. Overall it is a good experience. Great service.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from Front desk on 12 Jan 2020
Thank you for staying with us. Please DO NOT PUT bath salt, bath bomb or bath oil into the tub, because the tub made from wood. However, we do not that kind of service, maybe not to us. We are looking forward to see you again!

8/10 Good

Sarah, ny ny

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Overall it’s a nice property in a good location. It was very cold in the bathroom and it was not nice to take a shower there. Heater remote was in Japanese and I had to call the lady for help. Wish they wrote something in English for us to control. We couldn’t figure it out over night and had to wait until morning to call the lady. Dinner was just ok but breakfast was good. Staff were all friendly and nice.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from Front desk on 12 Jan 2020
hank you for staying with us. We are sorry not to tell you that we put "how to use heater remote" in English on the table. We are looking forward to see you again!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff is very friendly. Some speak English fluently. Even those who don't speak English well do their best to communicate. The building is old so can't fault it if certain things look old and dated. Part of the charm. The rooms are kept spotlessly clean. Ryokan is in a quiet location and a short walk to the popular Yasaka Shrine and Maruyama Park. Dining is still accessible along the road leading up to the shrine. There's also the option to have a kaiseki meal right inside the Ryokan.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from Front desk on 24 Dec 2019
Thank you for staying with us. We are looking forward for your stay again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2019
Response from Front desk on 9 Dec 2019
Thank you for staying at Sakanoue.

10/10 Excellent

Mary

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2019
Response from Front desk on 27 Nov 2019
Thank you for staying with us. We hope that you have a great experience during your stay in Kyoto. We are looking forward for your stay again.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from Front desk on 27 Nov 2019
Thank you for staying with us. We are looking forward for your stay again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from Front desk on 29 Oct 2019
Thank you for staying with us. We are looking forward for your stay again. Best Regards,

10/10 Excellent

Kenneth

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The location was unbeatable - turn left and you’re footsteps away from a great temple walk past Kodaiji all the way to Kiyamizu-dera. Turn right as you exit the ryokan and you’re a few blocks away from shopping, restaurants, and convenient train lines, as well as the famous streets of Gion. But most impressive were the staff who were very attentive, kind, and obviously cared deeply about the experience of their guests. The room was beautiful. And the breakfasts were delicious.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019
Response from Front desk on 28 Oct 2019
Thank you for staying with us. We hope that you have a memorable experience during your stay in Kyoto, also our all staff are looking forward for your stay again with us! Best Regards,

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
For those looking for a traditional Japanese Inn experience, this is a fantastic choice. The room was quite large and we'll equipped, the staff was very friendly and helpful, and the location is difficult to beat in the historic Gion District with several Kyoto landmarks within walking distance and transit options only a few minutes away.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from Front desk on 26 Oct 2019
Thank you for staying with us. We hope that you had a great experience during your stay in Kyoto. We are looking forward for your stay again! Best Regards,

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff were so lovely, they held our bags all day because we were leaving late and they even gave us a little parting gift when we checked out.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from Front desk on 14 Oct 2019
Thank you for choosing Sakanoue and staying with us. We hope that you had a great experience during your stay in Kyoto. All our staff looking forward for your stay again with us! Best Regards,

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Would have appreciated a mini tour of the grounds and bath house. We didn’t even realize there was one there until it was too late. Excellent service, very quaint. The dinner was just okay... not our favorite meal. We enjoyed our 1 night stay here for the experience.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from Front desk on 14 Oct 2019
Thank you for staying with us. We are looking forward for your stay again at Sakanoue. Best Regards,

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019
Response from Front desk on 8 Oct 2019
Thank you for staying with us! We looking forward to see you again! Best Regards,

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Response from Front desk on 1 Oct 2019
Thank you for staying with us. We are looking forward to see you again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very nice ryokan and good price. The staff is amazing. I though I would have a hard time sleeping in a ryokan, but it was very comfortable. Loved the experience.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019
Response from Front desk on 23 Sept 2019
Thank you for staying with us! We hope that you have a great experience during your stay in Kyoto. Also,we are looking forward for your stay again in SAKANOUE. Best regards,

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019
Response from Front desk on 14 Sept 2019
Thank you for staying with us. We hope you'll visit us again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff are very friendly and helpful. Convenient location.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from Front desk on 26 Aug 2019
Thank you for staying with us. We're looking forward to see you again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Excellent service and staff. Ideal location, close to major temple and shrines.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from Front desk on 26 Aug 2019
Thank you for staying with us. We're looking forward to see you again.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very nice Ryokan in the best area of Kyoto
I visit Kyoto every year and this was the best Ryokan I’ve at reasonable price and services. I’ll recommend this place to everyone from couple to family.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2019
Response from Front desk on 26 Aug 2019
Thank you for staying with us, and we are looking forward to see you again.

10/10 Excellent

ISAAC

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from Front desk on 26 Aug 2019
Thank you for staying with us, We are looking forward to see you again.

10/10 Excellent

Dave, North Carolina

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location for this authentic Japanese ryokan. Staff were friendly and one was American so spoke fluent English. Walking distance to several temples and shrines as well as many restaurants. Great spot for couples or families with teenage children.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019
Response from Front desk on 26 Aug 2019
Thank you for staying with us, we glad to hear that you had a great experience during your stay in Kyoto. We are looking forward to see you again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Sakanoue was a very welcoming and relaxing facility. Staff were very pleasant and helpful. Food was tasty.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019
Response from Front desk on 9 Jul 2019
Thank you for staying with us. We look forward to seeing you.

10/10 Excellent

jenny

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful stay!
We loved the Sakanoue. The location in Gion can’t be beat. The staff was lovely and helpful. The traditional Japanese accommodations were fabulous and we loved soaking in the tub each night after lots of walking each day.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Front desk on 30 Jun 2019
Thank you very much for staying with us and the review. We look forward to seeing you again.

2/10 Terrible

Andreas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotels.Com as misinforming the property is NOT smoke free there were people smoking in the lobby. Nice people at hotel though but incorrect description of property.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019
Response from Front desk on 30 Jun 2019
Thank you very much for staying with us and the review. We will reconfirm each website.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great ryokan
Wonderful stay with friendly staff. Even though they spoke limited English, they were so sweet. Very cool experience to stay in a traditional ryokan and enjoy a gourmet kaiseki dinner and breakfast. Neighborhood is quiet and mostly residential.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019
Response from Front desk on 29 Jun 2019
Thank you very much for staying with us and the review. We look forward to seeing you again.

10/10 Excellent

BTerry79, Lakewood, CO

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location near excellent restaurants. Wonderful staff. Very quiet.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2019
Response from Front desk on 29 Jun 2019
Thank you very much for staying with us and the review. We look forward to seeing you again.

8/10 Good

TB, Seattle

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stay here one night to get the traditional Japanese experience, make sure to book with meals so you can try Kaiseki multicourse dinner, and Japanese style breakfast. It’s in the heart of Gion so you can see old style town homes (machiya). I recommend after one night in ryokan, change to a regular hotel for the rest of your time in Kyoto for a more comfortable stay and closer to downtown amenities. It’s not a very comfortable stay, but I think that’s typical of traditional Japanese ryokan experience. For example, the summer futon is very thin/hard so I didn’t sleep well. Lots of sitting on the floor or low to the ground (hard for my 60 year old mom). The traditional architecture means many changes in floor height, so going to the bathroom at night is a toe stubbing experience. Lots of rules- changing of slippers, curfew, being careful not to damage tatami with your suitcase or rain jacket, etc. my understanding is this is typical of all Ryokan, just set your expectations accordingly. The staff at Saka no Ue are really nice and it’s well kept, I’m glad I did it once but also was glad to get a comfortable bed somewhere else the next night.
Stayed 1 night in May 2019
Response from Front desk on 30 Jun 2019
Thank you very much for staying with us and the review. We look forward to seeing you again. We are afraid that you did not sleep well. Please ask us if you have any requests next time.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Traditional Japan
Tremendously friendly and helpful staff. Dinner and breakfast were excellent!
Stayed 1 night in May 2019
Response from Front desk on 29 Jun 2019
Thank you very much for staying with us and the review. We look forward to seeing you again.

8/10 Good

Camille

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Authentic Japanese Culture
AUTHENTIC! Loved my stay at Sakanoue! Hope it never changes and people will always respect the culture that Sakanoue presents to its patrons.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2019
Response from Front desk on 29 Jun 2019
Thank you very much for staying with us and the review. We look forward to seeing you again.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Lovely traditional ryokan. Great service and friendly staff. Great location in Gion, close to major tourist spot.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019
Response from Sakanoue on 3 May 2019
Thank you for your rating and feedback.We are pleased to know that you enjoyed your stay with us. We hope to see you again at Sakanoue.

10/10 Excellent

Stacy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfection traditional experience
We loved our stay at a traditional ryokan. The location was perfect to bus stops and trains as well as great restaurants. The breakfast meal was delicious and all the staff was extremely welcoming and sweet.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019
Response from Sakanoue on 2 May 2019
Thank you for your rating and feedback. We are pleased to know that you enjoyed your stay, and we hope to see you again at Sakanoue.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019
Response from Sakanoue on 14 Apr 2019
Thank you for your rating.

10/10 Excellent

Alyssa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely stay!
Wonderful stay! The staff was amazingly helpful and friendly. As someone who doesn't speak Japanese, the staff went out of their way to speak English (very well, too!),and there were never any communication issues. The staff was able to help me by calling restaurants and making dinner reservations. The room was spacious and comfortable. The common areas could use some upgrades, but overall I would highly recommend it. We did not eat at the ryokan so I cannot comment on the food. A wonderful traditional experience and I would highly recommend it.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2019
Response from Sakanoue on 21 Mar 2019
Thank you for your rating and feedback. We appreciate your opinion. We are pleased to know that you enjoyed your stay with us, and we hope to see you back at Sakanoue.

10/10 Excellent

Stuart

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very enjoyable stay
I had a very enjoyable stay in this ryokan. The staff were very welcoming and helpful. Great location, and easy to find using Google maps. We opted for the half board option and the food was excellent.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
Response from Sakanoue on 20 Mar 2019
Thank you for your rating and feedback. We are pleased to know that you enjoyed your stay. We hope to see you back at Sakanoue.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019
Response from Sakanoue on 3 Apr 2019
Thank you for your rating

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We loved Sakanoue! We had such a great time in Kyoto. Sakanoue is in a great location in the Gion district. You’re a short walk away from all of the local rail lines. Call a month ahead and they’ll make restaurant reservations for you. Some of the finest restaurants in Gion book up fast and only take reservations. Or, you can head over to Pontocho for good food. Sakanoue always has someone available who speaks English. Sakanoue is a very clean traditional Ryokan with modern amenities.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019
Response from Sakanoue on 27 Feb 2019
Thank you for your rating and feedback. We appreciate your opinion. We are pleased to know that you enjoyed your stay, and we hope to see you back at Sakanoue.

10/10 Excellent

Jong Gun

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019
Response from Sakanoue on 20 Feb 2019
Thank you for your rating. We hope to see you again at Sakanoue.