Shizuya KYOTO - Hostel

Little storage for bags in the room

The bathrooms/showers/rooms seemed to be cleaned very thoroughly every day, hot water from showers, laundry machine works well, and location was great since it’s less than 15 min walk to Kyoto station which was really beneficial. Staff spoke sufficient English. Good amount of rules, which are clearly stated online, but sometimes housekeeping would start in the rooms early around 9:30-10 so you can feel in the way if you start your day later. I was awoken at 5am to my bunkmate’s alarm blaring for 2 hours straight without even being able to talk over the noise. Multiple guys walking around common room in underwear, so it can be uncomfortable for females in the mixed building. However this is not an issue with the place and probably just hostels in general. Not a lot of room in the dorm besides a few suitcases.

Cleanliness, room size Nothing

the room is clean, a bit small, staff were really helpful and responded to the message clearly before my arrival.

Cannot leave luggage for 1-2hrs after check out (even I found hotel’s answer Yes) Shower room is on different floor but no problem

This place was walking distance from the train station. It was also a convenient by bus to many different locations. I liked having my own private space even though the walls were thin. The staff were very nice even though there was a little bit of a language barrier. There are a lot of rules at this place. You can’t be in certain places at many times of the day, you can’t wear put on shoes beyond a certain point and while I can respect all these, and they did try to help with other options, it just seemed a little on the excessive side. The bathroom was also the kitchen area. While I liked my private dormitory style room, the ceilings were incredibly low and I hit my head.

I loved the design of the building! A very beautiful local gem in Kyoto. The online photos suggested a large public bath but there were no such baths on the location. It was a little misleading.

Exceptional

Cleanliness, location very close to Kyoto station, zen atmosphere, friendly staff, free tea and coffee, coin washing machine and dryer, comfy room, cafe near the property, safe. Common room not available from 10-3 and it is because they are cleaning the property

Lovely place, clean and not crowded

Superb

Great location, close to Kyoto station. The place is nicely designed, clean and the rooms/pods have just enough space to be comfortable. The mezzanine in the room/pods are accessible with a steep and shallow ladder, making it tricky and a little hazardous to go up and down. The walls are very thin, so take earplugs with you if you want to make sure to get enough sleep.

one night we were scared because it seemed like there was a drunk guy who kept banging on the entrance door. no one intervened. we were just relieved he never made it inside.

Very nice hostel. We loved the kitchen facilities. We like to sleep in and found the communal areas were cleaned from 10am everyday, so we couldn’t use them to shower or make food. Sometimes cleaning started before this time, so we felt a bit in the way. Otherwise it was a very nice stay. Separate female building which would be good if solo travelling.

Exceptional

The price can't be beat. There is a bus stop right outside and the train station across the bridge, making connections to historic parts of the city easy. To give you a good idea of what you are signing up for, this is a glorified dorm room for 20 people with separators installed to give the impression of privacy. It can be noisy, as people don't care about the comfort of other guests and slam the doors constantly. No staff members are present after 7pm either to address this. I stayed in the female-only building. There was one shower for 20 rooms and it could only be used at certain hours (6-9 and 15-23), which caused constant lineups. Kitchen, laundry and sinks are all in one small space, which cannot fit more than 3 people at the time, so if someone is brushing their teeth or doing their makeup, you have to wait to make tea or do laundry. If you can afford to pay more, you should choose a more comfortable place in a better location.

My only negative was I watched someone check in at 19:05 after their transport was delayed, and they still charged them the late check in fee because they checked in past 19:00…seemed a bit harsh for five minutes. Quite an expensive hostel but it’s very nice and very quiet.

I was on top bunk in corner in a small room so it was cramped for me. Based on bed angles in room, some people got more space. I hope we don't pay the same rate... I find that unfair since I had less room and anyone on the top bunk always gets cheated cuz we have more work to do to get up there. I wishlre bathrooms in my building...had to run outside to next building to shower. Thankfully raining.

Liked the friendly and helpful staff and how clean it was There needs to be a curtain at the window, because it was too bright in the morning to stay asleep. Also there’s a lot of traffic noise because the window doesn’t fit tight.

Everything was really lovely and the staff were so helpful but the kitchen facilities were a bit lacking other than that it was fantastic