We stayed in nine hotels during our six week Winter visit to Japan; this hotel was the third most stylish but the second most uncomfortable. The corner double room has the right look with a little tea room next to a floor to ceiling window. We had a partial view of the Botanical Gardens which was pretty. The room was uncomfortable for the following reasons: 1. No storage. The room fit out is super minimal but if you have luggage there's nowhere to put it and no hanging space. 2. The designer was going for a zen low lighting experience but the room was so dark we couldn't see anything. There is one dim lamp next to the bed and another low light overhead light. It was so dark we had to borrow desk lamps to be able to see into our suitcases. Maybe the designer was trying to create a moody atmosphere but we found it dreary and depressing. 3. The thermostat has no fine controls - the room was either way too hot or very cold. We chose to turn the heat off and borrow extra blankets and wear extra layers. We chose the corner double room which despite being one of the larger rooms, felt too cramped for a four day stay. The onsen was stylish and cool. The outdoor onsen was set in cute snowscape. Having an onsen with snow around you felt very luxe. Unfortunately this hotel attracts a certain young, nouveau riche clientele who take selfies endlessly in this Instagram ready hotel. There were men taking photos of themselves in the onsen on two occasions; I felt like my privacy had been violated as I was in the same bath. It upset me they didn't respect me enough to abstain from taking video footage. Did they do that just because my partner and I were clearly not Japanese? We enjoyed the authentic breakfast, although I feel like having it once probably would have been enough. The location of the hotel was a bit of a dead zone, unless you love walking there are probably more central locations. If you can't speak Japanese the staff are just OK. I was overcharged and managed to get a refund even despite the language barrier. I would not stay at this hotel again but I did enjoy certain aspects of my stay.

Show lessDate of stay: February 2023

“I won't spoil anything cuz 😉 it will be a surprise for hotel guests! I experienced some special effects when I entered the room. It is so unforgettable! I felt like I entered a movie scene. It is hard to find the excitement when I go to a new place as I grow older. Especially I didn't expect to be exciting for a hotel room. But this room give me the feeling of entering an unknown amusement park at the entrance. Skipped those franchise five star hotels. They are boring and have no character. This is the best hotel for my Japan solo trip as the hotel room is perfect for meditation. I'll definitely come back again next time when I visit Kyoto.Read less”

it seems like japanese people love writing serious reviews of shops, hotels and restaurants. So many venues in Japan have 3 or 4 star google ratings.