I was deceived by all the 5-star reviews.
Before this review, this place had all 5-star reviews, praising it to the skies but not mentioning a single flaw. Clearly, they hired people to post fake positive reviews.
Admittedly, this hotel has its advantages and probably deserves a 3-4 star rating. However, to provide accurate feedback for future guests, I can only give it 1 star to balance things out.
Pros:
1. Convenient location, very close to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. This is true.
2. The interior looks decent, spacious, and tidy.
But!!!
1. A hotel is, first and foremost, a service industry. This hotel offers absolutely no service.
2. It's entirely self-service, which might be friendly for introverts, I guess. But if you need help, you can't find anyone. There's a phone number, but after going through all the menus, you can't reach a human.
3. Here's the critical part: The entire check-in process is self-service online. You have to re-upload all guests' passport information, phone/email/home address – several pages of details. Then, you pay the accommodation tax online. There's no WeChat/Alipay/cash payment option; it strictly requires a credit card (not sure if UnionPay works). I had to hastily borrow a friend's Visa card that could be used overseas and went through another round of filling in name/card number/expiration date/security code.
4. After all that filling, you'd think you could finally check in, right? Haha, they won't send you the check-in information (room number and password) before 4 PM. I've come to accept late check-ins at Japanese hotels, but others usually allow check-in by 2-3 PM. If you arrive early, and there's a front desk, you can usually store your luggage. Some even politely help you carry your luggage to your room. Even the most self-service places at least provide a locked self-storage room. This hotel? An empty space at the entrance, unsupervised, uncollected, and unaccounted for. You can leave your luggage if you want, but they're not responsible if it gets lost. So, if you arrive early, you can't store your luggage and go sightseeing; you have to wait with your bags until 4 PM.
5. During the day (before 4 PM), you can't go out and explore (no luggage storage, so you're stuck waiting). After 4 PM, you might go for a stroll and return by 8 PM – holy cow, what a terrifying experience, like a budget horror movie in a mountain village! The narrow mountain road is deserted, and under dim light, there are old houses and shrines, no restaurants, no convenience stores, no sign of people. The vending machine 20 meters down the road is your only source of sustenance (yes, there's no bottled water in the room). As soon as I got back to the room, I locked the door and didn't dare go out again. If you're a woman traveling alone or with one other person, you'll definitely be scared.
6. Also a major point: the windows are covered with white paper. I was woken up at 5:30 AM by the intense sunlight (see photo). This might suit early risers, but... there's no blackout option, which clearly fails to meet a hotel's basic requirements.
7. These are some minor issues, like the narrow elevator // the old-fashioned key that requires manual deadbolting // no towel bar in the bathroom, so used towels can only be folded and stacked // no clothesline, so no idea how to dry clothes // only a washing machine, no dryer... and so on.
I was tricked into this place by the all 5-star reviews (see photo) – previously, I've stayed in 4.6-4.9-star rooms that offered services like: early luggage storage / rooms cleaned and ready for early check-in / help moving luggage to the room / welcome drinks in the lobby / free foot baths / well-designed spaces / large public baths / free ice... and other friendly services. This hotel has a 5.0 rating? Why???
Original TextTranslation provided by AI
