Ryokan Motonago

An exceptional first-class traditional Japanese ryokan in the heart of picturesque Gion district. This ryokan clearly works hard to maintain its traditional details and keep everything in excellent condition--from the immaculate shoji with yukimi (snow-viewing) panels to the freshly pressed yukata and coat in your room. We stayed one night in a room for four and then in two rooms for two--all were very comfortable and spacious tatami rooms with pretty views, air conditioning, and low tables and cushions for taking tea that appeared in the room in the afternoon. The common o-furu is reserved for your room and has a wonderful deep wooden soaking tub. Breakfast was available at 7:30, 8:00 or 8:30 am and matched the exquisite detail of everything, both the Western breakfast (with egg, ham, toast, salad, a cute little cereal, and coffee) and the Japanese breakfast (with grilled fish, hot pot tofu, tamago rolled omelet, rice, miso soup, and tea). We did not have dinner at the ryokan so I can't comment on it. The staff and owner are extremely friendly and helpful--appearing as if by magic when they are needed, such as to take your shoes when you arrive and make them appear when you about to go out.

We decided on Montonago after browsing TripAdvisor and other travel sites very thoroughly. We arrived a few hours before check in, but the kind host welcomed us with a nice iced hand towel, and was ready to take our bags as well as guide us to a great lunch spot nearby. Their English is limited, but we were able to communicate very easily. When we returned after check in time, we were greeted by multiple staff, who led us to our room, gave us hot tea, sweets, and immediately scheduled the baths for the evening and the next morning. We chose the Aoba room as our accommodation, which had its own toilet and bath, as well as a spacious and warm traditional Japanese styled room. It was slightly pricey, but 100% worth it as we had a view of the garden, and lots of space and a private toilet. We also opted for the traditional Japanese breakfast every morning of our trip which is definitely the way to go, as we had no other Japanese breakfast options during the rest of our 16 days in Japan. The breakfast was great, I recommend it to anyone who wants a full immersion of Japanese culture. The hotel’s location was also in an amazing spot as well, we were able to walk everywhere and only needed a taxi once! We also chose the traditional Kassegi dinner which was prepared by the hotel, we had a beautiful dinner room with amazing food! If you have picky eaters in the family, that may be a little difficult, but we felt it was worth it and delicious. We slept on the traditional Japanese beds as well, which was the best nights of sleep we had the whole trip! Don’t be scared of trying something new, it was always worth it. We left the ryokan longing to go back. Staff was amazing, helped us the whole way. We couldn’t recommend this place more. Go to Montonago!!!

Absolutely lovely! Staying at the Ryokan Motonago was one of the highlights for my family and myself during our trip to Japan. It is located right in Gion and the neighborhood around the ryokan was beautiful. The streets still maintain much of a historical and traditional feel that seem to sweep you to another era in history as you’re walking through it. The ryokan itself was just as wonderful! The staff was very courteous and welcoming. Even though our Japanese was very limited, they were able to speak some English and in the end, we did not have any major issues with language. They introduced us to our room, which was spacious and had a view into a small garden area outside. Then, they also provided a simple tea service with mochi. The room comes with internet as well, albeit somewhat slow at times. We did not opt for kaiseki dinner, so we went out to explore the street and sightsee at night. When we returned, our futons were set up and we were treated to more tea. Then, when our reserved times for the baths came, everything was already set up for us - the bath was overflowing with hot water and they even had a small clock in the corner to help us keep time lol. It was perfect! The next morning, we had a Japanese breakfast, which was delicious and beautifully prepared. Then when we returned back to our room, our futons were already put away for us! If you’re looking for an experience in the ryokan, I very much recommend coming here. The staff is wonderful and staying here will make for a memorable night in Kyoto!

Amazing Ryokan experience for first timers in Kyoto. Having read many reviews and how this place maybe expensive, we felt it loved upto the costs based on the location, hospitality and how well maintained the property was. Staff were incredibly helpful and even accommodated a late vegetation request for our breakfast meal. We stayed in two different rooms over our stay and got to experience the communal bathroom which was special too.