Genji Kyoto, a Member of Design Hotels

Nice, Staff very helpful, environment so beautiful, Can ride their bicycle to look around city!

New and clean. Great river view and nice detailed design. Excellent service by the hotel staff.

The Genji Kyoto (a member of Design Hotels and the Marriot Bonvoy chain) is a beautiful boutique hotel, situated in the lovely and quiet neighborhood of Gojo-Kawaramachi. I took a taxi from Kyoto Station to the hotel (~10-minute drive). I showed the taxi driver the directions map that the hotel has on its website. The taxi dropped me off at the ‘Rokken Bridge’, about a 2-minute walk to the interior street the hotel entrance is on. I guess that it’s difficult to access the small street by taxi since I booked a taxi when leaving the hotel and the pickup point was at the same spot as where I was dropped off on arrival. A staff member helped me with my luggage when I checked out and took my bags to the taxi. The closest bus stop (Kawaramachi Shomen) is a 5-minute walk from the hotel which is useful to get to central Kyoto. Kiyomizu-Gojo train station (Keihan Main Line) is a 6-minute walk from the hotel which conveniently gets you to the Fushimi-Inari shrine and the Gion district. A 20-minute walk from the hotel shall put you in the center of Gion. The hotel is quite new (~3 years old) and has been beautifully designed and decorated, combining modern and traditional Japanese elements. The hotel staff throughout my stay were superb. All the staff I encountered were friendly and professional and spoke very good English. Other than the room itself, I did not use the other hotel amenities, nor did I have breakfast/lunch/dinner at the hotel. I was escorted to my room (River Balcony Deluxe) and was given an introductory tour/explanation of it. A welcome drink of my choice awaited me. The studio-type room design and decor, like the hotel in general, was great. Everything in the room is high quality and gives you a sense of luxury and comfort. The scenic view from my room was fantastic as the hotel is right on the banks of the Kamo River. The room’s balcony was the perfect place to watch the world go by below. The heated bathroom floor and the huge rain showerhead made for a splendid showering experience. The queen-sized bed was very comfortable and made the perfect place to fall asleep after a day of exploring. Complimentary bottled water was provided daily. The room’s safe was large enough to accommodate my 15” laptop. The Wi-fi signal was strong and stable. The TV channel selection was good and had some international channel selections as well. Initially, it was a bit confusing trying to channel surf and it was easier to pick a channel from the main TV menu screen that is shown on the TV when you turn it on. The hotel's top floor has a lovely open balcony. Breakfast and dinner are served there, as well as a bar in the evening. The views from the balcony of the surrounding area are great. As you would expect for a small luxury boutique hotel, the price is not cheap (~600 USD per night). However, given the location, quality of the hotel, and service, I felt that the price was worth it. A comparatively similar hotel experience at one o

An amazing find! I spent three nights at the Genji and had a great time. Originally, I planned to stay at a chain hotel, but this was so much better. The hotel is a blend of Japanese and modern styles. My favorite parts were the rock garden off the lobby and rooftop. My room had a balcony overlooking the river, and tatami area with low seating. I preferred the couch and larger table as I could face outside. Of course, there was a fancy toilet with heated seat and bidet! By far, the best part of this hotel was the staff. Everyone was so friendly and provided flawless service. I loved that they would call your room 15 minutes before your assigned breakfast time. Definitely try the Japanese breakfast, but the western set was also excellent. Special thanks to the manager Ms. Mao, who suggested I visit the Golden Temple and Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. She also escorted me to the Taxi upon departure. I really liked the location, as it was a few blocks away from the bustle of Kyoto. The only downside is that the area felt deserted at night. Two train stations on the Keihan Railway (Shichijo and Kiyomizu-Gojo) are less than 10 minutes away on foot. The most unexpected feature was their laundry room with two free machines (detergent already loaded). However, a machine can take 5+ hours to wash and dry your clothes. Coming from the US, that was shockingly long. I highly recommend the Genji and would gladly return!

Fabulous hotel with tasteful, sleek, and well equipped rooms. Staff are brilliant and all bilingual (Japanese and English) and the food is delicious. The hotel also has high quality bikes you can rent for free to cycle around Kyoto (the best way to experience the city).

I highly recommend this gem of a hotel set by the Kamo river in an interesting and quaint neighbourhood. The hotel is beautifully designed, and we had the privilege of meeting the architect Geoffrey Moussas. There is a stunning rock garden in the reception depicting the famous Ukifune scene from the Tale of Genji. The rooms are a good size, especially the corner rooms. Our rooms were thoughtfully appointed and faced the river. It was a delight sitting on the balcony watching the birds and fish. We could even see Kiyomizu temple in the distance. Genji provided just about everything we could ask for: delicious meals, free laundry facility on L2, bicycles to ride around town, a lovely rooftop garden which was perfect for sundowners! What sets this hotel apart from others is the amazing service or omotenashi. I want to thank the general manager Mao san and her team (Koko san, Yuuka san, Ryo san) for going the extra mile to make our stay comfortable, and for making our restaurant bookings. We felt so pampered!