Here is a hotel review from a 3-star hotel in Kyoto, the APA Hotel Kyoto-Ekimae, located right next to Kyoto Station. This is a nice, business hotel, but has some things about it you should know about before you book it.
The APA hotels are Japan’s budget/business hotels and can be found throughout the country. They are known for being no thrills, very simple, and budget friendly and that is exactly what the Kyoto-Ekimae hotel is.
When I stayed at this hotel in 2019, it was simple, just two beds (the room we had was for two people, the image is from my friend who stayed in his own room so using his image and video below with his permission of course), a shower, a small desk, and the most uncomfortable pillows I have ever seen at a hotel. Usually you wouldn’t hear me get upset over pillows, but these things were just awful (you would be better off with a rock or your luggage).
To get into it more, let’s start with the hotel itself. Location wise, it is great being located just a short walk from Kyoto Station, which is good if you are lugging a lot of luggage (also near a lot of restaurants within a short walking distance). However, being that close to the train station means you hear the constant sound of trains running at all hours. To be honest, it wasn’t that bad but there was a constant sound outside that was noticeable. The hotel grounds were very clean and well kept. The staff was friendly and made the check-in very easy. It’s what one should expect from any Japanese hotel and especially with the APA brand.
The room itself is small and the bathroom, even smaller. However, this is typical of most Japanese hotels so always keep that in mind when you are preparing for a trip. These kinds of hotels are meant to be a place to sleep and move on with your day, not a place to live and relax for an afternoon. You won’t find a big couch to recline on at the end of the day (not that kind of hotel).
The biggest issue with these hotels is just the lack of space overall. With grown adults and luggage, space goes quickly, so be prepared to make adjustments to where you sit and set up shop when you stay at these hotels. Overall the rooms were very clean and grounds were well kept. We never had any issues with noisy people in the halls and the area was nice. It was not thrilling hotel but for a budget hotel near the station, you get what you pay for.
Overall this APA hotel near the train station is a solid place to make home on your trip to Kyoto. Was it the best? Not, there are better options out there but they will cost you. Was it my favorite? Far from it. But did it do the job? Yes and that’s all you can ask for with a budget hotel.
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