2-4 Higashi Sakaiyacho Oharano Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan | (618) 248-8274
Traditional hot spring spa with heated pools on-site
Full-sized on-site bowling alley
Conveniently located near bus station and shopping center
Traditional Japanese or Western-style rooms with mini-fridges
Kitchenettes in most Western accommodations
Situated a 15-minute drive from Katsura Imperial Villa
Restaurant and bar on-site
Large meeting and banquet facilities
Free Wi-Fi
Free parking
Room decor a little weathered
Bathrooms need updating
All rooms are smoking rooms (pro for some)
No gym
Conveniently located next to Kyoto's local bus station, the
31-room, upper-middle-range Hotel Kyoto Eminence has traditional Japanese furnishings and
two distinctive amenities: a hot spring spa and a bowling alley. The hotel’s
relaxing jetted tubs and polished lanes make the destination popular among Kyoto residents. The rooms are simple and could use a refresh, yet do come with
free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs. Guests seeking more contemporary design may want to consider the Royal Park Hotel The Kyoto, where rooms and common areas are up-to-date and modern.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
Unexpectedly elegant property with some rare, one-of-a-kind features
For a hotel with an exterior that looks like a blocky apartment building, the Hotel Kyoto Eminence offers impressively grand common areas. The entranceway is lined with bamboo trees that
complement the stained wood walls. A grand piano and numerous oversized mauve
couches transform the lobby into a listening salon. The on-site restaurant, Zen, has a simple style with light wood furniture, and walls with bamboo panels above rock gardens with leafy stalks; the private dining room has harsh overhead lighting and dark wood furniture in an otherwise very spare space. A lounge area with white leather furniture, and black and white patterned carpeting holds the buffet setup. Few hotels in the world
have both a hot spring spa as well as a bowling alley; that combination of
amenities makes the Eminence a popular destination for locals, as well as tourist couples.
Location
Situated in a shopping district, within a short drive to Kyoto's big attractions
The drive from Osaka International Airport to the Hotel
Kyoto Eminence will take about 45 minutes. Those who arrive to Kyoto by bus will
appreciate the destination’s proximity to the central station, a 26-minute drive away. It’s also about 10 minutes on foot to a
main shopping center, Rakusai Takashimaya Department Store. Much of the neighborhood around the hotel is urban and awash in gray cement, but about 15 minutes away by car is the Katsura Imperial Villa, which
features one of the great Japanese gardens. Kyoto’s Bamboo Street, a grove with
numerous trees and monkeys, is about six miles away or a 28-minute drive.
Rooms
Free Wi-Fi and mini-fridges in Japanese-style and Western rooms, but rooms have seen better days
While the 31 rooms at the Hotel Kyoto Eminence can be either
Japanese-style or Western, the decor is a few years past its prime. In both options,
the furnishings are serviceable and simple, but hardly plush: basic dark- or light-wood furniture, plain walls, patterned carpet or pale-green floor mats, and cushions with faded and/or dated patterns. Free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, safes, mini-fridges, sinks, and kettles (in Western rooms), or mini-fridges and traditional tea pots (in Japanese rooms) are all nice plusses. Some rooms also have kitchenettes. The bathrooms have also
seen better days with the finishes appearing to be a few years out of style; all have shower/tub combos and Japanese toilets with bidet functions.
While the toiletries are free, they come in family sizes so guests can take what they need.
Features
A rare collection of features: a hot spring spa, a bowling alley, and copious meeting space
Many of Kyoto’s locals come to the hotel to enjoy the hot spring spa, which has several heated pools and saunas and a lounging area to accommodate hundreds of people. The bowling alley also makes the space a fun choice for families or even an off-site business meeting. The on-site restaurant serves traditional Kyoto dishes, but guests shouldn't expect anything too distinctive. There's also a bar. For anyone organizing a business meeting, the Hotel Kyoto Eminence’s meeting space is large enough for theater-style presentations.
