Pros

  • Excellent location in heart of the city across from Kyoto Station
  • Shares building with tourist information center
  • Sharp, contemporary rooms with flat-screen TVs
  • Japanese Western Rooms available with tatami mats and floor cushions
  • Stylishly decorated restaurant serving buffet meals
  • Sky lounge with panoramic views
  • Free Wi-Fi throughout
  • Discounts to the public bath and observation deck that share the building
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Cons

  • Most rooms are tiny
  • Fee for breakfast
  • Some rooms retain the smell of cigarette smoke
  • No pool or fitness center
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Bottom Line

It’s all about location at the Kyoto Tower Hotel, an upper-middle-range property located in the heart of the city across from Kyoto Station. The hotel shares a building with a tourist information center, a public bath, and a soaring tower with an observation deck offering panoramic views. There’s no fitness center or pool, but the hotel has a restaurant as well as a bar with impressive views. The property’s 162 rooms are contemporary, but tiny, with little room for anything beyond sleeping. Guests willing to trek a bit farther from Kyoto Station might want to compare rates with Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto-Hachijoguchi, a mid-range property with modern rooms and a tasty breakfast buffet.

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Amenities

  • Cribs
  • Internet

Oyster Hotel Review

Kyoto Tower Hotel

Scene

Upper-middle-range hotel in tourist-friendly building with observation deck

Located on a bustling street across from the main railway station, Kyoto Tower Hotel is housed in a nine-story building with three sub-floors and a tower more than 300 feet tall. The lighthouse-inspired structure was built in 1964. The lobby, renovated after our visit, is located on the 8th floor and has a contemporary look. Inside the Tower Terrace Restaurant, charming chairs in shades of green and a mix of floral and plaid patterns create a cute, trendy vibe. At the Sky Lounge, tables wrap around the room in front of panoramic windows, where guests can relax and take in views of Kyoto -- and even Osaka on a clear day. The hotel's prime location means it attracts guests from all categories, from families and couples to business travelers and those traveling on their own.

See More Scene

Location

In the middle of the action, next to Kyoto Station

In terms of location, Kyoto Tower Hotel's central Kyoto address can't be beat for tourists or those in town on business. It's across from Kyoto Station, which houses a railway station, a shopping mall, a hotel, and a movie theater. The area bustles with plenty of restaurants and shops on neighboring blocks, and the Higashi Honganji temple is 10 minutes away on foot. It’s less than a 20-minute bus ride to Gion Geisha District and Pontocho, a vibrant alley that's full of restaurants and authentic tea shops. Several temples can be reached in less than 45 minutes on public transportation, including the stunning Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine, which takes 25 minutes to reach via train. Osaka International Airport is a 45-minute drive or an 85-minute ride on public transportation.

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Rooms

Small, contemporary rooms with cramped bathrooms

Almost across the board, rooms here are small, and in some there isn't any room on either side of the bed to maneuver, almost like sleeping cubbies on small boats. Decor is spartan, but sharp and contemporary, with dark brown carpets, white walls, dark wood veneer furniture, and charcoal gray accents. All rooms have flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, mini-fridges, and electric kettles with green tea. Standard bathrooms are tight on space with small shower/tub combos. Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are available in dispensers, and slippers are provided. Larger Japanese Western rooms are available with decorative zabutons (floor cushions) on tatami mats in addition to beds. These rooms have additional seating areas with sofas, coffeemakers, and attractive accents like wood-slat room dividers. Bathrooms in these rooms are more up to date, with basin sinks and full-size shower/tub combos. Guests have reported that the smell of smoke lingers in some guest rooms, even when non-smoking rooms are booked. 

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Features

Buffet restaurant and sky-lounge bar

Kyoto Tower Hotel has a restaurant offering a buffet of fresh foods with Japanese and Western options. The buffet features a variety of fresh foods, including a vegetable bar and juices. Breakfast is not included in room rates. There’s also a bar with panoramic views plus cocktails and beer. The hotel offers discounts to the public bath in the building and the observation deck at the top of the tower. A travel desk that's housed in the same building offers travel services like money exchange as well as SIM cards, tour tickets, and transportation passes for purchase. Wi-Fi is free throughout.

See More Features

Oyster Hotel Review

Kyoto Tower Hotel

Scene

Upper-middle-range hotel in tourist-friendly building with observation deck

Located on a bustling street across from the main railway station, Kyoto Tower Hotel is housed in a nine-story building with three sub-floors and a tower more than 300 feet tall. The lighthouse-inspired structure was built in 1964. The lobby, renovated after our visit, is located on the 8th floor and has a contemporary look. Inside the Tower Terrace Restaurant, charming chairs in shades of green and a mix of floral and plaid patterns create a cute, trendy vibe. At the Sky Lounge, tables wrap around the room in front of panoramic windows, where guests can relax and take in views of Kyoto -- and even Osaka on a clear day. The hotel's prime location means it attracts guests from all categories, from families and couples to business travelers and those traveling on their own.

See More Scene

Location

In the middle of the action, next to Kyoto Station

In terms of location, Kyoto Tower Hotel's central Kyoto address can't be beat for tourists or those in town on business. It's across from Kyoto Station, which houses a railway station, a shopping mall, a hotel, and a movie theater. The area bustles with plenty of restaurants and shops on neighboring blocks, and the Higashi Honganji temple is 10 minutes away on foot. It’s less than a 20-minute bus ride to Gion Geisha District and Pontocho, a vibrant alley that's full of restaurants and authentic tea shops. Several temples can be reached in less than 45 minutes on public transportation, including the stunning Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine, which takes 25 minutes to reach via train. Osaka International Airport is a 45-minute drive or an 85-minute ride on public transportation.

See More Location

Rooms

Small, contemporary rooms with cramped bathrooms

Almost across the board, rooms here are small, and in some there isn't any room on either side of the bed to maneuver, almost like sleeping cubbies on small boats. Decor is spartan, but sharp and contemporary, with dark brown carpets, white walls, dark wood veneer furniture, and charcoal gray accents. All rooms have flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, mini-fridges, and electric kettles with green tea. Standard bathrooms are tight on space with small shower/tub combos. Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash are available in dispensers, and slippers are provided. Larger Japanese Western rooms are available with decorative zabutons (floor cushions) on tatami mats in addition to beds. These rooms have additional seating areas with sofas, coffeemakers, and attractive accents like wood-slat room dividers. Bathrooms in these rooms are more up to date, with basin sinks and full-size shower/tub combos. Guests have reported that the smell of smoke lingers in some guest rooms, even when non-smoking rooms are booked. 

See More Rooms

Features

Buffet restaurant and sky-lounge bar

Kyoto Tower Hotel has a restaurant offering a buffet of fresh foods with Japanese and Western options. The buffet features a variety of fresh foods, including a vegetable bar and juices. Breakfast is not included in room rates. There’s also a bar with panoramic views plus cocktails and beer. The hotel offers discounts to the public bath in the building and the observation deck at the top of the tower. A travel desk that's housed in the same building offers travel services like money exchange as well as SIM cards, tour tickets, and transportation passes for purchase. Wi-Fi is free throughout.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Air Conditioner

  • Cabanas

  • Cable

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Dry Cleaning

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

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.