FUFU KYOTO

Having had an incredible stay at Fufu Nikko previously, I was excited to experience another property in the Fufu collection. Unfortunately, Fufu Kyoto didn't quite live up to the same standards.||Pros:|- Nice property and room: hotel itself is lovely with well-designed spaces|- Good breakfast: much better than dinner|- Onsen in room is always nice||Cons:|- Service quality: staff appeared young and inexperienced. We checked in late so there were no other guests, but at checkout time there was a long wait for them to get to us. When we were leaving, staff/bellman stood around and was not helpful with luggages when leaving. My husband pulled out our largest luggages himself and helped taxi driver load while a staff/young bellman stood and watched and just followed my husband out the door. This same staff asked us where we were going but clearly did not inform taxi driver (as bellman usually do in the local language) and we had to communicate with driver again. |- Bed configuration: bed setup was unusual (it was just me and my husband, no kids) - appeared to be two beds pushed together with two separate blankets, one covering only 2/3 of the sleeping area. We ended up using just one side of the "bed."|- Mediocre dinner: fell short compared to the Nikko property. For example, the sashimi, while the same quantity, was served in thick, bulky chunks with tendon rather than the refined, thinly sliced presentation usually experienced at nice restaurants. The overall attention to detail in food preparation wasn't at the same level.||tldr: hotel itself was consistent with design and branding of Fufu properties, but service and food were meh. Many other choices in Kyoto at the same price point.

The best hotel experience I’ve ever had. From the moment we stepped in it was a calm atmosphere and a nice fragrance in the rooms. Very luxurious. The staff were very accomodating, though not very strong english speakers. The breakfast was composed by many delicious traditional dishes, and the private onsen/bath was kept at 40° throughout the day and night. Spent 24 hours here with my fiancé, and we already want to go back.

Kai chat||FUFU Kyoto is, without question, a beautiful property. Set amid modernized traditional Japanese architecture and lush gardens, it offers the promise of a serene and refined escape. The brand prides itself on personalized hospitality and cultural immersion, but our experience unfortunately fell short, leaving us consistently disappointed, especially given the resort’s prestige and price point, as well as our experience with other Fufu properties which have all been beyond-excellent.||Criticisms|The most persistent issue was the quality of service, which lacked the professionalism and attentiveness expected at a luxury ryokan. More to the point, we have visited several Fufu properties and the standard has been set by those and failed at Fufu Kyoto. While staff were polite and well-meaning, they seemed poorly trained and unprepared. We often felt sorry for them; their lack of confidence and frequent confusion made interactions feel awkward. This went beyond language barriers—it reflected deeper issues with internal communication and staff training.||Although the hotel conducted a pre-arrival interview to understand our preferences, nearly all of those requests were lost in execution. Service errors were frequent: long delays for simple drink orders, forgotten courses, and basic questions about food and beverages often went unanswered. Espresso and cappuccino were unavailable at breakfast, and bafflingly, there was no matcha—an especially glaring omission for a Kyoto property.||Some policies felt unnecessarily rigid. We opted out of housekeeping in exchange for drink credits, but were told that bottled water would still incur extra charges. This made us feel poorly. Even more frustrating, the credits weren’t applied to our final bill and had to be corrected manually. At this level, such oversights reflect poorly on the brand.||Disappointments|Our visit began with an unexpectedly impersonal welcome. We arrived as a group of four with luggage in hand, but there was no greeting at the door. Despite having stayed at another FUFU property just before, there was no acknowledgment of our previous visit, and staff took time to locate our reservation. Check-in was courteous but lacked the warm, anticipatory service we had come to associate with the brand.||Dinner that evening continued the letdown. We were led past the beautiful garden and into a small, windowless private room for our first kaiseki meal—a decision that felt tone-deaf given the setting. After voicing our disappointment, we were given garden-view rooms for subsequent meals, which we appreciated, though this level of consideration shouldn’t require special requests.||Suggestions|FUFU Kyoto needs stronger internal coordination and more confident, better-trained staff to truly deliver on its promise of personalized hospitality. Following through on pre-arrival preferences and improving basic communication would make a meaningful difference.||The absence of matcha and the staff’s confusion over something as basic as green tea felt especially out of place in Kyoto. Culturally rooted hospitality should be a highlight, not an afterthought. Similarly, charging for bottled water (a mere 200 yen) was just absurd to us.||From a design standpoint, the use of transparent doors between bedroom and living areas was also a misstep—it looks elegant but compromises both privacy and blackout conditions, as any morning light spills through the entire suite when a partner wakes up and the other sleeps.||After Feedback|To their credit, after we raised our concerns, the staff made a visible effort to improve. Our final dinner was thoughtfully prepared with a customized menu and felt much more in line with the FUFU standard. We appreciated this gesture and the care shown in that experience. However, our final breakfast the following morning and day of departure, was a significant letdown with embarrassing missteps and omissions and junior-staff-like service.||Conclusion|We’ve had wonderful experiences at other FUFU properties—especially FUFU Nikko, where the service was heartfelt and seamless and impeccable. By comparison, FUFU Kyoto felt unpolished and undertrained, and at times we felt offended. While we remain fans of the brand, we would not return to this location and encourage others to explore different options for a truly memorable Kyoto stay.

We just stayed for 4 nights at Fufu Kyoto and absolutely loved it! This was our first Rayoken experience and some little things took getting used to but that was just culture (Rayoken vs big US chain hotels). We left the hotel feeling so relaxed and cared for and this hotel definitely exceeded the experiences of other hotels (5 stars)during our stay in Japan even though it's a 4 star. Loved the staff who were so helpful and attentive and left feeling connected to them! The grounds are beautiful and the room was so spacious and comfortable. Their amenities were so great even the rental programs in the room ex: rented an LED face mask! We definitely recommend staying here.

Overall, our stay was disappointing. I ignored the negative reviews, but I wish I hadn’t. Our room was on the first floor, but it was actually below ground level, so really it was in the basement. While the room itself was clean and spacious, it didn’t feel worth the price compared to other options. The hotel was crowded and lacked a sense of exclusivity. The strangest part was checkout—right on the dot at the checkout time, staff entered our room to start clearing it, even though we were still packing up some last-minute things. It felt rushed and intrusive. After that, we had to join a large group of guests in the lobby, all waiting to make for payment. Overall, the experience felt more like a busy, mid-tier traveler’s hotel rather than a luxury stay—yet it was priced as if it were. They seemed in a hurry to have guests leave the hotel. One of our most anticipated yet highly disappointing stays in Japan.

Staying at Fufu Kyoto was an unforgettable experience that perfectly blends traditional Kyoto charm with modern luxury. Tucked away in a quiet, peaceful part of the city near Nanzen-ji Temple, the atmosphere is serene and deeply calming. The rooms are designed with a refined mix of Japanese aesthetics—wooden details, tatami touches, and private open-air baths that feel like your own little hot spring retreat. The service is thoughtful and personal, making you feel truly welcomed. Every meal, especially the kaiseki dinner, was a culinary journey, beautifully presented and deeply satisfying. If you’re looking for a quiet, luxurious stay that still feels authentically Japanese, Fufu Kyoto is an absolute gem.

This hotel is incredibly idiotic. First of all, there are several issues. The breakfast time is extremely inflexible. You have to set a specific time in advance, either for in - room delivery or dining in the restaurant. It's not a buffet; instead, it offers a fixed - menu meal. The inflexibility of this time is truly unacceptable. Moreover, the rooms are minuscule. The only amenity for bathing is a bathtub. The room facilities and equipment are extremely outdated and lack an international standard. The service throughout the hotel is abysmal. Many services are non - negotiable, rigid, and inflexible, which makes guests extremely uncomfortable. I stayed for two consecutive days. When I went out for a sightseeing tour on the second day and returned to my room in the evening, I was shocked to find that the room hadn't been cleaned. This is simply ridiculous. How could such a blunder occur in a hotel?

Fufu Kyoto was great at the beginning. The service was adequate. The room was spacious and the bath was heavily. Minibar was well stocked and the dinner/breakfast are all amazing! However, there’s some unknown allergen in/on the bed and sofa. Idk if it’s the bedding (the beddings are bit itchy) or if they remodeled recently? The three of us (two on separate bed and one on the sofa bed) all experienced terrible allergies throughout the night and the next day. Our eyes itched like crazy and teared nonstop through the night. My dad coughed and sneezed all night where my mom and I had a hard time breathing through our nose… we could not get out of our room fast enough the next morning. The food and restaurant servers are all amazing, some of the best food we’ve ever had. Would highly recommend the restaurant. However, if you have allergy tendencies, I would be wary of the hotel rooms.