Genji Kyoto 源氏京都

We recently spent five nights at Genji Kyoto. If you are looking for a blend of modern comfort and authentic hospitality, this is the place.||The Highlights:||The Rooftop Garden: Do not miss having breakfast here at least once! The atmosphere is serene and the views are beautiful. We braved winter weather for a 7:30am breakfast and we very comfortable with their portable heater and thick blankets they had already waiting for us at our table.||Bicycle Rentals: The hotel offers free bike rentals, which we used as much as possible. Kyoto is incredibly bike-friendly, and it was a fantastic way to see the city. Tip: There is public bike parking off of Teramachi-dori, just before Kyoto Kawaramachi that is free for 3 hours if you make a purchase at Takashimaya (which you can easily do in the basement at one of the food stalls). ||The Neighborhood: The hotel is located in a quiet, local area away from the crowds but still centrally located. They provide a "walkable map" at check-in that is full of hidden local gems—we found so many great spots thanks to it.||Above & Beyond Service: The staff truly makes this hotel special. A huge thank you to Eri and Koko for their help in securing a wonderful Kaiseki dinner reservation for us.||Most importantly, I want to give a special shout-out to Ryo and Saya. I realized I had left my AirPods behind after we departed, and they went above and beyond to locate them and overnight mail them to our next hotel in Tokyo. That level of care is rare and so appreciated!||Location & Accessibility:||Walking: Great for those who enjoy exploring on foot (~30 mins or less to most major tourist spots).||Transit: Very convenient—about a 10-minute walk to Shichijo Station (Keihan Line) and a 15–20 minute walk to Kyoto Station for the Shinkansen, JR lines, and the Subway.||We cannot recommend Genji Kyoto enough and would stay here again in a heartbeat!

I absolutely love this hotel. I stumbled upon Genji when I was searching for a hotel in Kyoto. The idea of having room decorated like a ryokan while facing the river was an ideal place for my honeymoon trip. Before I arrived, I emailed the hotel about my honeymoon trip and asked them for some help with reservations. The lady that greeted me when I first arrived was so warm I felt at home. She also congratulated me for my wedding. Not only that, she even helped with the reservation in one of the most sought after restaurants in Kyoto! For this, my wife and I were extremely grateful.

Genji is probably the best hotel I’ve stayed at. The gardens, the decor, and the furniture are cohesive and contribute to a very calming and warm atmosphere. The staff are also the best. My friend joined us for one night at the last minute. Our booked room didn’t have enough room for an additional futon, but Eri was able to accommodate us with a room change, which is greatly appreciated. I hope to be able to stay here again in the future.

If we could give Genji Kyoto 6 stars, we would---it is outstanding! From the moment you make your reservation, the team reaches out and keeps the communication lines open for special requests, queries, etc. I have a feather allergy and require a feather-free room with hypoallergenic bedding; the hotel staff went out of their way to confirm this request and to assure me it would be taken care of, which they did. The place is a gem. You'll have to search for it, as it is located in a small, quiet street near the riverbank. Once you reach it, the entry walkway draws you in, and the staff are ready to open the door and welcome you inside. The staff is truly superb---efficient, welcoming, friendly and always ready to respond to questions and offer suggestions for dining, sightseeing and transport. It is a jewel box of a hotel, thoughtfully designed using the Tale of Genji as inspiration. Modernity and tradition meet in a harmonious blend in the unique rooms (ours had a view of the Kyoto Tower), and the rooftop garden is magical at night. The breakfast was really good; my husband loved his daily Japanese breakfast set. We also had a chance to sample the sake flight, and yuzu gin and tonic---delightful! Many of the Kyoto attractions were within walking distance, and taxis were easy to get with the help of the hotel staff . Altogether, this was an exceptional place to stay in Kyoto, and we definitely plan to return in the future.

Love, love, love this place. We stayed for three nights, and everything was absolutely perfect. From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel completely at home — everyone was incredibly friendly, attentive, and thoughtful. Two of the girls, in particular, went above and beyond to make our stay unforgettable. The rooms were beautifully designed with a serene aesthetic, the surroundings were stunning, and every meal we had was both delicious and artfully presented. Genji Kyoto truly captures the essence of Japanese hospitality and design. We’ll definitely be back! Joel~San

The next time I visit Kyoto, this will be the first hotel I try to book. I feel like any description I try to write won't do the hotel justice, so here are some adjectives that come to mind: comfortable, cozy, quiet, warm, personal, lived-in unlike some 5 star hotels I've stayed at. Almost all the staff knew my name, and were exceptionally accommodating. It was an awesome place to sleep, with a comfy mattress and both soft and hard pillows. View of the sunrise over the river. Blackout shades. Quiet. Heated floors in the bathroom / shower. Good in-room tea from a local Kyoto tea shop. Bikes available. I would have been happy to stay another week.

My sister booked last minute to come along on our trip. But as she is unfamiliar with the city and arriving a day early, we got her a hotel along Kawaramachi street. So i thought long and hard whether to switch our hotel.|In the end, we decided to keep Genji Kyoto as we really feel at home here. Not our first stay.||We like the peacefulness of this area, the view of the river, the beds and especially the bathroom. |The one thing i love and always look forward to: the western breakfast. So delicious and filling. I like that a mini cream soup (pumpkin) is served to warm me up in the mornings. The bread is nice and warm and the comfort of dining in our own room.||Eri (i hope i got her name right) was EVERYWHERE. I even dreamt of her the 1st night we stayed 😂. She has been so helpful and accommodating. From assisting with self-service laundry (mine took 5 hours from wash to dry) so they cleared it and placed them in a basket when done, to popping out to see if we needed help when we were standing outside browsing their map. ||And all the team were so efficient in our requests for extra towels etc. It takes them less than 5 minutes for anything!||Hotel is just a quick taxi ride away from Kyoto main Station and also from Kawaramachi. ||I only wished their room service menu was more mainstream. The caesar salad didn't taste like what I'm used to and the burger was spicy so i ended up not being able to share it with my husband. The salad was good but just different. ||Otherwise, everything else was great!!

We had a wonderful time staying at the Genji Kyoto hotel located along the river front. The view was perfect with the tops of the bamboo trees at the base of the large window looking over the river that was full of birds and other wildlife. We even saw two large fishes swimming next to several turtles. The staff were super helpful and attentive to every detail. While it is a small detail my wife enjoyed the Dyson hairdryer compared to the hair dryers in all the other hotels we have stayed at in the past. We will definitely stay at Genji Kyoto again and plan to tell our family and friends that travel to Kyoto!