Most fabulous stay

Anything from the superb service to the quality of the rooms to the food at the restaurant was top notch. Couldn't recommend this hotel more. Beds are slightly on the firm side but that's literally the only "negative" thing I have to say.

Beautiful new hotel. Modern with traditional touches. Loved the private garden directly in front of the bed. A traditional wooden tub in the room was a great touch. The service was the best!

Amazing property!

Best Breakfast & Great Location.

This is a slice of heaven, a tradtional Kyoto experience in a lovely old refurbished building in a quiet street very near a major shrine. But it is also wonderfully modern with more complimentary comforts and perks than I have ever come across in any hotel in the world. You are also within easy walking distance of many sights and museums, shops, bars and restaurants. And the staff are wonderful...pleasant, friendly, knowledgeable, professional, incredibly efficient. I could not praise them or the accommodations too highly.

Beautiful Roykan and excellent location! Excellent service. The restaurant was amazing. Definitely recommend!

It was a truly wonderful stay with a very welcoming and warm team. My room was a real delight, and the kaiseki dinner was simply exquisite. I thoroughly enjoyed my two nights at Sowaka and only wished I could have extended my stay.

One of the best hotel stays I’ve ever had! This was truly a luxury experience. The staff and house keeping were so thoughtful and attentive to our every need. The property was super clean and had a beautiful lobby, bar and restaurant. I would love to stay here again one day.

The hotel, the staff, the service, the location and the food options within the hotel are all excellent. Wendy and the team went over and above to make us feel welcome. All the team have excellent knowledge of Kyoto and the local area. All their recommendations were excellent! Highly recommend Sowaka if you want the perfect stay in Kyoto with a personalised service from a top class boutique hotel.

Everything was amazing. The staff, the service, the smell of the old cedar wood, the room! It is the perfect balance of old Japanese ryokan but with modern comforts. Every evening, they left a little gift during turn down, a Japanese sweet, a little local craft, such a nice touch. The location could not be better. Loved it!

The best hotel and the best service I have ever been experienced! The breakfast’s taste surprised me with a very friendly price. Every staff there are very thoughtful!

This stay is so much more than I expected. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. Hotel itself is quiet, zen and beautiful. Room is extremely clean and full of small surprises. I can’t recommend this hotel enough! Will definitely come back if I have the chance!

Best staff and service Food was wonderful Anything I needed, they did and were so happy to please I would recommend this to anyone who wants a smaller inn right in the heart of Gion My room was spacious and had a beautiful garden Big yes on Sowaza!!!

The staff and management did everything to make my stay comfortable, enjoyable and memorable! I have been to many hotels in kyoto. This one definitely stands out.

A unique, tranquil small hotel, that offers total commitment to anyone staying here. Food is exceptional and lots of it. Set within walking distance of several major temples and sites, and easy walking distance to several popular shopping areas, It is even very easy to visit the popular Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) no 12 bus takes you directly there.Not the cheapest, but in my opinion worth every penny. I for one have never been looked after so well and quite emotional about leaving such a friendly enviroment.I would happily recommend Luxury hotel SOWAKA to anyone. All I can say is thankyou to all at Luxury hotel SOWAKA for such a wonderful stay while in Japan.

We stayed in a beautiful suite in the old part of this lovely hotel, which was a restaurant long ago. Our rooms looked out on an internal garden. We enjoyed two breakfasts and a wonderful dinner in the restaurant. One highlight was the traditional Japanese wooden tub in the bath--and of course, a lovely Toto toilet with heated seat, as are present throughout Japan.

A perfect experience in Kyoto

One of the most magical experiences of all our trips we've ever taken! A gem of a hotel. One of a kind experience. And incredibly helpful staff.

Unique property with excellent staff.

Come Stay

Wonderful traditional hotel with excellent service. Rooms are large and comfortable.

This hotel was just amazing. The location, design, uniqueness, rooms and especially the staff were top notch. We couldn’t recommend it enough. They went out of their way to make sure we had an enjoyable stay. We can’t recommend this hotel enough.

Amazing Experience!

My husband and I stayed here on our honeymoon and it was amazing! The hospitality and attention to detail in service will not be beat. And the hotel grounds itself are beautifully traditional. If we return to Kyoto, we will absolutely stay here again

Pros: Beautiful hotel and room in an amazing neighborhood in Kyoto. Close to great restaurants, shopping and activities. Cons: Bed was extremely uncomfortable and hard. Hotel has no food except the michelin star restaurant below, so no other dining options if you want to stay and enjoy your room. Bar and common areas have no ambience. The rooftop that is promoted on their website is not as advertised. Overall, the hotel is not worth the price. Communication is impossible as they do not answer emails- I have been requesting an invoice for weeks now and have had no response from them.

I love everything about this place - I hope to come again with my parents. The amenities were great and the dinning experience was beautiful. I really enjoyed my stay here from the moment we entered the door.

Five Stars

The Sowaka team and their hospitality was the best we experienced in our two week, four city, trip to Japan. Everyone was extremely nice, accommodating and helpful. The hotel was very clean and the rooms were unique and comfortable. The location is perfect and the front desk is very helpful in calling taxis if you need them. Breakfast is served at the restaurant and a great way to start the day. Would absolutely recommend staying here.

Amazing stay.

Staff was amazing. One of the best places to stay if you want to witness the heart of Gion. Close to everything while being in a quiet and beautiful location.

This was the 3rd time I stayed at Sowaka. Very convenient location and a beautiful old town part of Kyoto. Yet, you can walk to major shopping areas in a few minutes. All the rooms are different and unique.

Very enjoyable stay

Very enjoyable stay. The staff were all very welcoming and helpful. Lovely room and great food. Good area to walk around, visit the temples and shrines, and get a real sense of old Japan.

The staff was incredible. The service was amazing, the property was beautiful and serene, and the location was great.

The property itself is no doubt beautiful, but that is all i can say. The check in experience was not pleasant. We were informed during check in that they cannot serve us the Japanese style breakfast because they didnt prepare enough orders, and can only serve us the Western style breakfast without prior notice. After we explained to them that we came all the way here to enjoy Japanese instead of western cuisine, they spoke to the manager and changed their mind and gave us the Japanese breakfast. Its a small detail but it impacts the seemlessness of a hotel the price themselves so high. In the end, the breakfast was not even good, easily the worst meal we had during the entire trip.

Stayed here to enhance our cultural experience and it did not disappoint. The property is immaculate and the staff is fantastic. Love the room setup and peaceful stay. Great location within walking distance of many good sites. Thank you!

Honestly staying here has been the highlight of our trip to Japan. This hotel is amazing and the staff are wonderful. The proximity to Gion and temples is amazing. Love love love this hotel.

That was such an enjoyable stay at Sowaka. The only thing needs to be improved is the food. I started my breakfast with a cup of instant coffee. It’s a little below the standard of luxury.

The property is beautiful and well maintained. We felt at peace the moment we arrived. The staff are very helpful and accommodating.

Easily the best hotel we have ever stayed. Authentic Japanese in a great location and amazing food

The whole property is stunning in every detail. Theyve thoight of everything right down to the dyson hairdryer! The location is perfect in a lovely quiet road in Gion, walking distance to the sights and close to the geisha area

We are a couple traveling to Kyoto for a weekend, and we were very much impressed by the hotel. It is like a Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn, with wooden and sliding "paper" walls), but more luxurious. They offer Japanese breakfast, if you are so inclined. The hotel is very ideally located (very close to the Yasaka shrine, in between the east and west parts of Gion), and the staff is very courteous and helpful. Highly recommended.

完美的住宿

一間很細心的酒店，服務態度良好，餐廳食物亦都不錯，但又一樣嘢要改進就係房間裏便個風筒重得要命，如果唔係呢間係一間非常完美嘅酒店

Excellent service ! Staffs are exceedingly friendly and helpful. The room is nicely furnished with chill vibe. Really enjoyable.

Un endroit exceptionnel- personnel très attentionné et excellent service et repas! Une note parfaite! 10/10

静かで、ゆっくり過ごすことが出来る。祇園散策が楽しめる。 朝ごはんが洋食和食ともに楽しませてくれる演出で、素晴らしい。

Excellent location…great service

洗面台と椅子の高さが使いにくかった。

素晴らしい滞在になりました。

場所も便利ですが、ホテルのお部屋がとても落ちつく感じで、木の温もりも感じられるスタイルで素晴らしいです。 朝ごはんも私たちは和食をいただきましたが、炊き立ての土鍋ごはんとたくさんのおかず、とても美味しかったです。

特别值得体验的酒店

非常非常意外的惊喜！在hotel上找到这家有日式风格的西式酒店，简约时尚的设计，房内设施细节到位，前台可以说英语和中文。在京都的5天因为这么一个温馨舒适的酒店而更值得回味！

彼女と2人で宿泊しました。インテリアや内装が素敵ですねと話していると、よかったらと施設の中をご説明してくだりました。帰りの見送りも素敵な笑顔で、気持ちよく京都の旅行を楽しめました。また宿泊させていただきたいと強く思いました。お世話になりました。

ハードはほぼ満点。ソフトは向上を期待します。

歴史ある料亭をリノベーションしてホテルにされたとのこと。とても京都らしい雰囲気を味わえるホテルでした。館内は床暖房があり、温かく、乾燥もあまり感じることなく、快適でした。アメニティもとてもよかったです。 外出する際には、カイロを温めて準備していただき、感心致しました。 しかしながら、気になる点がいくつかありました。１つはお部屋でタブレットを使用してのテレビ視聴なのですが、充電するアダプターケーブルがなく、翌日朝には充電が切れてしまいました。 また、３名での宿泊でしたが、座椅子、座布団が２名分しか用意されておらず、追加を頼んだところ、予備がないと言われました。その後、空いている部屋から１つ持って来ていただいたのですが、１部屋追加人数もあるのですから、予備も必要なのではないでしょうか。 最後に、もう１点。宿泊ゲストは外国人が多く、スタッフの方はみなさん英語は必須とされているようですが、日本語（敬語）の使い方が気になりました。若い方が多く、丁寧な言葉を使おうと頑張っているのは感じましたが、これだけ素敵なホテルで、日本人宿泊者も多いのでしょうから、正しい敬語を使うことができたら、より素晴らしいおもてなしになると思います。

祇園の素敵なモダンホテル

彼氏と二人で１０５室のスプリットレベルのお部屋に泊まりました。 とても素敵なお部屋でチェックイン時のウェルカムシャンパンやチョコレートもとても美味しく、最初から最後まで素晴らしかったです。 次回は素泊まりでなくちゃんと食事も一緒にしたいなと思いました。

接客は丁寧。旅館も京都の雰囲気があり、また宿泊してみたい。

綺麗で洗練された雰囲気がとてもよかったです。