We have very much appreciated our stay there (5 nights in room 708, from November 1 to 6, 2008):

- good smell, non-smoking room and floor (7th)
- clean and large twin room with free LAN Internet
- good breakfast buffet, choice of American and Japanese food
- very friendly and helpful at front desk, English is usually good
- not in central location but close to many major bus lines: 205 for Kinkaku-ji and Kyoto station, 202 for Nijo, 203 for Gion, 28 for Arashiyama, etc. (anyway the main temples are pretty scattered in the city)
- we liked the Italian family restaurant on the 5th floor of the Afure building (1 block from the hotel), it is much better than the McDonald’s!

Was very happy with Rhino Kyoto. Good location (near nishioji shijo station - a major bus station) and also well located near a subway (though subway in kyoto is nowhere near as good as the bus network - in my opinion). There are some good eateries around the hotel though its about a 5-10 minute bus ride to downtown Kyoto.

The accommodation was average size, bed was good, front desk were friendly and helpful and breakfast was also good. Overall very good - can't find many wrongs.

Pro:
- clean
- next to bus stop for all the tourist destinations (you can buy the pass at the reception)

Contra:
- not in a intresting or central place
- the train stop close by is not covered by the underground pass, so do not bother. From the station it is quicker and easier to get there by bus as by subway+train
- rooms are old and used and would need a refurbishment
- room smelled of smoke, although we asked non-smoking

I booked 3 nights through HotelTravel.com at $108 CAD/night (just a bit more expensive than the $97 CAD/night advertised on Rhino's website) after contacting the hotel directly and being told it was booked. I was a bit nervous at first, but after booking I confirmed with the front desk and they assured me they in fact had my reservation. I guess HotelTravel has a block of rooms reserved.

The hotel occupies floor 2 - 9, so the front desk is on the 2nd floor. I stayed on the 9th (executive) floor. I wasn't able to find this floor on their english site, but it was available on their japanese site (http://www.rhino.co.jp/campaign/executive1.html). My room was bigger than I expected with a desk that spanned the width of the room. It looked very new. The washroom was the usual Japanese washlet, though for one person I really can't complain. The bed was comfy, but the rice hull pillows were not for me. Internet was free which I appreciated greatly after staying at a 5 star hotel in Osaka where internet was an additional cost. Room amenities were good with all the standard stuff, including cotton swabs, hairdryer, razor...but no iron, except on loan.

I did not have any meals at the hotel though they have restaurants on site. I had a great breakfast every morning at Bread's Court located on the northwest side of the major intersection just north of the hotel. There are convenience stores and plenty of little restaurants in the area. The front desk provided me with an area map upon check-in, which was helpful.

You can also purchase a daily bus pass at the front desk for 500 yen (same price as everywhere else), which is great for tourists zipping from temple to temple. The hotel is about a 20 minute bus ride from Kyoto Station but with plenty of routes just a 2 minute walk away, I was able to get to all the sights I wanted to visit without going through Kyoto Station. With the bus pass, which is worth it for anyone doing more than 2 trips in one day, and timely and efficient service, the bus system was the perfect way to get around for me.

The hotel staff was very courteous and helpful. They ask you to leave your key at the front every time you go out. Though I found this a bit odd, I believe it's because it's a key and not a card and they require it for housekeeping. No biggie.

I'd definitely return to this hotel. It was great value for the money.