We liked the helpfulness, friendliness and location of this hotel and found many of the Tripadvisor reviews out of date and therefore unwarranted - the management has tried very hard to improve these points. Our room was clean, the bathroom well kept, but for a double room we did expect two bedside lamps (we did eventually have this after asking for an additional lamp). On our second visit, we got a much better double room with two lamps and a few square meters of extra space that made all the difference. This room was clearly meant for two people rather than a double to be used by singles. The housekeeping staff were very sensitive to our need to get over our jetlag and the reception staff helpful. This hotel is an excellent option to the nearby and very good Okura if you cannot get a booking there. We used the Okura's restaurant for breakfast (marginally more expensive than the Kyoto Royal, but oh, so much better) and cafe. The two most frustrating things about the Kyoto Royal were the variable internet connectivity in the rooms and the compete lack of mobile phone reception. There is a computer you can use for net access in their business centre (with a useful printer) if you don't have your own laptop or you're experiencing problems. To get mobile phone coverage and then ensure that it doesn't drop out, you must go some distance from the hotel. I don't know why, as this is the only hotel in Kyoto I have ever stayed in with this problem. You cannot fault the location of this hotel - it is walking distance to just about anything major in Kyoto or the buses and subway are literally meters away. If mobile phone coverage and internet access aren't absolutely essential, this is a good hotel to stay in.

We stayed here for 3 nights in November. The service was probably the worst in this hotel. They were unable to provide us an electricity adaptor and plugge although we requested it at least 5 times to different people. They didn't have a turist map to give to hotel guests. We only received a cheap Metro map imposible to read. Also on the low side, the room had no vew (looking into an interior patio), it was very hot (no cold air conditionaire working) and the bathroom was tiny.
We chose this place because of location. It is very central and close to Gion, so there is no need to use any public transport, because everything is within walking distance. I would never go back to this place. I felt ripped off. The hotel is not cheap and I am convinced there has to be better value for money in that location. I would not recommend this hotel to anybody.

I stayed at the Kyoto Royal for a week. My single room was a comfortable size and very clean. The bathroom is not fancy (a plastic box), but everything works fine. Both the subway (kyoto shiyakusho mae) and a major train station (keihan sanjo) are very close by, as are numerous restaurants, shopping, and sightseeing. My only complaint was a bit of noise from the hallway - the hotel caters to groups, and there was a large class of middle-school students staying on my hall. For the price (I paid about $110/night) I would definitely stay there again.

This is not a fancy hotel - but the service was great and the location wonderful. Everything was also very, very clean, and they were willing to make up my room at odd times.

Because we were there through Kyoto University, we had a discounted rate on the room such that it was only about $50 US a night - what a bargain!! For this price, how could I expect more?

The rooms are small, but there was free internet access, which was a plus.
But, the hotel only owns 1 adaptor plug, so if you plan on bringing your laptop, you should buy an adaptor before you go. None of the outlets worked for my 3-prong laptop plug without the adaptor. That said, the adapator was delivered to my room and I was allowed to keep it for my entire stay.