We liked the helpfulness, friendliness and location of this hotel and found many of the Tripadvisor reviews out of date and therefore unwarranted - the management has tried very hard to improve these points.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.
