The Gimmond is a business hotel that also caters to a lot of tourists. It is moderately priced (around $100 a night). Rooms are small but clean. Beds are comfortable. Windows open and air conditioning is easy to adjust. Towels a bit thin but complete amenities are offered, including yukatas and slippers. Internet access is available via Ethernet (bring your own cable). There is also a coin-operated Internet computer in the lobby that is quite reasonable--10 yen a minute. The Gimmond offers laundry service. Corridors smell of smoke and I do not know if non-smoking rooms area available. Our room did not smell of smoke. Small refrigerator in room but it is not stocked; complete vending machines are available in the hotel. TV had no English channels. Like other hotels we stayed in in Japan, they did not gouge us on overseas or local phone calls. The desk will change limited amounts of travelers checks.

The Gimmond is in a convenient location, right at the junction of the two subway lines at Oike-Karasuma station (three stops north from Kyoto Station). It is, however, a fairly expensive cab ride from Kyoto station. Most of the major sites in Kyoto are accessible by subway or bus and there is great shopping a few blocks away in an arcade on Teramachi street.

Staff are attentive and polite and their English is adequate to the job. We did not put any complicated demands on them, but one young woman was very helpful to us in making a call to reserve a tour in Nara.

The hotel has a Japanese and an Italian restaurant on the premises. We ate dinner in the Japanese restaurant. It was pricey but excellent, everything a la carte and in Japanese, and the wait staff spoke almost no English. There is a 24 h noodle place a block to the West that has a complete Japanese breakfast at a reasonable price. The picture menu is conducive to pointing. It is also a good spot for a cheap lunch. You pick put your money in a machine and pick what you want; the machine prints a ticket that you give to the waitress. Free refills on rice. Food was good and the place is spotless and attractive. There is a Starbucks around the corner on Karasuma street, about a block south of Oike on the West side of the street. Baked goods there made a good breakfast, although not cheap; better than Starbucks baked goods in the US.

While the lobby could use a little sprucing up and the hotel is not luxurious, the Gimmond is comfortable, reasonably priced, and the location is excellent, a short walk fron Nizo Castle and the Imperial Palace Park. A long walk from Gion, but doable.

A friend who lives nearby booked this hotel for my brother and me for one night while we visited our friend. My friend went to a lot of trouble calling business hotels (i.e., small room, no frills, but inexpensive and well-located) to find a room for us with two beds. We could have stayed elsewhere for less if we'd been willing to share a bed, but we didn't want to. When we checked in, we discovered our sweltering little room had only one very small double bed, and when we went back to the desk, the clerk basically shrugged his shoulders, said they were full up, and helpfully added "it's only one night". Given the shoddy attention to reservation details and complete apathy of the staff, I'd only stay here again if I really had no alternative.

I book hotels recommended by TA readers all the time, and generally trust their reviews. Trust this one -- don't stay here.

We stayed at this hotel for four nights and took in the Jidai Matsuri. It's an older hotel but the room was fine. We loved the location, so close to Karasuma Oike subway station and very manageable taxi fare to Kyoto Station. The staff was very courteous and helpful. We plan to return to Japan and I would stay here again........if you want luxury, go ahead and spend $400+ per night. I'd rather keep the cash and have a nice shopping spree in Kyoto! Good value for your money!

Stayed at the Gimmond for 3 nights and we picked this hotel for its location. The room was a bit dated however I did not come to Japan to sit in a hotel room!! The staff were great, and most spoke English, which always was helpful

The location is excellent and well within walking distance of major sites and there are numerous convenience stores, cafes and restaurants nearby.

Did not have breakfast or use the Italian restaurant.

Not much more to say. It was a bed for the night and one crazy trip round Japan!!