Stayed here in Nov 2007 with my husband and brother in law.

We were on a mini-honeymoon and decided to splurge in Kyoto, and it was worth the money for sure.

The owner and staff were attentive and friendly, in fact, I had expected one room for all three of us, but when he saw us he offered us two rooms to give us more privacy! there was no extra cost.

The bath and shower was not an issue, the staffs would always make sure there was no one at the bath before you go down to take the bath. We also had a toilette in our room so that was very convenient.

Dinner and breakfast was superb. I was very impressed with the quality of the food.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience and if I had the budget next time, I'd definitely come back and stay here!

Stayed here with my husband for one night, our last in Kyoto, as part of a three month trip around the world. It was a very expensive treat as we were on a budget, but we felt if we were going to experience a ryokan then we should do so in style.

The weeks leading up to our stay there had been quite hectic so we were looking forward to totally relaxing. With this in mind we arrived quite early, just after check in, hoping we could spend time in the infamous bath and chill out in our room. We seemed to take the staff by surprise, arriving so early, but nevertheless were escorted to our room, which was much larger than I expected (basically two rooms which could be separated by a sliding partition and we also had an en suite, contrary to other reviews). The room was beautifully decorated. It only had traditional style low straight back chairs and a low table, and the beds had not yet been laid out, so it was not really conducive to "chilling out" as we had planned but we did partake of the bath before dinner. It was indoor (somehow we had in our heads it was outdoor) and in a very small area so we were a little disappointed.

Dinner was served promptly at 7. We chose the most expensive option and had given the kitchen a bit of a challenge as I do not eat meat and, even more difficult for the Japanese, my husband does not eat fish. Despite this, a fabulous meal, 10 courses of fish and vegetable dishes for me, and 7 for my husband, was produced. The service and presentation was astounding and the tastes, mostly totally new experiences for both of us, were excellent. However, both of us found there to be far too much food and we felt bad as we could not do justice to all of the dishes which had obviously been so lovingly prepared, Unless you have a massive appetite I would go with one of the less expensive meals if they involve less food!!

While we were finishing dinner our beds were prepared and with so much food inside us we just about managed to crawl into them for an early night. It was extremely comfortable sleeping on the floor and despite the ryokan being rather open, there was little noise.

We opted for the traditional Japanese breakfast and in hindsight we should have gone with the continental, as it was a little much after the meal the night before to face into more tofu, raw fish and rice so soon, but if you really want the proper experience go for it!!

All in all, we enjoyed our experience, and the staff were extremely friendly and professional, but I would be unsure as to whether the expense was worth it. If you are visiting Japan I believe a night in a ryokan is a must. However, you can probably get the experience without having to spend so much.

We stayed at Kinmata on the last night of our week long stay in Kyoto, which also happened to be our first ever visit to Japan. Our stay at the ryokan was one of, if not the, highlight of the trip.

Booking was done easily in advance direct by email with the ryokan and we agreed the cost of the stay, this is based upon the quality of evening meal that you opt for.

The ryokan is easily found, we actually walked from our previous hotel - the Gimmond in about 10 minutes through the covered arcades, Kinmata is literally within a stones throw of Nshiki market.

I do not wish to tell you about how magical the ryokan is, as I do not want to spoil it for anyone else who is lucky enough to stay. Let me just suggest that you take advantage of the amazing japanese cedar bath before your meal, then dress yourself in one of the provided Yakuta. Then sit back at your dinner table in your tatami matted room and be amazed at the grace of the traditionally dressed girls as they serve one of the most amazing and admittedly at times challenging meals that I have ever had the chance to enjoy.

Expensive? Yes.

Worth it? Everey single penny and more

The food, kaiseki-style, is superb, both in the morning and in the evening, served, one dish after another, in your accomodation. But, talking about accomodation, this is a mix of Western and Japanese furniture, without any zen-like harmony and no view of the -small- garden. The owner could show a little bit more interest in his guest and their presence. Maybe he was just reserved like some Japanese. A pleasant stay even if I would not return.