My wife and I planned a last minute trip to Kyoto to catch the cherry trees in bloom and found the Maruko Inn Kyoto thru a Japanese travel website. From April, however, the hotel has changed its name and is now called the Court Hotel Kyoto.

The hotel is centrally located in Kyoto, 2 subway stops north of Kyoto station and a five minute walk west. Although the hotel is set back from the street a bit and surrounded by other buildings, it isn't hard to find. Its a good base from which to explore Kyoto.

The room we stayed in (402) has seen better days but it was pretty clean and comfortable. It was rather small (the rooms across the hall were larger), but there was enough room for the both of us. Along with the double bed, there was a flat screen TV (with some programs in English) and a small refrigerator. There is also a hot plate and tea pot for boiling water to make tea or coffee. The bathroom was really small but I had no problems with that. Not much of a view, but it was totally quiet at night.

On the ground floor, there is a small restaurant and a coin laundry room with two washers and dryers. There is also a vending machine with beer and Chu-hi as well. Around the corner, there is a Lawson's convenience store and a Fresco grocery store. Both are open 24 hours.

All in all, I was satisfied with my stay there. The staff were friendly, the price was right and everything was very convenient.

We were fortunate enough to get a room at the Maruko Inn at 6pm on a Thursday night. The room was immaculate, clean floors, linens etc. This is compared to the last hotel we stayed at which I would have to say was terrible. There was a special on at the time through the tourist information center at Kyoto station (9th floor, great for maps and other info). The facilities have a laundromat and cloak room, and is a few blocks from the main downtown area. You can either walk or the bus system is fantastic. There are day bus passes available in Kyoto for 500yen.

Loved the hotel, excellent and great value