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About
4.5
#2 of 241 Japanese guest houses in Kyoto
Location
4.5
Cleanliness
4.9
Service
4.8
Value
4.7
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Our family were in Kyoto this Summer, stayed at Guesthouse Soi for a few nights. The owners （the wife and husband） are very nice and friendly, giving suggestions on touring sites and their accessable routes. Also the cheerful, polite and helpful staff was always there to answer any questions.
The room we had was nice with a big tatami and a double bed. Comfortable for three to four adults. It was so hot in Japan, I had to clean our clothes every day. The laundry facility are on the rooftop. It only costs 200 Yen to use the washing machine each time. All washed clothes can be hung to dry under the Sun and the heated weather quickly .
Although we did not opt for paid breakfast sets, the owners still generoursly provided us and other guests with juice, coffee,milk, toast,and fruit every morning.
There were a kitche,a launging and an eating area. The fridge was shared by all the guests. We had enough space to store our food and drinks. We sometime used the stovetop and pans to heat up food that we bought at supermarket (The Fresco and Happy Rokuhara are more for locols, and Lawson and 7-11 are more for tourists).
I am happy having found this little gem. It made our trip more memorable and pleasant.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It was a very relaxing stay here. You can get a paid Japanese style breakfast which you should try at least once or you can get the complimentary fruit and toast. The location is not too bad, it’s around 25 minutes walking to Kyoto station and 15 to get to the river where there is a lot of restaurants and shopping. The atmosphere was very good and soothing. The staff were very friendly and always do their best to make sure you have a good time and now how to get to your destination. Renting a bike for the day was really really fun. And the bed was very comfortable I slept like a baby.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Guesthouse Soi was like a home away from home! I couldn't recommend it more - the owners were so kind, helpful, and welcoming and we hope we can go back and stay again in the future. The breakfast is included, but there is an additional option for a traditional Japanese breakfast which is delicious with amazing fish. The owners even went so far as to help us collect a lost bag from the bus station that my daughter left on a bus. We really felt this peaceful guesthouse made our stay in Kyoto so special and meaningful that would are letting all our traveling friends know to stay here too. The location was perfect for walking to the convenience stores and bus stops and yet you are in a cozy little neighborhood with tree-lined streets that make a short walk a joy.
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Date of stay: March 2023
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Service
Room Tip:The public transportation in Kyoto is excellent and there are bus stops nearby that make it easy...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I think the best thing about Guesthouse Soi is the owners, Sim and Maki. They were so friendly and helpful, especially Sim. He helped me choose places to visit and gave me very explicit directions to get there. He recommended a restaurant for dinner that had the best Okonomiyaki I've ever had and it was only a few houses down the hill from the guesthouse.
I ate the traditional breakfast which was very good value. I could have anything from the continental breakfast as well and I'm glad I only had a cherry tomato and a piece of banana as there was so much food with the traditional breakfast I couldn't quite finish it all.
The location is perfect for walking to beautiful shrines and easy for catching buses to others and fun shopping districts.
After five days in Tokyo I was desperate for produce that wasn't too expense and there was a bowl of mandarin oranges available at no charge. Coffee and tea was also available.
I had the 1/2 basement bedroom which was perfect for me. I wouldn't recommend it if you have mobility issues as the stairs down are a bit steep.
I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and wish it had been for more than one night. I highly recommend this accommodation and the price was reasonable.
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was a lovely place to stay on my travels in Japan. Real homely feeling with rooms and amenities. Staff were very friendly, helpful and accommodating. Really enjoyed the room- fun being on two floors with a sofa bed and tv on the top floor to chill out in and a bed on the bottom floor. Washing facilities are available for 200 yen. Located near the Gion District with lots of local sites including Kodaji temple. Guesthouse can be reached by local bus from Kyoto Station (staff can recommend the best one to use). There is a Lawson just down the road and plenty of bars and restaurants. About 50 minutes bus journey away from sites such as Kinkaku-ji which is not necessarily a bad thing. Buses can get extremely busy with tourists so being slightly out of the way from these sites means your likely to get on the bus and maybe even a seat. My only feedback for the guesthouse would be a slightly bigger shower head would be nice. Otherwise perfect 👌
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The room was very nice. The owner is very nice as well, and willing to provide support on things needed or travelling plans. The owner speaks Japanese, English, Chinese and Cantonese. The owner is willing to chat with you :) We chose a Triple room, it was very Japanese (as we think), having 2 floors and a Ta-Ta-Mi area. It was a different experience. Though you need to walk a slope to get up, it is near to some of the famous travelling sites as well. There is also bus connecting the Guesthouse to the Station, so it is quite easy even you have many luggage :)
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Date of stay: March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We loved the place. Very well placed, only a 5min walk from the Gion area and many temples.
The owners are the nicest people, and gave us a lot of help on our trip. They speak very good english and and are always willing to help.
They also have a bike rental for 600Y per day which was very handy.
The free breakfast they give is great and we also had the japanese breakfast one day which we loved.
The room was spacious and very nice, with great air conditioning and nice futons. We also used the laundring service.
We loved the place and highlt recommend it
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed in guesthouse Soi for 4 nights and had a wonderful time there! The owners are very kind people and they gave us good advices about places to visit in Kyoto. They really make you feel at home.
The guesthouse is on walking distance to Kiyomizudera and some other interesting places. The bus stop Umamachi is really close by (<5min walk) so you can reach the rest of the city very easily by bus.
We had the 3people room for the 2 of us, so the room was spacious and nice, with more than enough space to place our luggage. The room was southfacing so it could get a bit hot and smelly during the day. But the airco functioned well, so once we turned that on, it was very comfortabel soon! The matrass on the tatami floor slept really comfortable! The pillow was a bit thin and hard for my tasting, but my boyfriend liked the pillows. The shared bathrooms are clean and private, I never had to wait to take one of the toilets or showers.
We really recommend guesthouse Soi for everyone who wants a personal, lovely and enjoyable stay in Kyoto!
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It was excellent experience and the hostel is comfortable and the hospitality is amazing. They help you to know different places for you need orientation. You can have a breakfast there, is included and the location is excellent for you go different places or get a bus
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Date of stay: August 2024
Value
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Location
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Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip:Is a really good choice if you want to sleep and enjoy your trip the people there is amazing and...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had a wonderful time at Sim and Maki's beautiful guesthouse and cannot recommend it highly enough. The family room over 2 levels meant that we had lots of space, the room itself was spotless, laundry facilities were excellent and the location is really central. The breakfast is one of the best we had on our trip but what sets this guesthouse apart are Sim and Maki themselves..the most welcoming, helpful, gracious hosts. Having travelled extensively they know exactly what makes a difference to a trip and were always available with guidance and recommendations. Our son had his 11th birthday while we were in Kyoto and not only did they help us with dinner reservations and activities on the day but they also organised a cake as a present for him. Such special memories and such amazing people. We hope to be back! Bernie, Mike & Sam
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Sue
Thank you for inquiry.
We still have rooms available, but we have not started selling rooms for that period yet. We will start selling rooms before mid Dec, and I can send you a notice if you give me your email address.
I strongly recommend you to book other available rooms as early as possible, in case you can not find a suitable room at our guesthouse in Dec.
Best Regards
MAKI
Hi, Daphne
Sorry for late reply. I would like to know which day you are trying to book. If there is any bed already booked by other guest, you are not able to book the whole room. We only have one 4 bed dorm.
And I also would like to know which booking website you are using. Then I can tell you how to book.
Also it is better if you could send to our email address for the smooth contact.
Thank you!
MAKI
There are more places to choose from in the Kyoto area.
PRICE RANGE
$67 - $115 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Sim's Cozy Guesthouse
LOCATION
JapanKinkiKyoto PrefectureKyoto
NUMBER OF ROOMS
14
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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What are some restaurants close to Guesthouse Soi?
Conveniently located restaurants include Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu Kiyomizu Gojozaka, Okonomiyaki Kiraku Kiyomizugojozakaten, and Local SAKE and BEER Stand -SANSARO-.
