STAY > Hotel IMU, Kyoto

Finding a hotel in Kyoto for a reasonable price in the middle of Sakura season is hard. Not surprisingly the selection of incredible hotels and ryokans all increase the cost to stay or are booked out early and you are left with some other choices.

One of those choices is the IMU Hotel, its not bad by any means, it is just nothing like the exquisite accomodation that can be found in Kyoto. The IMU has a bit of a smart hostel vibe, the bar and cafe downstairs are also a shared lounge space.

Rooms are small but functional and have all the basics but few of the frills. It is a new hotel so everything feels clean and relatively new. If you don’t like your pillow, don’t worry there is a selection of pillows available on the floor for you to select from. Towels are a bit thin and small (feels mean), there is no mini bar, in our room the sink and fridge were both next to the bed. There is a small smart TV but we are not interested in being here for TV. Wifi seemed quite good.

Beds are firm and mattress ok, woke up feeling a bit sore but we had done a lot of walking so maybe that was the reason? There are 57 rooms, all of them are air conditioned, some are more western style, others have a more traditional futon on the floor.

The hotel is close to Shijo Street and a ten minute walk up to Nishiki Market, the surrounding streets have some smart bars, restaurants and cafe’s so there are plenty of places to get out and about.

Things to note, there is no complimentary water in the room or on the floor (you have to return to ground floor), there is only one lift so that can take time, and there are no kettles or coffee making facilities in the room.

WORK OUT >

Nope you guessed it, no gym facilities but there is a Fitness First just up the road, further there are so many places to walk and run in Kyoto, the run upto the Castle and return is just over 5km and a perfect way to start the day.

[click on any of the images above to open the lightbox]

Image Credits | Andaz Tokyo & Crispy ALMANAK Magazine

EAT >

The hotel does have a cafe restaurant on the ground floor, the menu changes regularly. There is also a small bar and complimentary sake for guests.

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CONCLUSION >

Its a clean budget hotel in a great location with a bit of style. It is not luxury but it is more than adequate for a few nights.