Hotel Review: Gion Shinmonso Kyoto: Comfortable Gion hotel with perfect location

This April, my mom and I visited Japan during cherry blossom season. Visiting Japan in high season usually requires a bit more planning, money and stamina – especially when your destination is Kyoto. Cherry blossom season is probably the busiest season for Kyoto, so I started planning this trip in June of the previous year, about 10 months before travel, and one of the hotels we stayed at was Gion Shinmonso Kyoto.

But worry worry not and continue reading, as I will give you some decent hotel recommendations in the coming weeks, as well as a guide on avoiding massive crowds during Kyoto cherry blossom season.

Gion Shinmonso is a hotel I recommend for your Kyoto trip, especially if you prefer to stay somewhere central yet characterful and wish to make frequent trips into Gion, Pontocho or some of Kyotos’s World Heritage temples in the Higashiyama Hills.

The Hotel

Gion Shinmonso Kyoto is a modern hotel in traditional Japanese style, founded in the 1950’s as a gourmet hotel. Today, it occupies a very modern building and no longer offers meals or traditional entertainment. It is a privately owned standalone hotel in the centre of Gion, one of Kyoto’s entertainment districts, and hosts a mixture of foreign and Japanese visitors.

Location of Gion Shinmonso Kyoto

The hotel is located in one of the best parts of Kyoto – if you are a tourist. It’s right in Gion but tucked well away from anything too crowded or too touristy. I had been sceptical about staying in Gion, thinking it was too crowded or too overpriced, but after staying at the excellent Kiraku Inn around the corner last year, I wanted the easy access to beautiful Gion.

And honestly, you could not find a better location than the the Shinmonzen-dori area. Shinmonzen-dori is beautiful, quiet, and just a very short walk to Shirakawa Lane, which some say is one of Japan’s most beautiful streets.

Shijo-dori with its shops, Yasaka Shrine, and Hanamikoji area, where many of Gion’s famous tea houses are located, are a further five to ten minutes away on foot. And here is one of the things I loved most about my stay at Gion Shinmonso: Gion is busy, and busy to the extent that tourists have been banned from some private streets. However, Gion is just as picturesque at 6am, when almost nobody is out and about, and you can quietly wander along Gion’s lanes and admire the stunning beauty. My early morning walks were one of my favourite activities, and come 8am, I was back at the hotel with a cup of coffee and sandwiches from the nearby Family Mart.

Gion Shinmonso Kyoto is well connected on the public transport network: the nearest bus stop on Higashioji Street, convenient for the Eastern Hills temples, is less than 5 minutes away on foot. The Kyoto Metro and Keihan Line are about 8 minutes on foot, with frequent connections to Kyoto Station, the Downtown area and Nijo Castle – and further afield.

The only problem with a Gion location? Buses towards Kyoto Station and Kiyomizudera are often very crowded. You can avoid this by taking the Keihan Line instead, or by cycling.

So, location-wise, I could not think if a better place except for the fact that the buses on the Higashiyama side and to and from Kyoto Station are often extremely crowded to the point that long queues form at bus stops, you may not be able to get on the bus, so for Kyoto Station, I recommend using the Keihan Line (change at Tofukuji, less steps to climb than on the Kyoto Metro) or just shell out on a taxi. Anywhere else, buses where not that crowded at all.

Our Room at Gion Shinmonso Kyoto

We stayed in a standard size room on the second floor. The hotel is large, there are lift,s and very wide corridor, no problem at all for large luggage. All room sat Gion Shinmonso are in the traditional Japanese style. This meant, tatami mats that you must step on barefoot or with special slippers, a low table with floor seating – with a couple of low armchairs. Everything is a bit lower and there is a lot of sitting on the floor involved.

The bathroom was also quite minimalist, and had a separate toilet – also standard in the more traditional Japanese inns. For bathing, there were large communal baths on the ground floor next to reception that were well maintained and a joy to use, but on one night they were closed off for about an hour.

Beds were on traditional futon, and they were not the most comfortable at first. While some hotels have adapted to Westerners or older bones, these futon were a standard thin-ish futon. Topped with lovely fluffy comforters. I admit we used an extra futon from the cupboard to make our beds more comfy, and then slept really well on them.

For such a prime area our room was very large – this being a traditional Japanese style hotel means even the smallest room can sleep four people on futon. You have to love sitting and sleeping on the floor. My mom, who actually picked this hotel ,struggled a bit with all the floor-dwelling, although she reported she slept quite well on the slightly hard futon.

There was also a water kettle and tea set in the room – with some green tea and  bisquits. There was no fridge mini bar.  but they were not replenished. There was no coffee or other tea – What was there was great quality, though, but did not get replenished during our three-night stay, despite the room getting meticulously cleaned every day. 

Last not least, there was a little bit of noise in the day time. Turned out a school class was staying at the same time, high school students , so a bit of noise is normal, but it was really quiet at night.

Are there better rooms?

Our room had no shower, but you can book a room with a private shower – just pay attention that when it says “shared bathroom” it really means shared bathroom. All rooms have private toilets and sinks, though.

Some of the larger rooms, sleeping eight or ten people are about 50 square metres. Even in some of the larger rooms you will still have no private bathroom.

All rooms share the same pared-down functional Japanese design. 

Facilities at Gion Shinmonso Kyoto

The communal bath was the standout feature at Gion Shinmonso Kyoto. Although it did not have thermal water, rather a rarity in central Kyoto, it had a large, immaculately clean washing area, and a very large pool for soaking. Of course, a little bit of chlorine is used to keep thing hygienic, but the water was super clean, and each time we went for a bath, it looked like no one had used the bath before us.

Apart from that, there wasn’t too much in the way of shared facilities, and I felt it wasn’t needed so much because our room was so big. There was some free tea and water available in the lobby, but the lobby was a bit cold and impersonal and with a good decorator, they could do a lot more with what was quite a large and well-lit space.

Special Treats

I must say that the location and the spacious rooms are what make Gion Shinmonso Kyoto really stand out. At about 135 Euro per night for two people, I consider this good value for money for Kyoto.

Even though the rooms were not a standout to me, I appreciated being in a very clean, nicely decorated modern hotel with good service. The communal bath was free to use, although hours could be a little restricted, was a lovely extra where I could relax my feet and back after long days spent sightseeing – and there were rarely any other people in the bath, and the bath was super clean – I felt like the first person using it every day, not a drop of water out of place.

Although a good hotel breakfast or cafes that open before 8am were not easy to find, there is a 24/7 Family Mart Convenience store literally next door, and their coffee is pretty good, so our breakfast was secured.

Gion Shinmonso Kyoto is classed 4 stars and compared with other four star accommodation, a few things definitely did not feel four star standard to me. The communal lobby, though clean, is a bit life-less. I think with a good decorator a lot more could be done with it – cosier communal seating, a nice coffee station, books to read, an area to eat, microwave etc. The hotel also advertises entertainment with maiko and geiko on its web site, but when we arrived, there was no information how to take part in such entertainment, and to be fair, this probably would have been quite expensive. It just felt a bit like a fals advertisement. So if you are hoping for that classic Kyoto entertainment, it might be better to look elsewhere.

Hotel Details

I paid 66.000JPY for two people for three nights, which came to 410 Euro at the time of travel – about 135 Euro per room per night.

I used Booking.com to reserve and pay for this stay at Gion Shinmonso. In fact, I use them for all my hotel stays if using a booking site, and it is very convenient, as I can amend bookings easily. If you prefer, you can also book direct at www.shinmonso.com.

Full Details: Gion Shinmonso Hotel, Shinmon Mae, Hanamikoji, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto 605-0082

Nearest Airport: Kansai International, Osaka Itami and Kobe. Kansai International (KIX) is by far the easiest to get to, with direct Airport Express Train “Haruka” every 30minutes during daytime and evenings.

Nearest local transport: Bus stop within a four-minute walk, with direct buses for the Higashiyama temples, Kyoto Station, Downtown – over 10 City Bus lines stop there! The nearest train stations, Sanjo Keihan on the Keihan Line, and Sanjo, on the Kyoto Subway, are approximately 6 minutes walk away.

Features: One of the best locations in Kyoto, large rooms, friendly service

Doesn’t have: Very accessible restaurant, proper private baths (most rooms)

Alternative Accommodation nearby

Finding really nice accommodation in Gion that is good value for money – is that even possible? Yes, and I would certainly recommend ion Shinmonso as one such place, remaining very high standards, while needing a bit of a face lift when it comes to services and general stylishness.

So… starting with the most affordable place I recommend here, let’s see what else is around in Gion! My top recommendation on a budget is Kiraku Inn, a lovely tiny inn in a historic Kyoto townhouse in very classy Shinmonzen-dori. There are just a handful or relatively small rooms with simple but comfortable furnishing and a small shared sitting room and kitchen downstairs. Most private rooms share bathrooms and toilets. Comes with a grumpy tomcat and an owner that some have described in some online reviews as equally grumpy, but to be honest, I had nothing but very pleasant and polite interactions with him. He keeps the place immaculately clean and is often found outside the house tending to his bonsai or building something. And the price for this super central place? I paid about 6000JPY per night. And went to spend the extra cash at the new Momotaro Jeans opposite…

Another hotel I really like but have not stayed yet is Hotel Alza, a mid-sized hotel by the Kamo river and somewhat tucked away from the madding crowds of central Gion. It’s for those who want larger-than-average rooms, a view and be in central yet beautiful part of Kyoto for under 200 Euro.

Last not least, I recommend Gozan Hotel &. Services Apartment, a smaller hotel that is next to both Kyoto Metro and Keihan Main Line, hence extremely convenient, not need to be on those overcrowded buses, and offers incredible value for money – starting at 75 Euro per double room – while offering some very pleasing classic Kyoto blond wood and calm furnishings style. And perfect for those who are picky eaters or early risers and want a kitchen. I have not stayed there (yet), but it is on my list of places to stay next time I am in Kyoto.

The Small Print

I visited Kyoto in March 2025 on a self-organised trip, where I paid the full market rate for everything myself. No freebies, no bias.

This post contains affiliate links to Booking.com.  This means I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you book any hotel through them.

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