Hotel Review of Tabist Kiki Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Takakura: comfortable and stylish Downtown kyoto hotel

In 2024, when I set of on my impromptu summer trip to Japan, I realized that I could be in Kyoto during the Gion Matsuri. Well, in fact, if I rearranged my travel plans a little, I could join the Yoiyama, a series of big street festival in the evenings, as well as the major festivities of the Yamaboko Junko and Mikoshi Togyo parades.

I recommend the Tabist Kiki Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Takakura 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 Kyoto’s World Heritage temples in the Higashiyama Hills.

The Hotel

Tabist Kiki Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Takakura is a modern small hotel in traditional Japanese style, neatly fitting into grid of the Northern Downtown area of Kyoto between Shijo , Sanjo and Oike streets.

The building Tabist Kiki Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Takakura is in traditional style but new, neatly fitting into the mixture of traditional dwellings and bland 1960’s mid- rises that this area is made up of. As you enter, you immediately stand in the small reception, which keeps long hours – very convenient if you prefer to leave your luggage before the Check-In time at 16.00. Note that you need to have checked in by midnight.

When I arrived off a train from Kii Peninsula, on a brutally hot day, dragging my little book-filled suitcase behind sweating buckets, I was welcomed by reception and offered water, coffee and green tea from the little self-serve station on the small but welcoming lobby.

Once inside the hotel through some shaded corridor it felt calm and cool. Not a lot of space to sit, but perfectly fine for one or two smaller groups of people.

I was told that I could check in from 16.00, exactly the Check-in time posted on my confirmation. I really wasn’t up to a long walk – but I made it to Tsukigase Sakaimachi for a matcha dessert and anmitsu in the refined atmosphere of a small dessert cafe, well tucked away in a residential building in Downtown Kyoto – head more about it here.

Shortly after 16.00, I checked in and enjoyed a wonderful snooze in the soft luxurious bedding before heading out to the Yoiyama – admiring the Yamaboko Junko floats, listening to traditional music an dlooking at some fun souvenirs, special omamori and, of course, a lot of street food.

Location of Tabist Kiki Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Takakura

Downtown Kyoto, where the Tabist Kiki Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Takakura is located, may look quite touristy at first, but it really is not that crowded once you move away from the Teramachi and Shijo-dori shopping areas and the large department stores. It’s quite lovely, a mix of traditional older shop houses and some modern mid-rise apartment blocks like the ones seen here.

There are lots of lovely little details to admire, and although it’s downtown and somewhat generic looking in places, you will still find lots of character.

You will have the venerable ryokan of Hiiragiya and Tawaraya a short walk from Tabist Kiki Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Takakura, as well as small beautiful shops and some very nice restaurants and cafes. Like Tsukigase Sakaimachi, a great dessert cafe less than five minutes away on foot.

The nearest train station, Karasuma Oike, is the hub of the Kyoto Subway and serves both Karasuma and Tozai lines. It is less than 5 minutes on foot away. The nearest bus stop, Sakaimachi Oike on Oike-dori, is also less than 5 minutes on foot, and convenient for buses to Arashiyama and Kinkaku-ji.

My Room

My room at Tabist Kiki Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Takakura was a twin room “with issues” – a ground floor room with a large window but little daylight, which was clearly advertised when I booked it. I booked it anyway because it was significantly cheaper than most hotel rooms in Downtown Kyoto at prime Gion Matsuri – and at temperatures around 32C, I would be very happy to lie in a darkened room at lunchtime.

This room was for two people and was very large for a Japanese hotel room. Entering from the main corridor, I had a small entrance area with a cupboard, coffee and tea equipment including a Nespresso machine, tea kettle, and enough space to put my luggage. The sleeping area easily fitted two large beds with super soft cotton bed linen. I think they were small doubles – they felt extremely wide for one person.

Off the entrance area was a decent-size bathroom with sleek slate tiles and a very large black bath tub – felt very 1980’s in style although the interior was obviously new, not a scuff mark in sight.

Are there better rooms?

My room on the ground floor was overlooking the back and was advertised as a room “with issues” – which turned out to be no view and not much daylight from the window leading to the back yard and a room below street level. There was some light, so it wasn’t like being in a basement, and also, it was July – I only returned to my room to sleep and to rest during the hot afternoon hours. So, this lack of day light was no issue for me. The room was big, and extremely well appointed just like the other standard rooms – with large Western beds, enough space for luggage and a large tatami seating area, and sleeping two adults. A standard twin will have the same layout, but will have a window with normal natural light, and some, although the same size, will have space for an extra futon.

The Deluxe Family rooms have two double beds, so they can sleep four, and are twice the size of the Standard rooms, and have a Western Style Dining area AND a sofa and armchairs.

Facilities at Tabist Kiki Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Takakura

I am still trying to figure whether Tabist Kiki Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Takakura is a business hotel or not, for the hotels of the Tabist Chain are usually mid-range business hotels. The rooms are a bit too relaxed, with large seating areas fit for families, to be a business hotel.

But they have laundry facilities, ice machines and microwaves  -typical of mid-range business hotels. 

Also , the hotel doesn’t offer breakfast but there is tea and coffee making equipment including a Nespresso Machine in the rooms.

Bathrooms are very large, and luxurious – mine was a shiny black, with a very large deep bathtub. Perfect for a cold bath after walking around in the heat.

Special Treats

When I review hotels, I always try to find something that makes the hotel special. I struggled a bit with this one – Tabist Kiki Hotel Kyoto Sanjo Takakura a solid, very stylish Downtown hotel suitable for business and leisure travel, with decent enough in-room amenities. Easy to walk everywhere, excellent public transport connections. Super comfortable rooms.

Anything standing out? Well, if you look at the pictures, you will see the very brightly coloured soft furnishings. The cute red dotted bean bags. They are from Sou Sou, a Kyoto design house specialising in colourful yet pared down modern designs. Its founder was the first Japanese designer to work for Marimekko, so you can probably see a likeness between these two very cool design houses.

If you like what you see, you can walk the 15minutes to Sou Sou’s cluster of shops near Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine. They have all sorts of accessories, and proper kimono-inspired clothing in good quality. Not cheap, but I got some really nice tabi socks which, at about 700JPY (4 Euro), didn’t break the bank. I also have some of their fabric, bought in Nagasaki, tough – this is how I was made aware of them.

Hotel Details

I paid 14.000 JPY for one person for one night in July three nights, which came to 81 Euro at the time of travel. This was in walking distance to and during the Yamaboko Junko when Kyoto gets its fair share of visitors – a pretty good deal.

I used Booking.com to reserve and pay for this stay. 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 https://tabist.co.jp.

Full Details: Hotel Tabist Sanjo Takakura , Higashikatamachi 618, Nakagyo Ward, 〒604-8183 Kyoto.

Phone: +81 75-212-2800

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: The nearest train station, Karasuma Oike, is the hub of the Kyoto Subway and serves both Karasuma and Tozai lines. It is less than 5 minutes on foot away. The nearest bus stop, Sakaimachi Oike on Oike-dori, is also less than 5 minutes on foot, and convenient for buses to Arashiyama and Kinkaku-ji.

Features: Smaller hotel in central yet quiet Kyoto Downtown location

Doesn’t have: restaurant or lots of communal facilities

Alternative Accommodation nearby

Finding really nice accommodation in Downtown Kyoto is quite easy. Just bear in mind it might be convenient, but it’s not the most scenic place, although some hotel can be pretty atmospheric- the city’s two most famous ryokan are just a few blocks away!

So… let’s start with the most affordable place I recommend here… the Prince Smart Inn Kyoto Sanjo. I have actually stayed there after I stayed here, at roughly half the price per night, and I really recommend it if you want privacy and comfort on a budget. The Prince Smart Inn is a large-ish modern hotel with small but still decent sized bright rooms, and honestly, nothing missing in the room. And one of the best bits is the free secure bicycle parking for hotel guests – I hired a bicycle the entire time and didn’t need to worry about parking it somewhere safe overnight.

Generally, my recommendation are all for the North of the Downtown area, as it is a little less built up, less crowded, and you have the advantage of both bus and subway lines here.

Just around the corner is the Mitsui Garden Hotel Premier, a mid-sized five-star hotel with elegant pared-down large rooms. I am not on a five-star budget when travelling alone, but I actually considered this as a place to stay when I travelled with my mum.

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.

Pin it!

If you like it, pin it for your trip!