Comfort Hotel ERA Kyoto Toji

One stop away from Kyoto Station via the Kintetsu Line. The station is right across the street. I was assigned an interior-facing room, so I'm not sure if rooms facing the street would be noisy. The breakfast was just average. The hotel's self-service laundry machines are separate washers and dryers, which isn't very convenient—it's easier to just go to a laundromat outside.

I escaped from a guesthouse in Kyoto and was very satisfied with this hotel by comparison. The room was really big; I stayed alone in a double room and felt there would be no problem fitting two people's luggage. The street view was nice, but because it's close to the road, some modified cars passed by at night in Kyoto, making it a bit noisy. Bringing earplugs would solve this. The hotel is a 2-minute walk from Kintetsu and bus stops. On my last night, I had a 5:45 AM Haruka train to Kansai Airport, and the 5:19 AM Kintetsu from Toji to Kyoto Station worked out perfectly. Note that Kintetsu is not JR nor the Kyoto subway, so JR Pass and one-day passes are not valid, but cash and Suica cards are fine. Most importantly, the hygiene and service levels were excellent. For fellow travelers with cleanliness obsessions, a word of warning: those sensitive to smells should definitely avoid that place called Hana*Tsuk*i in Kyoto – it was smelly and had terrible service.

Very clean, and the hotel is close to both To-ji Temple and the subway station. However, it's on the Kintetsu line, so transferring to other lines at Kyoto Station can be a bit troublesome. You'll need to plan your route in advance.

The hotel isn't far from the subway, but since it's located at an intersection, you can still hear the trains arriving and departing. It gets quiet late at night after the subway stops running, so if you're okay with earplugs, it's not an issue. What's really great is that the hotel offers free lemonade, black tea, green tea, herbal tea, candies, peanuts, spiral crisps, and other complimentary snacks and drinks. The price is also reasonable. I'd recommend staying here, and I'll definitely choose this hotel again if I go to Kyoto. There's a convenience store downstairs, a KFC and Book Off across the street, and a Yoshinoya right outside, so breakfast isn't a problem at all.

This is my second stay here! I absolutely loved this hotel when I stayed in Kyoto last July, and I still do! Last year, I stayed in a twin room with a friend, and this year, traveling solo, I booked a king-size room. The room is spacious enough to open my suitcase and still move around comfortably. The bathroom also has a good-sized tub, and all the facilities, as always, are thoughtfully designed and user-friendly. The location is absolutely fantastic. This time, I was traveling between Kyoto and Shiga, and with Toji Station right across the street, it's just one or two stops to Kyoto Station. It's truly a perfect base for exploring the surrounding areas. Both last year and this year, I stayed for four nights, and leaving felt so sad. The price, both last year and this year, was the cheapest among all the places I stayed, yet it was the best experience by far. It's also the only hotel where the front desk staff warmly greeted me every time I came and went. Please, please stay open forever! I hope to be able to come back here when I retire thirty years from now!! 😭😭😭

The room size is quite spacious compared to other hotels. On the first floor, they offer complimentary tea (the tea bags are very flavorful), snacks, traditional Japanese pastries, and an ice machine. The transportation is very convenient, with a bus stop right outside, and both subway and bus lines available. On the first night, I arrived late via Shinkansen and couldn't find the station, so I walked to the hotel, which wasn't too far. During my stay, there was a typhoon, and the hotel kindly provided free clear umbrellas. There's a 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart right outside, and even a Nintendo Switch cartridge store diagonally across the street.

The room is good, it should be a great hotel for tourists. The transportation is very convenient, with bus routes 207 and 202 going directly to the city center, and the JR station is also very close. The transportation is extremely convenient.