Everything about our stay here was perfect from start to finish. The greeting staff are most gracious, and quite fluent in English. The locale is secluded but only in the best possible, most scenic way imaginable. One accesses Hoshinoya via a free ferry service exclusive to Hoshinoya guests. The meal within the restaurant was spectacular, and the room itself was... More

Amazing experience from the start. Room, although a little compact, was so comfortable & a truly stunning view!! The location was beautiful & the hotel gardens were lush. The food was delicious & beautifully presented. You have to choose a multi course menu in advance, but it was stunning. If you are looking for accommodation in the middle of Kyoto,... More

What a brilliant little place this is. Set in beautiful gardens, the Hoshinoya consists of several East-meets-West sort of luxurious villas / rooms. The surroundings and the architecture are so stunningly beautiful and well-maintained that the tourist train across from the river actually stops to have a look at the hotel. (Don't be afraid that your privacy must be at... More

From the moment I stepped into the small wooden boat taking me to the hotel, I knew I was in for a treat! If you like to travel in style then this is the way to do it, worth every penny! The quiet location on the river's cliff, the gorgeous Japanese wooden architecture, the very friendly and efficient staff will... More

People say it's nothing to see during winter time in Kyoto. Although cannot compare to spring or autumn, it still has peace. It was built from a riverside villa in Arshiyama, a very quiet place. There's a boat for the guests to get and leave the hotel. There're 25 guest rooms. We lived in Tani which is with high ceilings... More

We stayed at Hoshinoya in December 2012 as part of our honeymoon. By chance our friends were in Kyoto at the same time and had booked accommodation at Hoshinoya independent of us, which made for a very enjoyable stay. Positives - the location is amazing. Each room has a beautiful view of the Ooi River - the rooms are extremely... More

It was my second visit in Kyoto and I was happy to try something new. I did not mind it to be 20/30 min away from the center of kyoto, you have to take a boat ride of 15 min to get to this place. I had never dared to stay in 100% ryokan type of place as I knew... More

I'm going to start with the dinner and breakfast that we had at this ryokan. We chose the least expensive of the two prix-fixe options and we were absolutely satisfied with the amount. I've cooked and consumed a lot of gourmet food and this was some of the best. I even learned a new technique when cooking fish. The staff... More

Spent the weekend here after doing much research on the perfect ryokan that had old Japanese charms with modern western comforts. We thought we had nailed it with hoshinoya Kyoto. How wrong we were. Don't get me wrong, this is a nice property. But aside from the restaurant, there is nothing else. No spa, no pool, no area to hangout.... More