Aoi Hotel Kyoto 京都葵酒店 (Kyoto, JAPAN)

After spending four fun-filled days in Osaka, we packed our bags and took off for Kyoto early in the morning. Having done a similar itinerary from Osaka to Kyoto last year, we knew exactly where to find the shortest path from Osaka's city centre to the ancient capital of Japan and that's via Keihan Main Line (京阪電車). There are two advantages by taking this route: (1) It saves us the hassle of going back to Shin Osaka station which will be really out of the way (You have been staying in Namba all the time) and (2) the train will directly bring us to Gion station without the trouble of going through Kyoto station. It's a little complicated but I hope the map below helps.



As expected, the rapid train brought us from Namba to Gion station in 50 minutes. Now comes the difficult part - dragging our three pieces of luggage and little nugget to our hotel. But such an amazing river view in the backdrop, I'm just going to enjoy this one.



Situated just off the south side of bustling Gion district, Aoi Hotel Kyoto (京都葵酒店) is a stylish aparthotel in a quiet area near Kyoto International Manga Museum and Kiyomizudera Temple.



What really got me sold on Aoi Hotel when I was doing my research was the breathtaking view over Kamogawa river (鴨川) and Higashiyama Mountain. To wake up to this view for the next three mornings, it's going to be an amazing feeling.



Kamo River is one of the most iconic sights in Kyoto. Not only is it a beautiful attraction for tourists, it's also a popular hangout place for the locals as we can see people constantly walking up and down the river banks.



There are only 6 rooms in the premise and the one we got is one of the biggest with more than 70 square metre of space.




The living room is big enough to accommodate two double beds..... 



.....while still have sufficient room for a vintage leather sofa, table and so on. I wish I have this kind of space back in Hong Kong.



Hidden at the corner of our 1-bedroom apartment is the bedroom with traditional Japanese futon beds.



The room is sound-proof thanks to the sliding door which is also doing a great job blocking out the lights.



My little nugget loves it so much that he already puts his jacket there to proclaim as his "territory"!



The apartment is equipped with a full-function bathroom and a separate toilet. This one came fully equipped with two basins, shower room and traditional wooden tub.



The shower room directly faces Kamo River. What a view!



Of course, the tint window only allows us to peek out but not the other way around (at least that's what we were told!).



One of the things my little one loves most about the apartment is the wooden tub. It's like a small swimming pool for him and he never seems to get bored playing there.



For a small luxury hotel of its size, we certainly weren't expecting such heartwarming service but the team really goes out of its way to make sure that guests have a great time staying there. From the stunning river view, fluent English speaking staff to the cleanliness of the room and attention to details (recommendation of restaurants, reservation and providing maps on how to go there), it really checks all the right boxes. Thank you, Aoi! We'll definitely come back soon.




Rating: ❤❤❤❤
Price: ￥￥￥￥
Address: 145-1 Tennocho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8013 Japan
Tel: +81 75-354-7770
Website: www.kyoto-stay.jp