The Hostelz.com Review
An extremely new and somewhat luxurious-feeling large hostel in central Kyoto, Backpackers Hostel K's House Kyoto delivers a very comfortable stay with most of the amenities one could want in a hostel.
The Location
This hostel is located on the North Side of Kyoto Station, less than a ten-minute walk. This puts it in a convenient location for also walking or taking buses/taxis to the main downtown area. It's on a small side road off Kawaramachidori, which is a main street that runs parallel to the river and leads straight to the downtown entertainment district. The hostel is a large white building with a yellow-painted annex that is very easy to see.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The doors are locked and unlocked by convenient touch-sensitive key cards. There are not lockers in many the rooms, although there is plenty of space to put your things, and generally not too many sketchy people in the hostel. Lockers are available outside the rooms, but you must have your own padlock.
The dormitories mostly have six beds, and private rooms for two or four people can also be arranged at a slightly higher cost, but must be booked well in advance. Japanese-style tatami rooms are also quite nice and can be booked for up to four people. Bathrooms have two sinks and a number of separate toilet and shower facilities. The toilets are all clean and comfortable, and the showers are also clean, with soap dishes and sufficient private space outside the shower for changing clothes. Towels can be rented for a small cost.
Common Spaces
The second floor features a very large open space, with many couches and coffee tables, inexpensive coin-operated internet terminals, a large dining table, a Japanese-style table space, and a glass wall with a view onto the surrounding old Japanese style buildings in the neighborhood. There is also a large adjacent patio with a couple tables, which makes a great place to relax with a view of the old Kyoto buildings. The lounge also has a large kitchen with three refrigerators and plenty of space for many people to do their cooking at the same time.
Additionally, there is a bar/cafe "Zen Cafe" on the ground floor which serves all-you-can-eat breakfast until late morning. It is a good place to meet other travelers in the evening with reasonably-priced drinks until closing at about midnight. The hostel has potential to be a party hostel, but since the bar scene downtown is fantastic and goes all night, that's where most party people spend the later hours.
The feeling of the hostel is very casual, comfortable, clean, and safe. Smoking is not allowed in the building, but may be ok on the patio. The staff are well trained to provide assistance in English or Japanese; they also sell the Kyoto All-Day Bus Pass at reception, which saves you a trip to the station and allows you to hop on any bus at any bus stop. They have a free, organized system to store luggage for guests before check-in or after check-out. Good bicycles can also be rented at a fair price, and there are plenty of bikes available, as you will see them all lined up outside reception. Kyoto is a great city to tour by bike.
Summary
For amenities and location, it's hard to beat K's House. Party people and relaxed travelers alike will generally be very pleased staying here. If there is any criticism, it might be that the new, large modern building doesn't fit Kyoto's classic, subdued style (in the same way that some Japanese people complain about the giant, modern Kyoto Station being a poor fit for this classic city at the heart of Japanese culture). But lots of Japanese people also admire the sleek construction of the Station, and similarly most travelers will appreciate the facilities and amenities at this modern hostel.
The Location
This hostel is located on the North Side of Kyoto Station, less than a ten-minute walk. This puts it in a convenient location for also walking or taking buses/taxis to the main downtown area. It's on a small side road off Kawaramachidori, which is a main street that runs parallel to the river and leads straight to the downtown entertainment district. The hostel is a large white building with a yellow-painted annex that is very easy to see.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The doors are locked and unlocked by convenient touch-sensitive key cards. There are not lockers in many the rooms, although there is plenty of space to put your things, and generally not too many sketchy people in the hostel. Lockers are available outside the rooms, but you must have your own padlock.
The dormitories mostly have six beds, and private rooms for two or four people can also be arranged at a slightly higher cost, but must be booked well in advance. Japanese-style tatami rooms are also quite nice and can be booked for up to four people. Bathrooms have two sinks and a number of separate toilet and shower facilities. The toilets are all clean and comfortable, and the showers are also clean, with soap dishes and sufficient private space outside the shower for changing clothes. Towels can be rented for a small cost.
Common Spaces
The second floor features a very large open space, with many couches and coffee tables, inexpensive coin-operated internet terminals, a large dining table, a Japanese-style table space, and a glass wall with a view onto the surrounding old Japanese style buildings in the neighborhood. There is also a large adjacent patio with a couple tables, which makes a great place to relax with a view of the old Kyoto buildings. The lounge also has a large kitchen with three refrigerators and plenty of space for many people to do their cooking at the same time.
Additionally, there is a bar/cafe "Zen Cafe" on the ground floor which serves all-you-can-eat breakfast until late morning. It is a good place to meet other travelers in the evening with reasonably-priced drinks until closing at about midnight. The hostel has potential to be a party hostel, but since the bar scene downtown is fantastic and goes all night, that's where most party people spend the later hours.
The feeling of the hostel is very casual, comfortable, clean, and safe. Smoking is not allowed in the building, but may be ok on the patio. The staff are well trained to provide assistance in English or Japanese; they also sell the Kyoto All-Day Bus Pass at reception, which saves you a trip to the station and allows you to hop on any bus at any bus stop. They have a free, organized system to store luggage for guests before check-in or after check-out. Good bicycles can also be rented at a fair price, and there are plenty of bikes available, as you will see them all lined up outside reception. Kyoto is a great city to tour by bike.
Summary
For amenities and location, it's hard to beat K's House. Party people and relaxed travelers alike will generally be very pleased staying here. If there is any criticism, it might be that the new, large modern building doesn't fit Kyoto's classic, subdued style (in the same way that some Japanese people complain about the giant, modern Kyoto Station being a poor fit for this classic city at the heart of Japanese culture). But lots of Japanese people also admire the sleek construction of the Station, and similarly most travelers will appreciate the facilities and amenities at this modern hostel.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
June 2008
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Backpackers Hostel K's House Kyoto Details
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Backpackers Hostel K's House Kyoto Reviews from the WebHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Brilliant! Fantastic hostel, the best I've stayed in. Everything was very clean and modern, the staff were very friendly, free wireless internet, excellent kitchen facilities, cheap drinks at the bar, an extensive breakfast buffet, what else could you want? If I am ever in Kyoto again I will be staying there for sure! — Adam , USA (2008-09-21) Sets a new standard in excellence Incredible. The design and layout of this place is great. It's like an Ikea showroom. The whole place is spotlessly clean. There's a large comfortable common area, roof terrace or excellent bar to hangout out in. All alcoholic drinks at the bar cost 390 yen -- cheap by Japanese standards. The staff are very efficient and friendly. The rooms are very clean, comfortable and air conditioned. There are large storage lockers in the base of the bunk beds -- so large you can easily fit two large backpacks into each, but you need to bring your own padlock. Access to the rooms is via a personal-issue, contactless electronic smart card -- nice touch. The location is convenient too, about ten minutes' walk from Kyoto main train station. Be sure to book in advance though as word is getting out about this place -- whilst I was traveling around Japan, about half the backpackers I ran into were talking about how great K's in Kyoto was. I would give this place six stars if I could. — Martin , UK (2008-05-22) Had an opportunity to stay for five days at K's House in Kyoto and it was extremely convenient to everything, very clean, comfortable and the staff were helpful whenever approached. The facilities were very clean and never crowded. This was our first accomodation when we arrived in Japan and as such set the mood for the rest of the trip. I never felt cramped for space and the people that were staying at the Hostel were very nice. It is within walking distance (easily) to the train, subways, and most of the major sights. Great restaurants were nearby as well. — Canadian (2006-06-03) This was a great, cheap place to stay in Kyoto. The facility is in really good shape and seems almost brand new. The common areas -- kitchen, bathrooms, outside patio -- were very clean and homey. We stayed in a private double and used the shared bathrooms. The room was tiny, but we didn't spend that much time there. The bathrooms were fine and had those wonderful Japanese heated toilet seats. Other travellers were respectful and intersting. Can't go wrong by staying here! — GG (2006-03-08) This facility is of a very high order. The cleanliness of the rooms and all public areas is remarkable given how well patronized the place is. There is a relaxed lounge with daily newspapers and loads of reading material and an adjoining tatami area with a well fitted modern kitchen off of it. Tea and coffee are available free around the clock. The rooms are air conditioned, and well furnished. The double occupancy room had a TV. Staff could not be more helpful, and everyone that we spoke to at the hostel was extremely complimentary about the facilities. There are laundry facilities (one washing machine and two dryers, on the ground floor — 200 and 100 yen respectively).
The hostel is about an 8 -10 minute walk from the Kyoto Station, and the map provided at time of booking gives clear directions. There are buses that leave directly from the station that pass the hostel, (numbers 206/208 and 100) The cost of a single bus fare is 220 yen, but if there are two or more it is actually more economical to take a taxi. The taxi fare is about 560 yen. Daily bus passes are available at the hostel at a cost of 500 yen, and can be used on all the city buses. Route maps also available at hostel. The buses are a great way to get around the city and the stops are announced in English and also appear in English on the electronic screens at the front of the bus.
I visited K's House in early August with my wife and son, staying for three nights. Had we not been working to a tight itinerary, I would have loved to have stayed longer. — Tom Crozier; Scotland (2005-08-14) I stayed at this hostel in May 2005 for 8 nights and I enjoyed it so much that I didn't want to leave. The location is excellent, the staff are EXTREMELY friendly and helpful and it is spotlessly clean. It has excellent facilities, such as a kitchen, Internet, and laundry facilities, and there are some lovely indoor and outdoor areas in which to sit and relax. And for what you get, the price is fantastic (it was 2900 yen per person for a twin room). Stay here, it's wonderful. — Anonymous (2005-05-21) I stayed in this hostel in May 2004 for 3 nights. My friend and I rented a double private room, and it was very clean and functional. The common areas were also very tidy. The location is great and the staff were friendly and helpful. It is one of the best hostels I have stayed at. I will highly recommend this place. — AF (2005-04-01) My husband and I stayed here in December 2004 and, having just come from cramped, crowded Tokyo, we were bowled over by how spacious the whole place was, considering it was a hostel. The entire building was clean, light and airy. The hostel was run by a young, helpful, and efficient staff, giving the place the vibe of a hip but low-key college hangout. It had an eclectic mix of Asian and Western music playing in the lobby, coffee brewing in the kitchen and an easy banter in various languages in the mornings and evenings.
We booked a private room, which was clean, spacious and bright, but it could've used a mirror and another table besides the nightstand. The common bathrooms were also clean. (Towels were not provided but they can be rented for a small fee.) But we weren't too fond of the showerheads, which dispensed water so long as you pressed down on a spring-loaded lever. If you released the lever, it would pop right back up and turn off the water. There must be a technique to this, and we appreciated the water-conserving aspect, but we just couldn't get the hang of it, and probably ended up using more water just trying to figure it out.
Another thing we had trouble with in this hostel was doing laundry. The front desk closes at 10 p.m., and the staff locks up every access door in the building, including the one that leads to the balcony where the washer and dryer are. This door is not opened until 8:00 a.m., which means laundry can only be done between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. If you plan to be out and about the whole day, you're probably not going to get any laundry done.
But the hostel's location is great: it's a 15-minute walk from Kyoto Station (the advertised 9 minutes is a bit short), a 10-minute walk to Sanjusangendo Temple and the National Museum, and a short bus ride to Gion district and Kiyomizu Temple.
Add to that the very reasonable room rate and you have a very good choice for any traveler on a budget. The little inconveniences fade when you consider the whole package. We would definitely stay here next time we're in Kyoto. — M. Tampinco - California, USA (2004-12-19)