Tour Club Kyoto

The Location

Tour Club Kyoto is located very close to Kyoto Train Station. It is an easy, ten-minute walk if you print out the directions and follow them -- if you do not pay attention, you might walk by since the street on which it is located is a very small side street with not much traffic. This makes it great for a good night of sleep, since there is no traffic noise. Besides to being very close to the train station you have a supermarket, a 100-yen shop, the central post office, plenty of places to eat, and a few temples and shrines around that you can walk to. And several bus routes go around the corner of the hostel making it very convenient.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The hostel provides with rooms with four to six beds. The rooms do not have lockers or a key for the room itself, but it is safe. There is a curfew at 11 p.m., and the doors are locked at that time, so you should be back by then. The mattresses are very thin but comfortable and they have feather duvets so they are really warm. The room also has an air conditioner for summer that works as a heater as well during the wintertime.
The place only has two toilets and two showers so the showers can be a bit crowded around 7 p.m., when everyone is trying to get on, but there hostel is small so it is about enough.

Common Spaces

There is a kitchen, a TV room (Japanese style with tatami mats), DVDs, and a library, and there are a also couple of computers at the reception area. They provide free sake every evening. As well as the dorms, these common rooms are closed at 11 p.m., so the hostel is very quiet -- perfect for resting after a long day.

Summary

The hostel offers a homey feeling and is a small place, very clean and tidy. They have a very nice zen garden in the hallway on the way to the dorm. There is a policy that no shoes are allowed inside -- they provide slippers in case you do not have your own. If you want more independence with no curfew, you can book for a private room -- in those, you are able to come back anytime you want. They have a luggage storage in case you arrive before check-in time and also a coin-operated laundry, plus free coffee and tea.

— Avis exclusif de Hostelz.com
December 2008