Great winter stay

Guest: Lucas (Melbourne)
Date of Stay: 12/22/11 Review Submitted: 01/06/12

We stayed in Acco's wonderful Machiya for 7 days over Christmas and had a great time. Kiyomizu temple is an extremely popular destination for Japanese people (as well as other tourists) the atmosphere in the area was vibrant and exciting yet very respectful to the history and customs of the temple. The Machiya was very well appointed and cosy in the cold weather, it was great to arrive and settle into the neighborhood for a short while. We made good use of the bus routes around Kyoto with the nearest bus stop only a few minutes walk away. We have two children (5yo, 3yo) who really loved the Japanese way of living, deep baths, beautiful details and futons on the warm tatami! A day trip to nearby Kurama Onsen in the snow was a highlight for everyone. I hope we get to go back one day!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, families with young children, romantic getaway.

A Kyoto delight

Guest: Andrew (Australia)
Date of Stay: 11/22/11 Review Submitted: 12/14/11

We stayed for 5 days in this charming house in Nov. I agree with all the previous reviews and I won't repeat what had written. It is nice and quiet but easy to get to attractions and transport. Acco is a great host. Arigato.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Excellent option, excellent value. Two bikes!

Guest: NJfam (PRINCETON, NJ)
Date of Stay: 12/07/11 Review Submitted: 12/12/11

Stayed at this delightful traditional-style apartment in Dec 2011. We were two people (not a couple) so the two bedrooms were convenient. The house is very conveniently located in East Kyoto on some major bus routes and a taxi stand. There is an excellent soba restaurant one minute away, and several convenience stores. More restaurants on Sannenzaka 5 minutes away. The main Gion drag is 10 min walk away if you like nightlife. The owner Acco is very nice and speaks excellent English. She helped me find an English-speaking dentist to handle a dental emergency that arose during my trip. (The dentist seemed competent and charged a very fair price.) She gave us some good tips for sightseeing and restaurants. A big plus is that the house comes with two bikes (very basic city bikes). I went on one ride along the river, and also explored the streets on the other side of the river. I also went for an amazing bike ride one morning along Philosopher's walk (highly recommended!!), and visited some temples before the tourist hordes arived. Kyoto is a bikers' city and this house is well-located to explore much of Kyoto by bike. The house is very comfortable with heaters, AC, futons etc. Like all Japanese houses it is a bit cozy by American standards. The kitchen and living room is well-stocked. I think this is a fantastic value, especially for 2 or more people. Lastly, Kyoto is amazing. Definitely on the list of places to visit before you die.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Great Place to Stay in Every Way

Guest: Norman & Yukie (Torrance, CA)
Date of Stay: 08/01/11 Review Submitted: 08/14/11

We certainly enjoyed our recent stay at the Kiyomizu House in Kyoto. Everything is as described in the ad. Everything worked great: kitchen, bath, laundry and air conditioning (thankfully, since we were there in August). It was so comfy having breakfast at "home" every morning and having plenty of room to move around in. Bed & futons were clean and comfortable. Location was great: a short walk to the nearest bus stop (and there's a taxi stand right there too), from which you can go anywhere quite easily, and a nice walk up the hill to the Kiyomizu Temple, one of the highlights of Kyoto. Perfect combination of being relatively close to a major intersection and yet far enough away that it was really quiet. Acco was really hospitable and well prepared. She met us when we arrived, and came right on time when it was time for us to go. We're really happy we decided to stay here. Thanks again Acco!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, families with young children, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

A perfect Japanese experience

Guest: Hopetrip (Berkeley, CA)
Date of Stay: 05/23/11 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

We stayed in this lovely house with our two twenty-something sons. We definitely enjoyed the authentic Japanese machiya-style living, the beautiful furnishings (including comfortable futons!), the Japanese bath, and having breakfast with the doors open to the zen garden. The location is perfect, close to transportation (we rode the bus everywhere, or walked), and the quiet alley is tucked away so we felt like we were in a small town, not a busy city. The bikes came in handy too! We enthusiastically recommend this place, and hope to visit again someday.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Top 5 Reasons to Choose THIS Place

Guest: Rachael (Chatan, Okinawa, Japan)
Date of Stay: 02/17/11 Review Submitted: 02/23/11

1) The hosts were exceptionally helpful, accommodating, and flexible to our needs, which greatly enhanced our Kyoto experience. 2) The house was well-maintained, clean, and the beds were comfortable. 3) The ambiance of the house is zen-like with simple Japanese decorations and style setting the calming/therapeutic mood of Kyoto . 4) Ideal little corner in Kyoto: the location is close to many temples in Central Kyoto and just a short cab ride (880Y) away from JR Kyoto Station. 5) Shops/restaurants close by: kinako ice cream and matcha lovers paradise! Other considerations: the steps are steep, but manageable & for 6 ft people you will have to duck through doorways. Also, we had a few nights with noisy stray cats. Overall, we loved our stay and would definitely recommend it to friends and come back to this exact location. The online pictures do not do it justice.

Owner response:Thank you very much for staying at our house. Sorry about kittys... maybe they are excited for the spring time! We are very glad you had good stay. Thank you for your comment also, we'll put more pictures soon. Warmest regards, Acco

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Guest: R.P.G (-)
Date of Stay: 11/14/10 Review Submitted: 01/03/11

"Our visit to Kyoto was very successful in every sense, we enjoyed it so much. Much of it was due to your nice house in which we lived for two weeks and felt there like home. We loved the neighborhood and on our last Friday in Kyoto had a long walk through the little alleys of the area. We just loved it and decided that this was the most beautiful area in Kyoto...."

Recommended for:

Quiet location, beautiful home, great base for exploring Kyoto

Guest: sf (San Francisco, CA)
Date of Stay: 06/26/10 Review Submitted: 07/21/10

Our family of 4 (kids 7 and 13 years old) LOVED this home! It is in a busy neighborhood with all the services you need but down a quaint alley, so it is quiet and makes you feel that you are truly experiencing living in Kyoto. We stayed for 2 weeks here, and I recommend as long a stay as possible! There is so much to see and do in Kyoto, but wandering around its lovely neighborhoods is the best. This house has everything you need, down to the last detail (and down to the smallest size dish), and Acco is warm and accommodating as well as very professional. Taxi and bus access is very convenient, and being able to beat the mobs of students visiting Kiyomizu-dera is a treat!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Family from Eastern Washington

Guest: George (Selah, Washington)
Date of Stay: 06/19/10 Review Submitted: 07/16/10

My wife and I, son(16) and daughter(13) were very comfortable for our six night say. It is an easy walk to Gion and the downtown shopping area as well as an effortless bus ride. With a bus map and schedule it is very easy to get anywhere in Kyoto. Acco greeted us and gave great information. Having a traditional Japanese home to go to was so much better than a hotel for our family. It allowed us to explore the food stores and try new things. Our children will never forget the tatami mats and their unique smell. And it is such a short walk to Kiyomizudera. Oddly, we did not visit it until the last day, but my son was absolutely entranced. The street is very quiet, and the sound of the water draining from the temple stream is very calming. We highly recommend it and would return.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

2 Couples from New Jersey, USA

Guest: Michael, Norma, Jerry, and Malory (Flemington/Warren NJ (NYC area) USA)
Date of Stay: 06/07/10 Review Submitted: 06/16/10

The four of us had a terrific time in Kyoto, many thanks to Acco, her suggestions for walking tours, and her wonderful home. We were told that June was the rainy season, but we had only perfect weather. We enjoyed our stay in this cozy, clean, and comfortable Kiyomizu house, and its great location relative to the area attractions. The house is everything it is described to be and more. Our visit was too short, we would have liked to have stayed longer. There are so many things to see and do nearby, with this great place to come home to at the end of the day. We highly recommend this house and Acco our new friend, the owner, and gracious host.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.