Iho-an (Cottage of Lingering Fragrance) Kyoto Machiya

• Excellent location, character accomodation

  Excellent location, character accomodation

  • Guest Chris
  • Date of stay 05/31/13
  • Review Submitted 06/13/13
  Iho-an is in an excellent location, very convenient to the train system, it was quite and comfortable and gave a feeling for what old Kyoto would have been like . Wendy and Naoko went out of their way to make our stay as pleasant as possible, we thank them for making the reservation at the Rikichi; we had a wonderful evening at an excellent restaurant. The only catch is if you are a little tall watch out for your head the beams and doorways are low, this is not meant as a negative all of the old machiyas are the same.

  Recommended for: Families with young children, romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

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• Iho-an - We highly recommend it!

  Iho-an - We highly recommend it!

  • Guest Pikachu Australia
  • Date of stay 12/29/12
  • Review Submitted 01/24/13
  We loved our stay here. Here's why - The machiya is in an excellent position for sight seeing in Kyoto. On a previous visit to Kyoto, we stayed in a hotel close to the main train station and found it complicated to get around. Iho-an, on the other hand, is in a great position for sight seeing - within easy walking distance of Gion, Pontocho, Higashiyama temples etc, fantastic. We also preferred it for a more "Japanese experience", rather than staying in a hotel. We caught a taxi to the property after arriving on the shinkansen and it was not expensive, around 1200 yen from memory. The streets are a grid design and, once we had our bearings, we found it really easy to walk around. The machiya itself is gorgeous, carefully renovated so that it's comfortable and pleasing but hasn't lost its character. It also has the modern conveniences of a washing machine (with dryer function) and a great kitchen. The bed upstairs is very comfy and we were really cosy up there in the midst of winter! Even with the heating on however, the downstairs area was a little chilly (remember, midst of winter!) Having said that, the kids were cosy when tucked up in bed under the doonas. And, blissfully, the toilet seat is heated! The area has the conveniences of a supermarket close by, taxis, buses and subway easily accessed, loads and loads of restaurants and (for the kids tired of eating unfamiliar food and adults looking for a nice latte!) MacDonalds is a block away. For an affordable, comfortable, convenient, "full of character" place to stay, you can't go past Iho-an. Before I booked this accommodation, I read a review of Iho-an that said "Just do it". So I did and am so glad. We loved it. :-)

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

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• Very well located machiya with all you need for a beautiful stay

  Very well located machiya with all you need for a beautiful stay

  • Guest Tahiche d.
  • Date of stay 11/11/12
  • Review Submitted 12/04/12
  We found the house to be very clean and well maintained. It had all we need for our stay and if there was something extra that we requested, the owners provided from one day to the next. The location is very good in a quiet neighborhood. You can walk to Gion, Kawaramachi and all the Eastern temples, but there is also a good subway and bus connection. We had a beautiful stay in Kyoto.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

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• Perfect Location - Kyoto!

  Perfect Location - Kyoto!

  • Guest Liz
  • Date of stay 10/06/12
  • Review Submitted 10/25/12
  My husband and I recently traveled to Japan for our honeymoon. We spent 5 nights in Kyoto at the Iho-An Kyoto Machiya. The "machiya" was beautiful and had everything we needed. The location was also perfect. We were able to walk to and from dinner each night and were also very near a station for our day trips. Wendy and Avi were wonderful and extremely welcoming and responsive. I absolutely recommend!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

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• Great experience!

  Great experience!

  • Guest Oceanographer
  • Date of stay 07/06/12
  • Review Submitted 07/23/12
  The apartment is centrally located to the main shopping district and the Gion district. There's a grocery store conveniently located just a few blocks walking from the apartment, and the bus station is also only a short walk from the apartment. Very easy to get around Kyoto from this point. We easily caught trains, the subway, or buses as needed from this place. The apartment is lovely! They even had a few movies in the apartment to watch while I got my body acclimated to the time zone. The landlady is very nice and gracious as well. The one thing that you need is the Japanese version of a map to the apartment, which she provides. It's nearly impossible for a taxi to find without it. I highly recommend this apartment as a vacation spot for a jumping off point to sightseeing, as a place to stay while at a meeting, or just as a quiet getaway in central Kyoto.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, romantic getaway, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

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• Fantastic and interesting

  Fantastic and interesting

  • Guest Grant
  • Date of stay 06/24/12
  • Review Submitted 07/08/12
  We loved every minute of our stay at Wendy and Ari's Kyoto Machiya. Not only was it beautifully renovated, well-appointed, and convenient to the Metro and many sights in the city, it was also interesting to learn about the history of that kind of structure. Have you ever learned something about a city's social history by staying in some generic hotel? Me either. Highly recommended and we will be back if we're in Kyoto again. Oh, and the owners are lovely people, as well. Great communication and near-instantaneous responses to our requests and questions.

  Recommended for: Families with young children, romantic getaway, girls getaway, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

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• Richard

  Richard

  • Guest Richard
  • Date of stay 05/10/12
  • Review Submitted 05/25/12
  My wife and I loved staying at this machiya. It is beautifully and artistically restored and yet very efficient. The location is great, very close to subway and bus line. There is a grocery store a block away, and Suzuki will help with food selection. There is a great restaurant area within walking distance. The kitchen is set up to cook as little or as much as you like. The cottage was clean and ready on arrival. There are bikes to rent including ones at the Hertz shop at the end of Niomon Dori that have an electric power boost. Riding along the river, both levels, going to a few temples, the arcade, you can cover a lot of ground. Watch the Japanese the first day to see how they do it. The owner's book is very helpful and what to do with maps and directions. They were very helpful and prompt. Thank you, Wendy and Avi. We would rec a kaiseki rest, Giro Giro. Sit downstairs! We thought Nara and arashiyama were worth the trip, including the open air train in Arashiyama. We also enjoyed the 11th floor of Iseten dept store, good restaurants, with view of Kyoto tower, Nishiki market, including the famous knife store. We enjoyed our stay at iho an and would recommend it highly, Richard and Mary

  Recommended for: Age 55+, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

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• Iho-an remains at the top of the pile!

  Iho-an remains at the top of the pile!

  • Guest hugh campbell
  • Date of stay 10/09/11
  • Review Submitted 01/04/12
  I returned to Iho-an for 5 weeks this autumn after visiting for a short period in 2009. Everything i said then still applies some years on. Still kept in beautiful as new condition, spotlessly clean and full of character, and of the course the position is unbeatable. That Rory is easy to deal with and friendly - just makes it all so easy and appealing. Stay here!

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• Perfect location, great accommodation

  Perfect location, great accommodation

  • Guest Scott
  • Date of stay 02/25/11
  • Review Submitted 03/21/11
  How much did I like staying here?: I'm trying to work out just how soon I can go back. This property is immaculately presented, but still looks more like a home than a gallery, which makes it relaxing and inviting. Perfect for taking advantage of the kitchen, washer, dryer, TV, internet, couches, beds, dining room table... It had everything we needed - even with our family of 4 - while still feeling like an authentic Kyoto home with its distinctive style and little artistic touches. The Machiya is in a very quiet neighbourhood - you are unlikely to hear even a car drive down the street or talking neighbours. It's surprising, because it isn't out-of-the-way... The location is great if you plan on spending more than just a day or two in Kyoto. Once you orient yourself to the river and the nearby supermarket (also incredibly handy being just down the street), you'll find it easy to walk to a LOT of Kyoto's great sights. Even our 6-year old had no trouble walking with us to the downtown shopping area of Teramachi (hopping across the river stepping stones rather than taking the bridge), the amazing Kiyomizu mountain temple, the great old streets of Gion and even to the Imperial palace gardens. Of course the fact that there's interesting things to see at almost every turn certainly helps. If you don't mind a stroll, you can save your cab and train money here and walk to so many sights. The owners have provided lots of information on things within the house and beyond - and I'm sure would have helped us with any other request. That was our only problem here: we didn't stay long enough. Five nights could easily have turned into 10 or more. Our trip took us from Kyoto to Nagano (where the kids saw snow for the first time and loved it) and to Tokyo, including all the excitement of Tokyo Disney... yet when we sat down together to look back through our photos, we had more pics of our time in and around Iho-an and Kyoto - and it is Kyoto that the kids want to go back to and Iho-an where they felt at home. I'm with them. To Rory and Sayaka: I hope to book with you again sometime soon. To anyone else considering booking here: do it. ...Just not when I want to stay :)

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

  Owner response: Thanks Scott for the great review, im glad you all enjoyed Iho-an and Kyoto

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Happy travellers

  Happy travellers

  • Guest happy australia
  • Date of stay 12/01/10
  • Review Submitted 01/05/11
  My husband and I stayed in Iho-an for the first week in Dec. We could not say a bad word about it. It was very clean,well equipped and the location is fantastic. Rory is fabulous to deal with. We will definitely stay here again on our return to Kyoto or perhaps try one of Rory's other apartments.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Thanks very much, i hope to see you again.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

Normal season Rate
Yen 15,000/night for 2 people (3 night minimum)
Yen 18,000/night for 3 people: Yen 20,000/night for 4 people (3 night minimum)
High season Rate 
Yen 18,000/night for 2 people (3 night minimum)
Yen 21,000/night for 3 people (3 night minimum); Yen 23,000/night for 4 people 
High season is as below
Jul.13-16, Aug.13-18, Dec.29-Jan.3, Mar.30-Apr.7

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.