Kyoto hotels for 2015 Cherry Blossoms

We've started to make plans for 2015 cherry blossoms which will include 6 days in Kyoto during the first week in April. Seems the number of hotels are very limited at that time. Are these hotels actually fully booked or are we still early to make reservations. We stayed at Kyoto Gravia several years ago and their website states they do not have any rooms available.

Hi Mel

This year (2014) there was a much higher than normal number of tourists (domestic and foreign) visiting Kyoto during the cherry blossom season and hotels and travel companies expect next year to be even busier.

Large Japanese travel companies such as JTB and KNT have already booked huge swathes of Kyoto rooms during this period in anticipation of this, which is the main reason you're struggling but it's also true that many hotels in Japan don't accept reservations more than 6 months ahead.

Of course, there are still rooms available but as time ticks by and it gets closer and closer to Spring 2015, finding a room in Kyoto is going to be a real challenge.

If you keep trying and still have no luck, consider staying in Osaka; it's only a short ride away from Kyoto on the bullet train (or even local trains) and you won't have any trouble finding rooms. Alternatively, you could wait until early March next year, when JTB starts releasing the rooms they haven't already sold...

This is basically a heads up to anyone planning on visiting Kyoto during sakura season next year - best to find something soon or you're going to be disappointed!

A lot of booking engines like to prevent booking more than 6 months ahead (sometimes even as little as 3 months), so that could be your problem.

As others have noted, it is really too early to try to book a hotel now. And there are always hotel rooms open - it's just a matter of how wide you're willing to open your wallet. Saving money is always preferable though - and a lot also depends on what standards you're satisfied with. There are many small and independent places you can try - the big name hotels are often gobbled up first by more expensive tour groups.
If that fails, then as suggested try for a place outside the city. One person suggested Osaka, but you don't have to be so far away. This year I went to Kyoto and stayed in the Otsu City Toyoko Inn - found a room without trouble, and it's only about 10 minutes by train to Kyoto Stn. Not to mention easier to get to Hikone too.