Kyoto neighborhoods

Hi,

I am looking to book a Kyoto hotel in January that is quiet and is easy to get around to tourist locations. The tourist locations we are interested in visiting are sites like Fushimi Inari, Sagano Bamboo Forest, Niji Castle and Gion. The only day trip we will probably be doing is Osaka. It doesn’t need to be in the heart of the action but it should be easy to get to the main sites and quiet enough where we can sleep without too much noise. Any thoughts? I’ve thought about downtown and Gion but worry they might be too loud with drunk people screaming at night but not sure if this is a realistic fear to hear them from the hotel. I also thought about Kyoto station but not sure if you’ll hear the trains or if it really is easy to get around Kyoto from there.

Hi. We have stayed at quite a few locations in Kyoto over the years. I'll identify the hotels not as a recommendation but as a location.
Brighton Hotel - that is central near Imperial Palace. Quiet but a bit boring, too far from anything particularly interesting (spectacular hotel though!)
Hyatt Regency - right next to Sangusendo (sp?) and walking distance to trains and Kiyomizudera. The area (Higashiyama district) is quiet at night, quite pleasant. The Hyatt is very american but a lovely place to stay with awesome breakfasts. The cost is balanced out a bit by great food prices.
Gion - we stayed at a machiya in Gion and really it isnt a very nice area at all. Nice during the day but awful at night unless hookers and touts are your cuppa tea. Closer to Gion corner might be better, I wouldnt recommend it though.
Westin Miyako - this is more north in Higashiyama Ward. A really nice area, probably better if you dont mind taking trains here and there or coughing up for a taxi. Probably out of all of the hotels it is my favorite as it is built into a hill with views and there are walks through the forest. The Japanese rooms in particular are awesome, the rooms with city views are excellent but some others are a bit dorm-ish.

For the convenience of transportation, I recently stayed near the Kyoto station. My room was near the top floor where I could see the trains over a shorter building that is between the station and my hotel. I could hear the trains late at night, but not enough to bother me. My friend's room was facing away from the station and it was very quiet.

Being close to the station is so much more convenient.

I have previously stayed in "downtown" area on Shijo Street, and that was good for being closer to izakaya type restaurant, but Kyoto station area has many eateries, too.

I always stay at Hotel Anteroom in Kyoto. Not in the middle of touristic places but nice design and reasonable rates (and has single rooms) and decent breakfast buffet. You also use the hotels bikes for free. It is also one metro stop away from Kyoto Station. Wrote about it here: https://bizarrejourneys.com/hotel-anteroom/

Hi!

My last 4 trips to Kyoto I've stayed at:

Royal Park Hotel Sanjo: Nice location and nice hotel, I don't remember any traffic noise

Hana Touro Hotel Gion: Its near Gion, but not so near that I saw any prostitutes or touts. (BTW I take back what I've said about Shimbashi not having lots of prostitutes! I don't know if it's gotten worse or if it's just less of an issue going towards Shiodome, but I stayed one night in the Karasaka Ginza this Summer and saw so many prostitutes on my way there from the station. ) The Hana Touro is on a quiet street near a small temple and a short walk from the Keihan Station. I loved the location and the room included a balcony. I keep regretting when I don't stay there again and instead stay somewhere cheaper.

Intergate Kyoto: The location is fine, but the bed felt like a rock. Our room had frosted glass windows which is a pet peeve of mine. I don't care if the view is mediocre, but I hate not being able to see out at all. Has a sento bath for guests only

Visicho Kyoto: Insanely close to Kyoto station and super convenient to the airport bus to Itami, nice coffee machine in the common area, but again rock hard beds. Has a sento bath for guests only.

I would happily stay in the first two but would skip the other two. The Royal park is a short walk to a subway station or a station on the Keihan line and has a popular bus stop on many routes a short walk away. I don't remember any noise.

I've only stayed near Arashiyama once and it was many years ago. I was just doing things in that part of Kyoto so staying there made sense.

Good luck!

Yeah the part of Gion where I remember it being worst for hookers and touts was Yamatoji dori from about Shinbashi dori south toward Gion-Shijo train station, and then the surrounding streets going east-ish. It is a hard neighborhood at night, but fine during the day. We were staying in Shinmonzen dori so to get to Pontocho at night we ended up walking north to the Sanjo station crossing to avoid the "nightlife". Probably the least pleasant of our many Japanese stays, though the machiya itself was spectacular.

In our previous visits, we stayed at Kyomachiya Ryokan Sakura Honganji and Hotel Glad One Shijo Omiya. Both are in quiet neighborhoods but the latter makes for an easy trip to Arashiyama.

「Yeah the part of Gion where I remember it being worst for hookers and touts was Yamatoji」

They have on-the-street prostitution in Kyoto these days? They were't hostess bar workers?

These were women hanging around on street corners or the bottom of buildings late at nights. They didnt look glammed up enough to be hostesses. You'd want to have the beer goggles on for them to look attractive.

This was maybe 7 or 8 years ago now, I havent been back to Gion since except a few years ago to visit our favourite rooftop restaurant at the corner of Shinmonzen dori (best pizza ever!)

We've stayed at the Bach on Shijo Dori several times, it's very nice, convenient, with a lovely bath and (when we were last there) a helpful and knowledgeable concierge.

Have a great time!