Ryokan Yachiyo in Kyoto

hi everyone,

I'm looking for a ryokan in Kyoto for the night of April 5th for 2 people. We'd like to be as close to Gion as possible, and we need a place with either a breakfast-only or no-meals option. I'm willing to spend a bit over 20,000 yen per person, but only if it's a really nice/recommended place--otherwise I'd prefer the 15,000-18,000 range.

one of the places on my short list is Yachiyo, but I have seen such mixed reviews on it that I'm not sure I trust it. Their website looks great and some reviews are excellent, but others warn against it. Some of the negative reviews seem like folks who are used to spotless/new Western hotels and aren't very forgiving... but other complaints seem valid (basically that that place is not at all worth the price). Can anyone give me a better idea of the place?

The three other places I've really looked into (although I'm not sure if they all have vacancy) are Motonago, Seikoro Inn, and Nishiyama. [I know the last one is more a ryokan-style hotel.] And a few others I've written down but don't know much about are Matsui Honkan, Yonbachi, and Hinomoto.

If anyone can give me any advice on any of these places I'd be very grateful!! Or has any other suggestions.

Thanks so much! This is my first ever trip to Japan and this website has been a huge help in figuring everything out!

Compared to other ryokan on the same price level, the Yachiyo is doing poorly in terms of facilities and elegance in my opinion. The room we stayed at and the public bath were in need of renovation. They were unpleasantly old as opposed to pleasantly aged. The service was friendly but rough and lacking the elegance and sophistication found at most ryokan in the same price range.

I have not stayed at the other ryokan that you listed.

Uji, thank you so much for your reply! That's exactly the info I was looking for--I don't mind an old building (in fact, that appeals to me), but not if it's not being taken care of. Thanks for helping me narrow it down!

We've decided to book a night at Motonago. I didn't think they would have any vacancy but they do (as long as we have dinner there)!

again, thanks to everyone on this site/forum, it's been extremely helpful as I plan my trip. :)

Just to avoid misunderstanding: the state of Yachiyo's facilities is not extremely bad. It is just not on the level of what you usually get offered at ryokan on the same price level.