Hyatt Place Kyoto Review

I’ve been visiting Japan for the past two weeks or so, and I just wrapped up a five-day trip to Kyoto that culminated with me going to see the famous Gozan no Okuribi (fire festival) for Obon in Kyoto.

Since I was traveling to Kyoto with two other people, I was in search of a single hotel room that I could book for three people so that I could enjoy the convenience of staying together, as well as save money on booking separate hotel rooms.

When I was in the process of booking accommodation for my trip, the Hyatt Place Kyoto immediately caught my attention.

The Cost

I knew that I wanted to plan my trip to Japan a few months before. A few months ago, when the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card released its best-ever introductory offer of 100,000 points after spending $5,000 within the first 3 months of account opening, I immediately jumped onto the offer.

A critical factor that makes Chase points valuable is their ability to be transferred to Hyatt points. Hyatt is well known for providing high-value redemptions with their points, and they didn’t disappoint with the Hyatt Place Kyoto.

For my five-night stay, which was during the Obon holiday (one of the busiest times to travel in Japan), it only cost me 43,000 points to book a single room for three people. This would’ve cost me about $900 to book out of pocket with cash, meaning that I was able to redeem my Hyatt points at a value of more than 2 cents per point, highlighting just how powerful Hyatt points can be.

The Location

Another major factor in why I chose to stay at the Hyatt Place Kyoto is because of its prime location. The hotel is centrally located in Kyoto, as its situated in Nagakyo, known as the central capital ward of the city.

Additionally, the hotel is located right above a subway station: Marutamachi, located on the Karasuma subway line. By following the signs to exit number 6, you don’t even need to go outside to get to the hotel, as there is a covered path that leads straight from the subway station to the hotel entrance.

Since the hotel is located so close to a subway station and is centrally located in Kyoto, I didn’t find any difficulty in getting around Kyoto to all the popular sightseeing spots. Higashiyama District was just a 20-minute bus ride away, and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest was less than an hour's train ride away.

The Room

Since I booked a room that had a capacity of three people, I was given a room with two twin beds, as well as a sofa bed. If you book this room for two people, it normally doesn’t come with the sofa bed set up.

However, when I walked into my room, I was greeted with a pleasant surprise as the sofa bed was all set up with sheets and pillows to sleep comfortably.

The room is a little small, considering how much room all three beds take up. As there are three of us traveling with multiple suitcases, you can imagine how cramped it can get. Luckily, we were able to manage with the space.

The bathroom is typical of Japanese standards, as there is a toilet with a bidet that automatically flushes and has a heated seat. Additionally, the shower and bathtub are separate from each other, as expected.

The Amenities

The Hyatt Place Kyoto comes with a number of amenities available to guests to elevate your stay, most notably washing machines and a breakfast service.

Since I booked my stay with a Guest of Honor award, I was gifted Hyatt Globalist benefits, which included free breakfast for three people, as well as 4 pm late checkout. While the breakfast selection was quite good, with selections such as Japanese omelette, smoked salmon, açai bowls, and rice, I found that they served the exact same food every day I went for breakfast.

I would’ve appreciated it if there were some variety with the breakfast selections. Nonetheless, the breakfast was good considering that it was free, and I was easily able to fill my stomach with food I liked every morning.

Even though the hotel has washing machines, they aren’t free. It costs 600 yen to do a 3kg full load of washing and drying, and the whole cycle takes roughly 2 hours.

I didn’t particularly enjoy my experience with the washing machines. At the end of the cycle, all my clothes were still damp, especially my jeans. I had to haul my clothes to the nearest laundromat a few minutes down the street, and I paid an additional 300 yen to dry my clothes for half an hour.

Final Remarks

Overall, the Hyatt Place Kyoto proved to be a solid choice for my five-night stay during one of the busiest travel periods in Japan. Its unbeatable location right above a subway station made getting around Kyoto seamless, while the ability to book a room for three people at around 8,000 to 9,000 Hyatt points a night was an outstanding redemption.

The room was a bit tight for three travelers with luggage, but it was clean, functional, and thoughtfully prepared. Breakfast was convenient and filling, though it lacked variety, and while having on-site laundry was helpful, the washer-dryer combo machines didn’t perform as well as expected.

If you’re looking for a centrally located hotel in Kyoto that balances comfort, convenience, and excellent value through Hyatt points, the Hyatt Place Kyoto is a strong contender, especially for those traveling with family or friends.