Hokoku Shrine

Don't let the messy reception area fool you. This is a great place to stay in Kyoto! Fantastic proprietor, large clean room and comfortable beds. It's a great choice for a budget hotel and gives you everything you need for your stay.

The room was comfortable, well-appointed, and surprisingly spacious for Namba. The air conditioning and television were also very easy to use, which is a welcome touch for non-Japanese-speaking travellers, as hotel room controls in Japan can sometimes be difficult to navigate, even with AI translation tools. What let the hotel down, however, was the breakfast experience. There were lengthy queues each morning simply to be seated, as only one hostess was managing the process. Most guests do not want to begin their day by waiting in line for up to 15 minutes, particularly when there are plenty of vacant tables available in a large dining area. It seemed unnecessary for guests to have to wait to be formally seated. Once inside, there was further congestion due to there being only one coffee machine and one toaster, resulting in even more queuing in what is clearly a very busy hotel. Overall, the room itself was excellent, but the breakfast operation would benefit from some improvements to better accommodate the number of guests.

Staff was amazing and very helpful. Hotel clean and right across the street from a 7-11.