Art Mon Zen Kyoto

This is listed as a 3 star hotel. It is not. It is the most luxurious hotel we’ve stayed at, including 5 star properties. The room was amazing. The location was perfect. Although everyone in Japan seems extraordinarily nice, the staff here beat even that standard. There was not one second of our time at this property that wasn’t perfect. 10/10.

The property itself felt a little less hip and young than places we typically stay, but it was such a comfortable stay. The bed & soaking tub was a dream, the location and staff top notch. We really enjoyed our stay.

The Executive room was grand, complimented by high ceilings and just an overall large space compared to many other hotels/inns one would expect in Japan. The room was clean, and the bed was incredibly comfortable (much larger than your typically king size) after your long days in Kyoto. The hotel is located in Gion and is a quiet and beautiful neighborhood in Kyoto, nestled in between the main touristy area and Marayuma park. There is a Family mart just outside the hotel and a coin laundry - extreme convenience. Hotel staff were incredibly nice and helped with luggage delivery service to our next hotel. Would definitely stay here again in the future!

Amazing. I will be back. Literally a 5 star experience walking distance to the most beautiful area in Kyoto. Very easy to access anything you want; food, shopping, shrines, metro and trains.

The staff couldn’t be more kind always arranging taxis or giving suggestions of where to go and eat etc..

I was sad to leave this hotel. That doesn’t happen very often in traveling. I will be back here one day soon.
❤️

This is an exceptional small hotel. It's on a quiet street, but close to great restaurants, shops and transportation. Every staff member was professional, polite, helpful and friendly. We would most certainly recommend this property to friends visiting Kyoto.

The Art Mon Zen is one of the most delightful hotels I have ever stayed in. The rooms were beautiful, immaculately clean and incomparable comfortable. Each one features unique and fascinating antiques (ours had a cuneiform tablet, Roman bowl and Ming vase). The breakfasts were skillfully prepared and artfully presented; we ended up eating there every day we could. The afternoon tea was whimsical, gorgeous and utterly delicious - don't miss it if you stay here! The location is basically perfect: in Gion, walking distance to the river, the Path of Philosophy, Kiyomizu, Yasaka, Gion's shopping, etc. Sanjo station is three minutes away, from whence you can easily connect to anywhere in the Kyoto train system. And despite all that, the staff is what truly made our trip magical. They were polite, attentive and always friendly. They helped us organize a variety of outings and dinners across Kyoto, all of which were perfect. They even rescued us from a mountain hike, when we lost phone service and couldn't call our taxi. They went well beyond 'above and beyond' in every way. I have stayed in luxury hotels across the world, and I can say without caveat that the Art Mon Zen is one of the finest you will ever have the privilege of enjoying.

Our stay was wonderful. The room was beautiful and well appointed. The staff was extraordinary. Helpful, warm, and made our stay Incredible. We highly recommend this property.

This hotel is gorgeous. The staff treated us with the utmost kindness. It felt as if we were their only customers. The food was amazing. The hotel room itself was exquisitely luxurious. One of my most favorite places to stay of all the hotel visits I've had.

The room was immaculate and it was easy to walk to great restaurants and neighborhoods. The staff were very helpful.

This is the best hotel that we have stayed at in Japan. The room was incredible and the staff were fantastic. The location was great.
We would highly recommend this hotel to anyone wanting a large luxurious room

Art Mon Zen is an exceptional boutique hotel located in the heart of Gion. Location is perfect to explore Kyoto, with some of the best attractions and restaurants in the city mere steps away. The Executive room we stayed in was very spacious, tastefully furnished and decorated, quiet at night and beautifully bright during the day thanks to the floor to ceiling windows. The bed was very large and extremely comfortable and the air conditioning whisper silent and effective. The bathroom included a supersized high pressure rain shower and a Jacuzzi. Not sure why this is classed as a 3 star hotel, when the comfort and beauty of the room and the exceptionally high level of service could easily grant it a 5 star rating. We couldn't have been happier with the choice of our Kyoto hotel!

Hotel was great, rooms were giant and so was the bed! Very soft and comfy. Location if you’re looking to be a block from Gion without the foot traffic chaos is perfect. There is a Lawson’s (convenience store) next door which is great (and you can smoke there if you’re a smoker in search of a rare spot). I would suggest to the hotel to put copies of the restaurant menus in the rooms and do not disturb signs. But that’s just a small thing. Would definitely stay there again.

The hotel is beautiful - our room was massive by Japanese standards, and luxurious. Great location for Gion but very quiet. The staff were wonderful - warm and helpful. Amazing breakfasts in beautiful surroundings. We would definitely stay there again.

TLDR: 6* rooms, 5* location, 3* service

Disclaimer: We stay at luxury properties regularly.

Stay at AMZ if: you like high-end finishes, art and cleanliness. Rooms were spacious, comfortable and outstrip the Park Hyatts and Ritz Carltons in terms of quality of finishing. Also extremely clean (take it from someone who inspects under her bed, room corners, drain holes and shower grouting). The location is great, on a street full of top galleries including the hotel owner’s.

Do not stay if: you want amenities like a gym and variety of restaurants, that’re available at larger properties. To be fair the hotel is officially rated 3*.

Also, service: only one lady in the entire team was impressive, going out of her way to look for an English-speaking doctor for me when I fell ill. For the most part everyone else ignored us; although they were pleasant enough once approached. This is ok by European standards. Just do not expect the kind of enthusiastic Japanese hospitality you are accustomed to in other institutions.

Incredibly spacious room. Friendly staff. Surrounding area great dining options. Sparkling bathroom with large tub and shower.

Excellent location for this 1 year old hotel. The staff all spoke good English and were very helpful. They assisted in the usual tourist questions such as “what is the best way to get to the golden temple?”

Depending on what direction you walked, in 10 minutes you could be at a major shrine, heart of the historic area, at the museum district, or at upscale shopping. Oh, the subway and major train station is a 2 minute walk.

This is probably the best hotel I've stayed at. And for the price, it was amazing. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The breakfast was so delicious, and we ate dinner at the restaurant as well and it was also exceptional. The room was massive, with great attention to detail, style, and cleanliness. We were completely happy with how well this stay turned out. The neighborhood was perfect because it is a close walk to the train and many areas of Kyoto, but also on a quiet, quaint street. This hotel was on par with our honeymoon hotel in Tahiti, and when I've stayed at the Four Seasons.

Probably the nicest hotel I have stayed in and easily had the best front office staff. Not a huge hotel but people that will go out of the way to help you. Would highly recommend. However word of warning, if you book for 1 person only you can sleep in the room.

We stayed here for 5 nights. The staff are all very welcoming and friendly. Our room was extremely nice and very comfortable. It was light and airy feeling and very spacious. The bed was great, and so comfortable. The hotel is in a quiet street so it was very peaceful at night. The location is perfect for exploring Kyoto, the sites, restaurants and shops are all nearby. Our rate in included breakfast. You are not offered any options for breakfast, you just have what they bring on a tray which was the same every day of our stay. It would have been nice to have some options to choose from. Having said that we would definitely stay here again but would not choose a rate which includes breakfast.

This is a great hotel,within 5 mins easy walking distance from a Gion train station, making it easy to get to and a useful base for exploring Kyoto. The room was excellent! Modern, clean and elegantly decorated. It was clear that the staff took pride in their rooms, and hotel in general, and throughout our visit went out of their way to ensure that we were well catered for. Breakfast is continental style, served in the restaurant, which is enough to set you up for the day. We really loved the attention to detail throughout all aspects of this hotel and I would highly recommend if looking for somewhere nice to stay in Gion.