Granvia Kyoto Hotel

, Kyoto, Japan
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Granvia Kyoto Hotel

5 star

Rooms: 539

901 Higashi-Shiokoji-cho Shiokoji Sagaru Karasuma-Dori - Kyoto - 600 - Japan Hotel Website | | 0753448888
802 Traveller

Reviews - Granvia Kyoto Hotel

8/10
Excellent location
Submitted by: Tygaman in 06/04/06
  • Age Group: 31 - 40
  • From: Australia
  • Traveller type: Young Couple
Granvia Kyoto was excellently located on top of the train station and close to bus services to all the sights. The hotel is quite large and the foyer busy as it seems to a meeting place for people not staying at the hotel. Despite that, check-in was fast and efficient. Our room was quite large for Japan and comfortable. For a 5-star hotel, there was not a lot included in the price of the room. Breakfast was very expensive, no coffee making in the room (had to pay for a filter coffee?) and also they charged 1000 yen per person per visit to the pool which was off-putting. Overall, the hotel was good and we would stay there again if we return to Kyoto someday.
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9/10
Exceptionally nice hotel
Submitted by: Teresa Wan in 22/06/05
  • Age Group: 31 - 40
  • From: hk
  • Traveller type: Young & Single
Hotel Granvia is an exceptionally nice hotel with excellent location right above the JR Train Station. Very convenient and easy to find. This is especially helpful when you are a first time visitor in Kyoto. Unlike some typical Japanese hotels, room space at Granvia is very spacious. I will definitely consider staying at Hotel Granvia next time I am in Kyoto.

Historical Traveller Reviews of Granvia Kyoto Hotel

Hectic but Central Location; Problem with Reservation

from qaz123
We had a problem with our reservation--the website, Reservetravel.com, that we used gave us a rate that the hotel asserted they did not offer. DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE TO BOOK YOUR HOTEL RESERVATION. As a result, we paid a higher price than we had booked for a smaller room with a view of the train station roof. The hotel management simply would not budge, which made us feel they were being rigid to the point of absurdity. That said, the room was nice enough, though nothing special. The location, as the title of the review suggests, was very central, especially with respect to the subway and bus system, but not as central with respect to the nightlife/restaurant area or the tourist sites.

Even though the hotel is on the second story of the train station--supposedly removed from the crowds--it gets overrun at certain times of the day. Not a tranquil place, to say the least.

All in all, this was a nice, though not spectacular by any means, hotel, in a central location that is ultimately overpriced.

Excellent Location

from Tygaman
Granvia Kyoto was excellently located on top of the train station and close to bus services to all the sights. The hotel is quite large and the foyer busy as it seems to a meeting place for people not staying at the hotel. Despite that, check-in was fast and efficient. Our room was quite large for Japan and comfortable. For a 5-star hotel, there was not a lot included in the price of the room. Breakfast was very expensive, no coffee making in the room (had to pay for a filter coffee?) and also they charged 1000 yen per person per visit to the pool which was off-putting. Overall, the hotel was good and we would stay there again in we return to Kyoto someday.

Great experience

from creining
Stayed here for two nights on vacation. After traveling from Tokyo to Hakone to Hiroshima and then to Kyoto, it was very wonderful stepping off the train and pretty much being at the hotel already! Check in went fine. The room was rather spacious (a double) and was very clean and comfortable. Supposedly they don't offer a double non-smoking room but my room didn't smell like smoke as I had requested some sort of ion cleansing process that they perform beforehand. I never ate at any of the restaurants there but perusing their prices I can assure you that there are much better alternatives outside the hotel. The only downside was that my room had absolutely no view, it wasn't facing the train tracks but was on the other side facing some sort of large plastic honeycomb structure which I'm not quite sure what it was. Overall, great hotel and reasonably priced.

Pleasant Hotel, Nice Location

from speedytimmy
Pleasant hotel with generally good service levels. Restaurants and bars did seem expensive, but there are so many places in the city worth going to instead. As others have mentioned there is a Starbucks across the street and the Isetan department store has a couple of levels of food if you just want something easy for breakfast like fruit/pastries. Staff in lobby were efficient, polite and quick. Room was fine, not obullent, but still nice. Free broadband is a definite plus for checking out local attractions (japan-guide was very helpful) and train times. Location is hard to beat for arriving/departing (note, they will hold your bags after you check out on the day of your departure) and side trips (Himeji and Nara recommended). Would definitely stay here again.

Loved the Granvia

from spumilia
Last time in Kyoto I stayed at the Westin. In March I stayed at the Granvia... Great location... close to all transportation. Lots of restarants in and around the station. Room was really nice.

Great hotel experience

from FayMinneapolis
We stayed at the Granvia for 4 days in March 2006. It was one of the best hotel experience I have ever had. The hotel is in the train station plaza, and it was simple to get to, especially when we were so tired following our 14 hour flight and the train ride into Kyoto. From the first moment you enter the hotel, you are treated well. We were greeted by one of the women who handles your bags, and escorted to the reception area. We had requested a room with a good city view, and were given a room in the north tower overlooking the city and the Kyoto tower. The room was large, spotless and beautiful. The amenities included soaps, body sponges, a comb and brush, toothbrushes with toothpaste, razors, shower caps, cotton balls etc. The staff was very polite and helpful. While their english wasn't great, we had no problems with communicating and getting our questions answered.

The location of the hotel can't be beat. The buses and subways are right out the door, there is tourist information in a building just across the plaza, and an entire shopping mall underneath the hotel. Thanks to this website, I knew that there was a tea-maker in the room, but no free coffee. As I need my coffee in the morning, we brought coffee and filters from home, and created a make shift coffee pot out with the hot water from the tea maker in the room. If you like good morning pastries, there is a great pastry shop at the bus information center just out the hotel's front door.

I simply can't recommend this hotel strongly enough.

One tip, if you fly into Osaka and train into Kyoto, instead of buying a train ticket from Osaka to Kyoto, buy a one day JR rail pass. It is good for travel to and from the airport and lowers the cost from 2960 yen to 2000 yen.

Overall a positively average hotel experience

from RichardLister
Overall a positively average hotel experience. Headlines are good location, poor room selection, mediocre rooms, expensive restaurants and not very friendly staff. We stayed in this hotel while on holiday after catching the bullet train down from Tokyo. We selected this hotel as it appeared to be the best in Kyoto - I do think that this is probably true, but that speaks more for the general quality of hotels in this city rather than the specific value of the Granvia.

The location of this hotel is indisputably its best feature. Attached directly to Kyoto railway station, just a few minutes walk from the bullet train, right next to the bus station and also a never ending supply of taxis, you absolutely cannot fault its connections.

Now a word of warning – according to the Manager of this hotel, they do not have any non-smoking double rooms. The only non-smoking rooms in their hotel are twin rooms. So if you prefer your room not to smell of smoke, but to sleep in the same bed, do not stay here!

We arrived having booked a room on Expedia described as “Superior Double” and “Separate shower and tub”. These were not part of the “we’ll send these requests to the hotel but can’t guarantee” section – they were part of the written description of the room we were booking. When we checked in, we were told we had been allocated a twin room. We protested for a while and when the receptionist eventually realised we would not back down she left us to stand there for about 5 minutes. Eventually she returned with the Manager who explained the room situation as I described above. He also explained that they had no rooms with separate showers – the word “separate” was actually meant to refer to the fact that some of their bathrooms have the toilet separate to the rest. So the overall tip is to beware of the room descriptions on internet booking engines!

We eventually settled for a Deluxe Double room which was a smoking room which had a moderate smell of smoke which we had to accept. The room was generally quite small and averagely equipped – the bathroom was extremely small, but not a bad shower in the bath. Free internet was a bonus (not wireless though).

The room service menu is particularly limited and the majority of restaurants in the hotel are extremely highly priced. There is a reasonably restaurant on the ground floor where we had quite a good meal, but otherwise I wouldn’t recommend eating in the hotel. The bar in the lobby is especially expensive with a double espresso costing over £5. Luckily there are two Starbucks just a few minutes walk from the hotel (one across the road underneath the Kyoto Tower, the other in the shopping centre under the bus station). Once again, the staff weren’t too friendly in the restaurants – for example you pay on the way out and they just presented us with a total and really weren’t too happy when we asked to see a breakdown (which I recommend you do, as restaurants do regularly add all kinds of extras in Japan).

A good alternative is to go to the restaurants on the top floor of the department store at the other end of the station. We had a very good Okonomiyaki meal there one evening. However make sure you’re not too late – we went up for a meal at about 9:15 on a Saturday and got turned away by every restaurant as they were closing (even though their signs say they close at 10pm).

Excellent Hotel and Excellent Value

from Marybs6
We spent four nights at the Granvia and loved everything about it. The location is unbeatable, as everyone has said. It's at the train station and the bus terminal is just outside.

It is also elegant and very comfortable. Our room was large, and had a lovely bathroom with a huge tub. I really enjoyed it after a day of walking Kyoto. The bed was luxurious with a mountain of pillows. Some of the hotels we stayed at in Japan were quite stingy with the pillows. We had a great view of Kyoto out our window. You get all the pampering common to nice Japanese hotels; tons of free bathroom amenities, comfy slippers to wear, tea makings in the room, an English-language newspaper every morning, and of course, the toilet with a heated seat and built-in bidet

The service was always warm and efficient. There is free internet access in a room behind the concierge desk. As others have mentioned, the train station complex offers every kind of restaurant you could want so we never ate at the hotel. I can't think of why I'd stay anywhere else in Kyoto.

I made our reservation at the hotel website and got a better deal than discount sites were offering, $173 per night including all taxes and fees.

Incredible hotel, great value, convenient, zero flaws!

from brooklyncouple
We arrived in Kyoto's rainy season (June) for a 4-night stay. We had originally chosen the Kyoto Royal after reading about numerous hotels in our guidebook (but didn't check TripAdvisor). After seeing our room at the Royal (see my review of that hotel), we promptly decamped for the Granvia, which we marveled at while arriving on the Shinkansen. The Granvia, which is built directly above the Kyoto train station, is marvelous. Incredible staff, amazing architecture, spacious, modern rooms, views to die for... it has everything! It's even attached to one of Kyoto's huge department stores with its endless restaurants and food courts. We had absolutely no complaints and were delighted watching the rain clouds roll across Kyoto's mountains from our high floor picture window. 4 stars!!!

Excellent Hotel and location

from A TripAdvisor Member
We stayed at the Granvia for 5 nights at the end of Dec 05. The room was very nice, new and clean. very comfortable beds and a good bathroom. We had a nice view onto Kyoto Tower. Staff is friendly and helpful, their English is ok. THe hotel restaurants are not so good and expensive. there are plenty of restaurants and food mall at the station complex and outside. there is a large busstation in front of the hotel and the metro underneath. Very easy to travel around. THe hotel was good value for what it is and I can only recommend it.

Top Local Tips for Kyoto

Trains The trains in Japan are an excellent mode of transport, they are always on time. Allow yourself enough time from when you get your tickets to find the right platform as some of the stations ie Tokyo are quite large. I would recommend at least 20 minutes from when you buy your ticket til when the train leaves.

Johhny the Hill Walker We went on the Johnny the Hillwalker tour guide. Johnny gives a delightful behind-the-scenes tour, begins right at the Kyoto train station, and (contrary to his title) walks on mostly flat areas. Very reasonable. Google his website.

subway Use the subway. Very fast and cheap. Staff are heplfull.

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