ibis Styles Kyoto Shijo (Review)

The "ibis Styles" franchise of budget city hotels owned by French group Accor is taking roots in Japan, especially in the former imperial capital, with the ibis Styles Kyoto Shijo located on the large Shijo-dori shopping street, in the heart of the city. Its central location is ideal and conveniently served by several public transport lines for easy visits of Kyoto over a few days.

The hotel’s interior decoration, at least in the lobby, is inspired by the Zen tradition of Buddhist temples, displaying a karesansui dry garden laid out with rocks and pebbles. The waiting space was designed along the guidelines of an outdoor tea house, with bamboo benches protected by a traditional red parasol.

ibis Styles Kyoto Shijo has 271 rooms, dispatched over 10 floors, all in the standard category, without any distinctive feature regarding design, and of a superficies of either 14 or 19 m² with 1 or 2 beds. There is also one room available for a person with reduced mobility.

It has all the classic amenities of a business hotel in Japan 🏨, such as:

• Air conditioning (that however felt rather weak in summer);
• Wi-Fi Internet 📶 connection (with sometimes unstable signal);
• Japanese-style bathroom 🛁 and WC unit;
• A desk with coffee and tea available and a mini-fridge; and,
• A flat-screen TV hung on the wall.

With simple furniture, the rooms are comfortable, spacious and clean enough to rest after an excursion day. A laundry room with 2 washing machines is also available at the hotel.

Good value for the location, without catering service

Despite its central location in a city as touristy as Kyoto, the hotel offers interesting and competitive rates, partly due to not offering a catering service.

There is indeed no restaurant at the hotel, and also no breakfast buffet. Until recently, the hotel partnered with Tully's Coffee (whose shop was located near the entrance) for a quick breakfast at the café. However the shop closed on July 3, 2024 and the hotel now offers the option to order a ready-made bento 🍱 for breakfast.

However, we recommend taking advantage of the hotel’s surroundings for breakfast: several nice shops and many konbini are located in Shijo-dori avenue, especially near Karasuma and Omiya (Hankyu Line) stations.

The ibis Styles Kyoto Shijo has the characteristics of a well-known brand, with standard services and a good price for its location, all important elements to factor when planning accommodation booking in Kyoto.