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Kyoto · Hotel shortlist

3 star hotels on the beach in Kyoto

Mei-Lin Zhou

Mei-Lin Zhou Japan

Updated 1 September 2026 · 41 Kyoto hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Kyoto, out of the 41 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.9 down to 4.6.

MIRU KYOTO GION is the one I would book myself.

MIRU KYOTO GION

Highest rated of the five

MIRU KYOTO GION

★★★★★4.9 from 162 reviews

MIRU KYOTO GION comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.9 from 162 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 3 star property and found under old town.

41 hotels in Kyoto qualified for this list and five made it. Hotel Traveltine Kyoto Kiyamachi is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Bara drink without going back out

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All five, ranked

  1. MIRU KYOTO GION1

    MIRU KYOTO GION

    ★★★★★4.9 from 162 reviews

    • Bar
    • Air conditioning

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  2. Hotel Traveltine Kyoto Kiyamachi2

    Hotel Traveltine Kyoto Kiyamachi

    ★★★★★4.7 from 484 reviews

    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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  3. Shiraume3

    Shiraume

    ★★★★★4.8 from 227 reviews

    • Restaurant
    • Air conditioning

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  4. insomnia KYOTO OIKE4

    insomnia KYOTO OIKE

    ★★★★★4.7 from 290 reviews

    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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  5. Richmond Hotel Premier Kyoto Shijō5

    Richmond Hotel Premier Kyoto Shijō

    ★★★★★4.6 from 833 reviews

    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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How this list was put together

41 Kyoto hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Mei-Lin Zhou

Mei-Lin Zhou Japan

Works agency hours in Vancouver and spends all 18 vacation days abroad. One new country and one repeat visit per year. Five trips to Japan and a running list of ramen shops.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.