The Royal Park Hotel Kyoto Umekoji (Review)

With a touristic offer mostly built on historical heritage and the sophisticated culture of the former imperial city, Kyoto doesn’t seem the most attractive city when it comes to travelling in Japan with young children. However, the area of Umekoji Park, a short distance west to the Kyoto JR Station, known for its garden enlivened by plum tree blossoms at the end of winter and outdoor playgrounds, is also home to several facilities aimed at welcoming a younger audience, such as:

• Kyoto Aquarium;
• Kyoto Railway Museum; and,
• The large Nishi Hongan-ji temple.

This place is slightly off the lively city-center but convenient for families or groups visiting Kyoto, especially Arashiyama, then traveling in the broader region (Uji, Nara, Osaka or Kobe). Here, we recommend staying at The Royal Park Hotel 🏨 Kyoto Umekoji that can be used as a base.

Useful amenities and services for travelers

This Royal Park hotel was successfully designed to be comfortable and functional. In the 4-stars category, it also offers a good quality of service that helps lighten a traveler’s mental load. Many of its services are very convenient for tourists, especially:

• The option to buy tickets for surrounding attractions directly at the hotel’s reception;
• The room’s TV set that can display the hotel’s laundry room’s occupancy rate in real time; it can also be connected to Chromecast to watch one’s own contents;
• The availability of a large range of toiletries and miscellaneous devices that can be borrowed, such as a DVD/Blu-ray player, a universal adapter, a baby cot, a curling iron, additional pillows, etc.

Moreover, the hotel’s public hot baths, located at the ground floor, at the same level as the reception desk and the restaurant, are really worth a try. Guests can enjoy the pleasure of hot springs that are so typical of Japan but offered in a modern setting adapted to foreign visitors. As a reminder, even though the waters are shared, men and women baths in spaces and pools segregated by gender.

Read more:

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Spacious and harmonious rooms

The Royal Park Hotel Kyoto Umekoji has 246 rooms suited with private bathrooms and toilets 🚽, spreading on several levels and divided into various categories:

• Standard Twin rooms with a 23,4 m² minimal superficies for a single traveler or a couple;
• Corner Deluxe Twin rooms of about 36,5m² superficies and large enough to accommodate 3 persons; and,
• The Suite, that has a beautiful 67,3m² reception space for 4 guests at the top floor.

Depending on the room’s orientation, you can have a view on the Kyoto Tower, or To-ji temple’s 5-story pagoda.

The inside decoration is both welcoming and simple, while reflecting the Japanese way of life based on a harmonious relationship with one’s environment (wa). Japanese train 🚅 amateurs (of all ages) will particularly enjoy a special package designed by the hotel, that includes:

• A Shinkansen-themed room (Train Room);
• Children breakfast served in train-shaped dishes;
• Admission ticket for the Kyoto Railway Museum; and,
• A session on a train simulator.

Restaurant Umegoromo

The daily catering of The Royal Park Hotel Kyoto Umekoji is operated by "Umegoromo", a restaurant serving buffet-style breakfast and lunch. We highly recommend the breakfast and its large choice of delicious savory dishes and sweet Viennese pastries. For a snack or if peckish, a FamilyMart konbini is available at the entrance of the hotel.

In the evening, as the area doesn’t have a large choice of restaurants, we recommend looking for a place to eat in the vicinity of Kyoto Station, that is the closest and liveliest place to have dinner or buy a takeaway meal.

Lastly, complementary to trains, cycling is an interesting way of moving around Kyoto more freely and at a slower pace. Bike 🚲 rentals are available near Umekoji-Kyotonishi station, located a stone’s throw away from the hotel.