We have been travelling around japan with all the family (14 people) and this ryokan has been the very best hotel of all! Very friendly and helpful staff including housekeeper, breakfast and reception. The hotel is located in central Kyoto and very convenient. Brekfast is just excellent, whether you choose japanese or western style. The hotel is not very new... More

Our stay at Watazen was fantastic. The staff is very friendly and helpful, the location is central, and the authentic experience is priceless. Highly recommended! More

The location of Watazen is great. I walked and rode a bike all over town. The staff were so helpful, and assisted me in planning my short two day visit. I really enjoyed my time, and would definitely stay again. I did find everything being on the floor like the bed, the table, and my luggage - a bit difficult,... More

I stayed here with a few friends in 2011, and the experience was excellent. The ryokan itself is a little bit old, and shows a few signs of wear, but the room we were in was free of holes/stains etc. It >was< a smoking room, which put me off a bit, but I guess the previous guests did not smoke,... More

Just spent our Christmas vacation here. I particularly wanted to try the traditional Japanese Ryokan (guesthouse) with tatami. So well before our trip, I did a thorough search on internet. To my surprise, this kind of accomodation (decent ones) is very pricey and unreasonable. This Watazen is the best choice in that the price is affordable, location excellent, good staff... More

We spent one night at this ryokan as we were staying in Tokyo and just wanted to spend a day in Kyoto. The staff were very friendly and the hotel whilst dated was very clean. However we appeared to be the only non-Japanese visitors at the time and were quite disappointed to find at breakfast that everyone else was served... More

we stayed for three nights. it was our first ryokan experience. the room for three was quiet spacious and the maids and hotel staff were extraordinary friendly and helpful. you have the possibility to get japanese breakfast which we would highly recommend. also the kaeseki menu is great. the location is minutes away from nishiki foodmarket and most of the... More

Watazen is a really nice place to stay in Kyoto, the staff were very friendly and helpful thoughout or stay. On arrival the receptionist welcomed us to our room with a traditional tea ceremony. We stayed in a traditional Japanese room sleeping on the Tatami floor which is a great experience which you should try. For breakfast you could choose... More

This is the place for a classic ryokan experience for a reasonable price, we managed to get a good deal on Expedia for a Japanese style room with bathroom, and breakfast and dinner included, so it was excellent value for money. However, for the standard price on their website, I agree with the other reviews that could be a bit... More