Spent three nights there. We stayed on the third floor in a room called Wind. The decor might not appeal
to everyone...it's more Chinese than Japanese. So it's really a matter of taste. But overall, the room was clean and well appointed with even an air purifier included. What stood out at this hotel was the service staff. They really demonstrated their willingness to go the extra mile when we wanted to buy something badly. They joined the hunt by calling the store in downtown Kyoto daily to see if stocks had come in. They even called a branch of the store in Nagoya (our next destination) to see if they had stock of what we wanted. Location wise, this hotel sits near the old district of Gion and is walking distance from the main shopping belt in Kyoto, including Nishiki market, so no complaints. The downside, other than the decor, which may not be to everyone's taste, is that there's no room service and the hotel restaurant only opens for breakfast, so you have to eat out or buy back for all other meals. Overall, a good hotel with dedicated and helpful staff. We would recommend it despite slight inconveniences.

We stayed in this hotel for 3 nights at the end of April 2011. After reading the reviews we had high expectations and whilst I don't necessarily disagree with other review we found the service to be a bit overbearing and intrusive.

The happy hour was great, location good and the room was clean and well equipped (although the motion sensor on the toilet could cause a fright in the middle of the night).

We were happy to discuss our plans with staff but found their desire to recommend places overbearing. We're usually keen to take recommendations, but it is also enjoyable to stumble upon places yourself. We felt that they were recommended the same places to all their guest and that these were screened as 'safe for tourists'. Saying that, none of the restaurants we were recommended we're less than good, just nothing exciting and all a bit 'safe'.

Also, we didn't like all the staff gathering around the lift door and bowing as it closed. I guess this is a great honour in Japan and the height of politeness, but to 2 young Londoners it just felt a bit uncomfortable.

I'm not keen to be the only person posting a less than glowing review of Mume. I can imagine it is the perfect hotel for many guest, but we felt service was a bit too intrusive.

Everything said below is true - this is a great hotel in the centre of historical Kyoto.

The position is excellent, within easy walking distance of loads of the best temples to visit, and the interesting cobbled streets of Gion for traditional restaurants etc. They are happy to make (excellent) recommendation for dinner and to assist with travel plans.

In fact, it is quite obvious that the lovely ladies who run the place love nothing more than being helpful and making your stay with tham as wonderful as possible.

The breakfast is truly excellent, particularly the freshly baked breads and homemade preserves. The happy hour is a nice touch in a country where drinks are rather expensive.

Our room was the smallest category but (particularly by Japanese standards) was in no way pokey - it was quite spacious, beautifully decorated, and it had teh best toilet we saw in all our time in Japan (this is noteworthy - you will understand after a little time in Japan).

Not terribly cheap but actually far better than places around the world where I have spent a lot more for a night's accommodation. Thoroughly, thoroughly recommended.

It is difficult to properly sing the praises of Hotel Mume. All the positive things that have been said here before are accurate. Based on the reviews on this site, we booked this hotel for our stay in Kyoto 6 months in advance, before we even had our airfare. I didn't want to let the opportunity to stay here pass us by and I am certainly glad I didn't. We found Kyoto to be one of the most welcoming and friendly places we have ever visited and Hotel Mume was the epitome of that hospitality. From the moment we arrived, we felt like we were more than guests...we felt like family. While all the tangible amenities and services were as great as everyone has described, it was the intangible feeling of the staff truly caring about the quality of our stay and entire trip that made this the best hotel we have had the pleasure to enjoy.