This is one of those reels which appear once on my feed and start to show me every single content that features the same hotel. I would have usually selected to stay at a hotel nearer to the train stations, but the multiple social media reels managed to convince me to book in with this hotel, which is a 10-minute walk from the train station
Located in the heart of Kyoto city centre, Onyado Nono Kyoto Shichijo offers a traditional ryokan experience with tatami mat floors throughout the entire hotel
Opened in 2021, the property is relatively new and quite well maintained. As all guests are required to remove their shoes before entering the rest of the property, the tatami floor is kept clean. All customers will have to leave their shoes in the locker area to the right side of the lobby, where there are more than 200 shoe lockers with keys. You will carry the locker key with you each time you are inside the hotel. For those feeling shy, you need to remember to wear pretty socks. The check-in counter is past the shoe lockers and has both self-service and assisted counters. There is a systematic queue in play, and staff appear to direct you to the counters. The check-in process took about 15 minutes and was pretty smooth. We sent our big pieces of luggage from Osaka, and it arrived before our check-in
The lobby area is very spacious, with an area set aside for free beverages from the dispensers throughout the day and shelves which provide different amenities for use during the stay. They also provide toe socks for use when walking around the internal hotel area. They also hold luggage for guests who have checked out
The corridors are bright and cheery with the same traditional onsen ryokan decoration, the added point is the warm and heated floor, which was perfect for walking on with just our socks
The moment you enter the room, you will pass a small corridor area with a storage cupboard for luggage, a coat cupboard for your jackets, amenities for the bath and toilet, and the mini bar fridge. To the right of the space is the small toilet, which is separated from the bath and has a small tap for hand washing. The bath area is a small cubicle with a showerhead and sitting space, while the wash basin is set outside the bath capsule. Both rooms are quite small and can be quite claustrophobic for larger-sized customers. The main sleeping area is quite spacious, with 2 low Western beds, a sitting area with cushions and a coffee table. I chose a Western bedroom vs a Tatami room, and this was one without windows, which was cheaper in rates. The beds are relatively soft but still provide acceptable support, but the pillows were way too flat and soft for me
A quick room tour video, which was taken at the wrong angle due to my tiredness that evening
After getting a quick rest, we went to explore the rest of the hotel and also claim our free ramen for supper. The restaurant for breakfast and supper was located on the 1st floor. Supper is from 9 pm to 11 pm and is free for all guests. There is a free beverage during supper time via the machine with selections like coffee, tea, matcha and hot chocolate. We found ourselves an empty table and went ahead to queue for the noodles through the very systematic arrangement of each guest getting a tray and utensil and waiting for an available bowl of ramen. 2 chefs are cooking during supper, and they serve the ramen very fast since there is only 1 type of ramen and no special customisation. The bowl of noodles is quite a substantial amount for 1 person for supper, as it fills the stomach with warm soup and is not overly filling on the stomach. The noodles were chewy and springy with toppings of green onions and bamboo shoots, and shoyu-based broth
After supper, we explored the rest of the areas, and there was a corridor full of massage chairs and sofa seating for customers to chill and rest. There is also a lounge area where guests can get a free flow of ice popsicles from 3 pm to 1 am and Yakult from 5 am to 10 am. The onsen is split into Male and Female, and there is a given code to enter the female onsen for safety. There is also a laundry room with many machines, an area with a microwave and more than 2 drinks and snacks vending machines for guests who do not wish to venture out of the hotel to buy stuff
Next is the highlight of the stay, which is the breakfast. One of the main reasons I booked this hotel is due to the breakfast. I booked rooms which came packaged with breakfast, which cost about SGD 20 to 30 more per night. On our first morning, we went down for breakfast around 8am, and it was already very packed with ushers assigning us to tables to help with the flow of customers. Signs were put up to ensure all customers follow the flow and no jumping of the queue is allowed. You start the queue by picking up a tray or trolley with 2 trays and approach the first station, the pickled station, which has a wide array of pickled vegetables like cucumber, radish, plum, seaweed, bamboo shoots and more. The next station was the small side dish station with items like natto, chawanmushi, miso soup, chilled tofu, seasoned sesame vegetables, potato salads, etc. The next station was a big pot of braised beef with onions, which I skipped
The next section is the grilled food, including miso fish, pan-fried mackerel, salmon, and egg rolls. The next section, which really attracted me, was the live frying station for tempura vegetables and shrimp, which came with grated radish and dipping sauces. The next section was quiet, as it was the salad, fruit, and bread roll stations. Next station includes the Western delights like scrambled eggs, fried nuggets, sausages, hash brown, fried ebi and sunny side egg. The last station is definitely the main highlight for me and the main reason why I booked the breakfast package. This was the free-flow Chirashi don station with fresh salmon, tuna, ikura, whelk and scallops with grated Japanese yam
This was my first breakfast, and I made sure I took a small bowl of almost everything. My 2nd breakfast was in a rush, so I did not take any photos, but I focused a lot more on items which were really nice. Firstly, the Chirashi don did not disappoint as the fish was very fresh, and I had overflowing toppings with the minimal amount of rice. The tempura and ebi fry was nice and crunchy with rather thin batter, so it is not too cloying on the stomach. The pickled and side dishes were also perfect with rice, but I was too full to get a 2nd bowl of rice after the Chirashi don. Overall, the breakfast was 10/10 since the variety was more than one can eat on 1 setting and the quality is also wonderful. I would have stayed at least 3 nights to fully enjoy everything in the breakfast spread without overly stuffing my stomach
Overall, it was a very relaxing stay at Onyado Nono Kyoto Shichijo. I like the concept of a ryokan right in the city centre of Kyoto, and most stores are not too far away. The main train station was about 15 to 20 minutes away, and you can get ramen stores, Yakiniku shops just 5 5-minute walk away. The rooms were comfortable enough, although I would have preferred my bed and pillow with better support. The onsen itself has many different pools and was relatively crowded in the evening, so to avoid the crowd, it would be good to visit in the morning. The star for me is the breakfast, which could possibly be the main reason why I might stay at the hotel again
Address: 491番地 Zaimokucho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8146, Japan
Room rates from SGD 162
Bear Travels . Bear Eats . Bear Cooks 