APA Hotel Kyoto Ekimae

Description:

• Opened in 1999, this smart-looking business hotel is a good choice for its location. Rooms, however, are very small (the cheapest singles are minuscule) but pleasantly decorated and, though close to the train tracks, are relatively quiet. Japanese-style rooms are also available. In short, stay here or at its sister hotel below only if this book's top choices are full or if you don't plan on spending any quality time with your room.

  Another choice includes the nearby APA Hotel Kyotoeki-Horikawa Dori, opened in 2005 just a 2-minute walk farther west at Nishi Aburakojicho, Shiokoji, across the street from the Rihga Royal Hotel (tel. 075/341-6111). It offers similarly miniature rooms at cheaper prices, beginning at ¥9,000 ($75/£38) for a single, ¥12,000 ($100/£50) for a double, and ¥17,000 ($142/£71) for a twin. The cheapest rooms face an inner courtyard (read: no sunshine), and you'll be climbing over your partner to get out of bed in the cheapest double rooms. Note that ¥500 ($4.15/£2.10) per person is added to all APA hotels on Saturday and nights before public holidays; ¥1,000 ($8.35/£4.15) per person is added in peak season.

• © Frommer's 2012