Palace Side Hotel

Description:

• Budget-conscious travelers in the know have been flocking to this modest hotel with its contemporary lobby and cafe for more than 3 decades. Although its location just west of the Imperial Palace is not as convenient as my other inexpensive recommendations in central Kyoto, it's near a subway line and offers more facilities than most (joggers like running on palace grounds). With the exception of original artwork that graces half the rooms by artists who actually stayed in them, rooms (all nonsmoking) resemble those in a dormitory, small with just the basics of a desk too tiny for any serious work, windows that open, and old tiled bathrooms. More expensive twins add a sofa bed; and the most expensive twins have both sofas and kitchenettes (these are also sold as triples but are cramped). Long-term rates and a communal atmosphere attract many who come to Kyoto to study or work.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010