All staff were so polite and helpful. The whole Ryokan was soo clean. The public bath was nice too. After a full day walk, it's good relax. The dinner was great, very well prepared and very tasty, highly recommended. The breakfast was very good too. Location of the ryokan is less than 10 min. walking from JR Kyoto station.

The room was a bit small, but we understand this is how a typical Ryokan in the center of Kyoto would be.

Everything. The lovely and attentive staff. The attention to detail. The ambiance. The tatoo friendly onsen. The in-room japanese style breakfast. Everything is just perfect. Staying in this place is an experience itself and a highlight of our Kyoto trip.

NOTHING. Everything is perfect!

The breakfast was a wonderful multicourse Japanese meal served in the banquet room. Though breakfast service did cost extra, it was well worth the expense. We enjoyed the shabu shabu dinner and the sake flight. The staff were friendly and informative, the food was delicious, the sento were amazing, and the location was central to metro, food, and shopping. It was an excellent stay. The entire crew was also English-friendly while being patient with my broken Japanese. Our stay at the ryokan was the midway point in our trip, so coming to Yamadaya was a wonderful rest. Definitely check out nearby Potoncho Alley for food, and be sure to make a reservation. I also encourage a day trip to Kurama-dera and Kurama onsen (which just reopened!), as well as Nara/Todaiji temple, and Fushimi-Inari Taisha (get there at sunrise).

There is nothing I would have changed!

Love and I mean Love my stay in yamadaya ryokan, every single staff was amazing from the moment I step into the ryokan to the moment I left. The older lady who owned the ryokan was so nice and patient with explaining everything to me with a translation device and was very friendly, there were no lift at the ryokan but my heavy luggage was delivered to my room. Lady at the front desk was also very kind/caring and offered me a warm pack as it was a cold day when I was there. Ordered the dinner (a must, trust me) and the younger waitress was also super patient in explaining each of the dishes and the meaning of the dishes. Wish I could have stayed longer. Everything about this place was amazing.

Nil

The staff was really nice, helpful and polite. We loved that we were offered a fresh cup of tea upon arrival followed by a tour of the Ryokan with thorough explanation. Getting to wear beautiful yukata and relaxing in the onsen every night after a long day was such a dream ! We loved the nice little zen garden of the Ryokan too. It was so comfortable sleeping on the futon on the tatami. We appreciated the way we were greeted and treated during our stay with proper Japanese etiquette. Overall it was a beautiful and memorable experience I'll never forget !

We had an incredible experience staying here! All of the staff were incredibly polite, and eager to help us out when needed. Upon check-in, they personally walked us through all of the hotel's ammenities from the tablet in our room to the laundry in the lobby. The futons were very soft, almost no difference to sleeping on a mattress. There were also complementary robes and toiliteries available. The public bath was pretty big, overlooked a small but beautiful garden, and had all of the ammenities one could need. This location is less than a 10 minute walk from Kyoto station, located right accross from a huge temple, and also located close to restaurants and convenience stores.

We loved our hosts who were incredibly friendly, caring, attentive, and warm. Room was amazingly clean with beautiful tatami mats. Two public baths, one with a view of a small, but lovely garden, were great to use at the end of a long, hot day. The highlight of our stay was the kaiseki breakfast—definitely worth the extra charge. Finally, the location was ideal. Kyoto Station was about a ten minute walk, the stunning Hongan Higashi-ji temple was right across the street, and we found some great restaurants nearby. Central and convenient, but also surprisingly calm and quiet.

Great central location in walking distance from Kyoto station. The owners and staff are very hospitable, attentive, and helpful. The place is impeccably clean and well-run, everything is thought through to the smallest detail. It is an excellent way to experience the Japanese way of living - from Japanese tea and sweets to tatami and futon beds to traditional hot baths. Note that the traditional Japanese breakfast and dinner are available but must be arranged well in advance as the food is prepared per request only.

Nothing to complain about. I loved the stay.

The staff is so nice! They try their very best to accommodate you any way you can and their service is top notch. I specially liked how the owner of the place was there for both the dinner and the breakfast! It was something surprising and very humbling. It is also a tattoo friendly place so you can use the hot baths even if you have a tattoo. Also LGTBQ friendly since my partner are a gay couple. Overall this is a great place to stay for a relaxing time.

I had a hard time getting used to the traditional futon. It was not something I was used to I was not used either with the temperature of the Onsen. It was very hot, so I was not able to stay very long.

The location is perfect, it is just a few minutes away from Kyoto Station. The breakfast was delicious, also very traditional and healthy. The room was comfortable and clean. We enjoyed our time in the onsen, they have one small and one big onsen, which the ryokan admin alternates, so one day the big onsen is for men and the next day for women. The staff if extremely nice and helpful, they received us with tea and a delicious matcha pastry, they gave us umbrellas when it was raining and a heat patch to keep us warm. I definitely recommend it!

The only thing we can complain is the dryer. We use the washing and drying facilities, we dried the clothes for one hour and it was still wet. The facilities closed at midnight together with the onsen area and unfortunately we had to leave the hotel the next day with some wet clothes.