Guesthouse Hyakumanben Cross

Super welcoming staff. Been in that hostel 3 times in a row on my trips to Kyoto. Always a very warm atmospehere. Great library on the 1st and the 2nd floor. Convinient living rooms, european/japanese style, comfortable kitchen with everything for your daily needs and some pleasant unexpected additions. Overall design breaths peace and comfort. I've also been given some good advices by the staff members on local sites and even for a pretty distant trips (for example a good restaurant on Nakasendo trip and another one in Hiroshima). Its always a great stay. Looking forward for my 4th one.

PROS: It's very close to a bus stop that has a lot of lines running through it. There is a cafe on the first floor and their food is good and the people are very kind. The locker provided for luggage is big enough for a whole roller bag. The kitchen, while it's a bit small looked sufficient for cooking, though I didn't. Also, if you are wanting to enjoy a bar there is a nice izakaya that appeared popular with the area college students and a 7-11 was just a short jaunt down the road. CONS: The dorm room I was in was quite small, with only enough room to walk back and forth along the wall of bunk beds. And I don't mind bunk beds, however, I struggle to get in them when I feel like the ladder is going up at a backwards angle. Also, there is a very thin ledge upon which you have to rest your leg in order to get into the bed because there's a guard rail. This edge ended up giving me a big bruise really fast. I ended up having to make a rule for myself that once I got in bed, I wasn't getting out. They were also pretty noisy when getting in. Also, the stairs were very small, made of slick wood and steep and with the no-shoe policy and being in socks, I was terrified I was going to slip and fall and had to go down them one at a time. The living area had a lot of reading material which is nice I suppose but I didn't spend any time on it. The seating areas were either hardwood or a small couch that is small enough that it would be awkward to sit on it with someone I don't know. The kitchen is a bit small but if you're intent on cooking at a hostel, it should be sufficient. Overall: I stayed at this hostel because my preferred hostel was booked up and I booked a different hostel that I liked (Guesthouse Tu Casa) for the last few days I was in Kyoto. Honestly, maybe I was getting into the beds incorrectly but that had a big impact on my comfort while I was there so I won't be staying here again.