Hotel ZIZI Kyoto Gion

Warning: If you don’t have the front door and room code before arrival, you may be sleeping on the street. There is NO staff onsite.
⚠️ 注意: 到着前に玄関ドアと部屋のコードを受け取っていない場合、路上で寝ることになるかもしれません。スタッフは常駐していません。
⚠️ 경고: 도착 전에 현관문과 객실 코드가 없으면 길에서 자야 할 수도 있습니다. 직원이 상주하지 않습니다.
⚠️ Avertissement : Si vous n’avez pas le code de la porte d’entrée et de la chambre avant votre arrivée, vous risquez de dormir dans la rue. Il n’y a AUCUN personnel sur place.
Where do I start? Oh right, with the warning—because it’s that important. If you don’t mind risking a night outside, then read on. We arrived, called the emergency number (which no one answered), and after a couple of hours in the cold, we finally got a response—only to be given the wrong door code. Impressive. After another call, we finally got the right one.
Once inside, things didn’t exactly improve. Our room had a taped-up mouse hole, though the tape was barely holding on—maybe the mouse enjoys its DIY flap door. The beds were comfy (I’ll give them that), but also dirty, with some bugs roaming around to keep you company.
Now for the highlights:
• If you’re staying on the fifth floor, be ready for a serious stair climb. Not an issue for me, but definitely worth noting.
• The shower is amazing—great pressure, perfect temperature, a rare win.
• Waking up is… bright. The window shades are about as sheer as a cheap t-shirt, so say hello to the sun at dawn.
• There’s a kettle, cups, a lot of dust, and… a pink toy in the bathroom.

Great value. Very comfy and convenient. Shower is excellent! Hot and strong. Design is very simple and clean. Beds comfy. All digital service but efficient.

Value for money accommodation! There's no lift in the building and I was lucky to be given the second floor room. We were a family of five and we managed to move our suitcases up to the second floor. We stayed for 3 nights. The room is big, convenient location and met my expectations.

Location is great however. There is no lift in the building so be prepared to lug your baggage up and down 5 levels (top floor).
Room layout is very decent and spacious with very, very good amenities but the dust level in the room was beyond comprehension. Unfortunately, we could not ask for a room change and had to bear with the dust for 2 days. For those with sinus or other forms of allergy to dust, I do not recommend as it has caused me to wheeze the entire night. Evidently, our handphones were fully covered with dust when left them to charge beside our beds overnight. Perhaps, it could be just that particular room on the 5th floor. Hopefully it get cleaned soon when the owner reads this review. It is otherwise a nice temporary accommodation for your trip.

Staid in the Shi Shi room with 2 adults and 2 teenagers, 1st floor. There is a seperate bedroom for the teenagers and the main room for the parents. The bathroom is fine with a seperate toilet. I was a bit nervous about previous reviews and comments about cleanness but overall it was acceptable, a bit of a dusty smell (note windows can’t be opened) but after running the airco for a bit that had disappeared. Reception is staffed during most of the day but not after 7 pm. If you are after a full service hotel then this is probably not the place for you, but if you need a large space, with good beds and room ammenities, in an excellent central location for a reasonable price then this is a very good place to stay. Windows are not insulating the street noise well but because it’s a quiet street we didn’t experience that as an issue. I would stay here again.

The worst experience I’ve had in a hotel in Japan.
There are spiderwebs in the room, the bed headboards are dusty and stuffing from the bedding all over the floor. Provided body wash and conditioner were watered down and the staff are stingy, only two cotton pads in the entire room. No soundproofing either, so we could hear the children on the floor beneath us screaming and crying.
Staff is nonexistent here. There was no staff to help us check in our room and they take forever to respond when messaged. There is NO lift, and we stayed on the 5th floor. We messaged them asking to bring our luggages down to the first floor and no response at all.
Cleaning service was garbage as well. We complained about the dust on the bed headboards and they cleaned ONLY that portion of the room. Our blankets and beds and everything else were left the exact same way as when we left the room.
Not worth it. Extremely disappointed as the photos made the room look so good. You’re better off spending your money elsewhere.

Horrible experience. For a self-proclaimed hotel, there is basically 0 service. All communication was done through the airbnb app. There is a receptionist counter but never anyone there. Super eery. Staff takes forever to reply. There is no elevator, and we stay on the 5th floor with heavy luggages. When we booked, the staff stated that they would carry our luggages up and down during check-in and check-out. Though they’ve helped to carry it up (3 hours after check-in), they refuse to carry our luggages down during checkout as “they are on break” during Sunday. Tried to compromise by packing earlier and asking them to help a day prior to check-out, only to be ghosted.
Room was dusty and needs a thorough clean. Stingy, gave 2 pieces of cotton pads. Body wash was diluted with water. Amount of amenities offered is actually way lesser than what was shown in the photos. Avoid at all cost if you think this place is a real hotel, cause it’s not.

Good points: location, price and size of the room.
Bad points: the whole place needs a good clean, weird remote service (only saw the cleaner once and that’s it), Wi-Fi went down and no reply from the automated reception, nowhere to put rubbish and no room clean even though we’d been there 3 nights, no sound proofing so hear people walking in high heels on the street! And the stairs! No elevator and very steep.
Overall, disappointing because the pictures look so nice! And I’m not sure you can call it a hotel when there is no service. More a guest house.

Decent room. Fantastic shower. Bizarre bathroom set-up where you have to get dressed in the same space as everyone else. And it’s really loud, at least when we stayed. People stomping down the stairs talking on one side at 5am. People on the street partying at 1am. Would be a two star except for the shower — very good shower!

The service was mediocre, actually the worst during my stay in Japan. The receptionist exhibited a nonchalant attitude. On a positive note, the room has a nice design, but it might not be suitable for light sleepers as soundproofing is poor. However, location is great.

Staying at ZiZi Hotel Gion in Kyoto was an intriguing experience. As a family, the spaciousness of the hotel was a definite plus, providing ample room to move around comfortably. Its proximity to the train station, within a 10-minute walk, was incredibly convenient, making traveling around the city hassle-free. Additionally, being close to Gion's shops and diverse food options added to the hotel's allure, making exploration and dining experiences easily accessible.
However, the hotel's unique feature of being entirely automated, without any staff at the front desk and communication solely through a booking app, brought a mix of novelty and challenges. While the technological aspect might appeal to some, others might miss the personal touch and assistance that traditional staff interaction offers.
The absence of a lift could be a significant concern, especially for guests with heavy luggage or mobility issues. The need to arrange assistance beforehand or carrying bags up oneself could be an inconvenience, potentially impacting the overall experience, especially for families or older travelers.
In summary, ZiZi Hotel Gion offers a blend of modernity and convenience with its automated system, strategic location, and ample space for families. However, the lack of a lift and the absence of staff might deter some guests who value traditional services and assistance.

The sheets were dirty with with what looked like blood stains and hair when we went to get into bed the first night. The rooms are very large but smelly and musty, very dusty and just felt uncomfortable and like we needed to keep showering to stay clean in there. There is no elevator and we were on the 5th floor up narrow and steep stairs, there was no staff there to help us at 4pm on a Friday afternoon. No communication or warning of having to carry two large suitcases up five flights of stairs. Stay somewhere else if you are in Kyoto.