Threadbare, futon mattress single and hard, futon laid and kept laid throughout visit, bathroom wooden slab black with mold. Staff were helpful but short staffed to whit not putting away futon each day. Overall overrated and overpriced.

Great property and stuff were very friendly!!!

Comfortable ryokan in lovely part of Kyoto. Friendly welcoming team and we enjoyed the traditional Japanese style room. Found a great cosy restaurant to eat in nearby and had a delicious full Japanese breakfast at the ryokan before leaving.

Overall, I was assured that I made a great choice to stay here. Their service was superb, and the facilities were nice and cozy.

Very good location, in the heart of gion. Breakfast and dinner is incredible, super nice service

Like the bathtub in the room, could have included some bath salt to add into the tub. Overall it is a good experience. Great service.

Overall it’s a nice property in a good location. It was very cold in the bathroom and it was not nice to take a shower there. Heater remote was in Japanese and I had to call the lady for help. Wish they wrote something in English for us to control. We couldn’t figure it out over night and had to wait until morning to call the lady. Dinner was just ok but breakfast was good. Staff were all friendly and nice.

Kind staff as like other Japanese people but facilities are too old. If someone wants to experience Japanese traditional accomodation then it is good choice but if they want to stay maintained hotel, it is not good choice.

Staff is very friendly. Some speak English fluently. Even those who don't speak English well do their best to communicate. The building is old so can't fault it if certain things look old and dated. Part of the charm. The rooms are kept spotlessly clean. Ryokan is in a quiet location and a short walk to the popular Yasaka Shrine and Maruyama Park. Dining is still accessible along the road leading up to the shrine. There's also the option to have a kaiseki meal right inside the Ryokan.

The location was unbeatable - turn left and you’re footsteps away from a great temple walk past Kodaiji all the way to Kiyamizu-dera. Turn right as you exit the ryokan and you’re a few blocks away from shopping, restaurants, and convenient train lines, as well as the famous streets of Gion. But most impressive were the staff who were very attentive, kind, and obviously cared deeply about the experience of their guests. The room was beautiful. And the breakfasts were delicious.

For those looking for a traditional Japanese Inn experience, this is a fantastic choice. The room was quite large and we'll equipped, the staff was very friendly and helpful, and the location is difficult to beat in the historic Gion District with several Kyoto landmarks within walking distance and transit options only a few minutes away.

The staff were so lovely, they held our bags all day because we were leaving late and they even gave us a little parting gift when we checked out.

Would have appreciated a mini tour of the grounds and bath house. We didn’t even realize there was one there until it was too late. Excellent service, very quaint. The dinner was just okay... not our favorite meal. We enjoyed our 1 night stay here for the experience.

Very nice ryokan and good price. The staff is amazing. I though I would have a hard time sleeping in a ryokan, but it was very comfortable. Loved the experience.

Staff are very friendly and helpful. Convenient location.

I found other people's hair when I just entered the room, which means they had not vacuumed. And when we went out in the morning, the staff asked me when we would come back..... Basically not so bad, however I did not feel comfortable during my two-day staying.(compare to a normal hotel)

Excellent service and staff. Ideal location, close to major temple and shrines.

I visit Kyoto every year and this was the best Ryokan I’ve at reasonable price and services. I’ll recommend this place to everyone from couple to family.

Great location for this authentic Japanese ryokan. Staff were friendly and one was American so spoke fluent English. Walking distance to several temples and shrines as well as many restaurants. Great spot for couples or families with teenage children.

Sakanoue was a very welcoming and relaxing facility. Staff were very pleasant and helpful. Food was tasty.

We loved the Sakanoue. The location in Gion can’t be beat. The staff was lovely and helpful. The traditional Japanese accommodations were fabulous and we loved soaking in the tub each night after lots of walking each day.

Hotels.Com as misinforming the property is NOT smoke free there were people smoking in the lobby. Nice people at hotel though but incorrect description of property.

Wonderful stay with friendly staff. Even though they spoke limited English, they were so sweet. Very cool experience to stay in a traditional ryokan and enjoy a gourmet kaiseki dinner and breakfast. Neighborhood is quiet and mostly residential.

Great location near excellent restaurants. Wonderful staff. Very quiet.

Stay here one night to get the traditional Japanese experience, make sure to book with meals so you can try Kaiseki multicourse dinner, and Japanese style breakfast. It’s in the heart of Gion so you can see old style town homes (machiya). I recommend after one night in ryokan, change to a regular hotel for the rest of your time in Kyoto for a more comfortable stay and closer to downtown amenities. It’s not a very comfortable stay, but I think that’s typical of traditional Japanese ryokan experience. For example, the summer futon is very thin/hard so I didn’t sleep well. Lots of sitting on the floor or low to the ground (hard for my 60 year old mom). The traditional architecture means many changes in floor height, so going to the bathroom at night is a toe stubbing experience. Lots of rules- changing of slippers, curfew, being careful not to damage tatami with your suitcase or rain jacket, etc. my understanding is this is typical of all Ryokan, just set your expectations accordingly. The staff at Saka no Ue are really nice and it’s well kept, I’m glad I did it once but also was glad to get a comfortable bed somewhere else the next night.

Tremendously friendly and helpful staff. Dinner and breakfast were excellent!

Lovely traditional ryokan. Great service and friendly staff. Great location in Gion, close to major tourist spot.

Rooms were very clean. Staff super helpful. Loved the old Japanese format. Sleeping was fun to be on floor level. Location was great to walk about Kyoto.

Good experiences. Like the feeling of old traditional japanese inn. Good food

Great location and welcoming, friendly staff. Everything was perfect.

Staff was soooo nice! You made us feel like family. We really enjoyed the food and stay. The hotel was such a great experience and it was so close to everything.