Review: Hotel Granvia Kyoto

View from Hotel Granvia Kyoto, an integral part of the architecturally striking JR Kyoto Station Building, which also includes a department store, museum, musical theater, and a vast underground shopping mall. Escalators and steps going up 15 floors.
View from Hotel Granvia Kyoto, an integral part of the architecturally striking JR Kyoto Station Building, which also includes a department store, museum, musical theater, and a vast underground shopping mall. Escalators and steps going up 15 floors.

We’re not normally big fans of train station hotels, but the Granvia is an exception. While it’s not the Ritz (which we popped into and it was STUNNING), at a fifth of the cost, it was perfect for our whirlwind sightseeing stay in Kyoto.

Our 15th floor room was spacious and immaculate… except that the bathroom had obviously been smoked in just before we arrived. The staff was on it immediately and by the time we arrived back from our first walkabout Kyoto, everything was good to go.

The staff was professional and helpful at every level. When we realized we had forgotten to make our ‘5 extra passport photos’ required for entry into Bhutan and Nepal, they quickly and efficiently helped us find a photography studio that could accommodate us, ON A SUNDAY!

For art lovers, the elegant Hotel Granvia Kyoto is home to over 1000 pieces of stunning art based on the theme of “The Contrast of Modern and Traditional Art”. The artwork of Kyoto-based artists, some of the most famous in Japan, is prominently featured among the paintings, sculptures, and industrial art on display and accentuated by photographs adorning the guest rooms.

Hotel Granvia Kyoto Lobby
Hotel Granvia Kyoto Lobby

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