International Guest House Tani House
8 Murasakino Daitokujichō, Kita-ku, Kyōto-shi, Kyōto-fu 603-8231About
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Added by Jopie, at 25 March 2016
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8 Reviews
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16 October 2017
NO, this is DEFINITELY NOT a 2-star hotel as published. It is DEFINITELY a low budget HOSTEL. (Or a warehouse turned hostel? Or the other way round?)
It is only recommended if and only if:
- You're running out of options; and/or
- You're running out of budget; and/or
- You're merely looking for a place to sleep; and/or
- You're trying to prove the reviewers' comments right (or wrong).
This is the dirtiest and messiest accommodation I've ever stayed in a well developed and cultured country. (Let's forget about the poor hostels along the mountainous treks in Nepal - yet most are clean and neat though very much lacking.)
Bring your:
- Toiletries as they're not provided
- Towel as you may not want to use theirs
- Slippers as the floors are dusty and toilets may be wet
- Sleeping bag as you may be complaining about the dirty pillowcase/ bedsheet/ blanket etc
- Ear plugs as you may hear sounds from other rooms over the thin walls
- Hangers/ hooks/ clothes line etc as you may need them in the room/ bathroom
- Wet tissues as you may need them in the toilet, kitchen, etc
- Big open heart as you may need to expect the unexpected and embrace them gracefully. Instead of this hostel, you'll need to focus on the superbly scenic and historic Kyoto where some attractions are of short distance from this house
Anyway, with the low price paid, in the expensive and touristic Kyoto, and during the peak season, what more we could expect? I guess the rated stars are generously given to the price paid over the shelter, and the friendly old Japanese granny who singly manages the dirty old house without any housekeepers?
For the price paid, you'll still be able to enjoy the:
- Daily breakfast which is decent enough though with limited variety of instant coffee, tea, packed fruit juice, Japanese rice balls, Swiss rolls, pancakes, breads, bakeries etc (You may serve yourself upstairs on first come first served basis as I don't think granny will replenish)
- Hot shower, with bathtub, though you may not dare to soak your body in it (Funaoka Onsen near Kenkunjin Temple is only 10-15 min walk from this hostel if you want to use the public bath/SPA - bring your own towel and toiletries there or buy at the onsen. Yagumo Shokudo, a very small eatery at the corner opposite the onsen offers authentic Japanese meals and sake/ beer after the hot soak and bath.)
- Heater in the rooms though some windows/ doors are broken hence some areas may not get the needed warmth (just put on your warm clothing if that's the case)
- Heater on the toilet seat though you may need to keep the windows opened to let out the stink
- Washing machine in the bathroom though we don't see the drying area
- Strategic location where the bus stops are only 5 min walk from the hostel and the buses lead to many attractions and train stations. Some of the tourist attractions like Kinkaku-ji, Daitoku-ji, Kenkunjin-sha are of reasonably short walking distance from the house.response / report this review -
18 May 2017
This hostel was recommended to me by the owner of another place where I was staying because they were overbook for one of the nights. I wish I read the reviews before heading to Tani House.. The owner is nice and offered me tea upon arrival; I honestly feel bad writing a negative review, but I simply wouldn't want anyone else experience what I did. First of all, the room stunk! A persistent, overwhelming combination of foot odor and wet laundry that set out too long. The sheets on my bed looked like they haven't been washed in at least six months; there were hair on the pillow and blankets. Bathroom stalls were disgusting and odorous - I held my breath while using it. Couldn't bring myself to take a shower there, it was that gross. The whole place was cluttered and dirty. At one point during the sleepless night I spent there, I heard something scurry in the room above me which I only hope was a very small fast cat. I left before the sun came out and tried to forget this experience. The truth is that this place would be just lovely if it was thoroughly cleaned and properly maintained. If you thinking of staying there, please reconsider.
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17 April 2017
Disgusting. Our beds had hair and crumbs in them. The pillow cases had holes. The sides of the room were filled with the owner's junk; she must be a hoarder. The bathroom floors were always wet, and not just with water. If we could have found somewhere else at such late notice, we wouldn't have even stayed the first night. We left as soon as we could in the morning and didn't look back. This place is like the setting for a horror film.
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08 January 2017
Horrible!!!!the place is disgusting!! Smells so bad !! Old ,dirty,the doors dont lock , no privacy !!the old lady tani is always opening the doors !!!!Dangerous and horrible !!
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28 December 2016
The service is great! Tani is a sweet old lady who will help you with anything. She'll give you tips on fun things to do around Kyoto and how to get there. The rooms are okay, the shared room isa bit messy but great and warm overall. The location is good, the Kinkaku-ji is just at a 15 minutes walk away and there is a busstop right outside the street that will take you to Kyoto station. The breakfast is nice, from 7 till 11 consisting of pancakes, sweet rolls or toast. The kitchen has coffee, tea, milk and fruit that you can grab anytime that you want/need. The bathroom is big and clean, the toilets are as well. Overall a great stay :)
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22 November 2016
It's a very old guesthouse with a 1880's Japanese feel. Traditional and old yet very pleasant.
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17 June 2016
It's probably not the cleanest hotel in kobe but certainly the quietest. Our double room was very big and with a small terrace. Good localisation if you want to walk in the near mountains.
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01 April 2016
Not to recommend!
When i called the hostel they couldn't find our reservation. Understandable because they don't work with computers, only notebooks. But instead very unfriendly. They didn't answer of request and said that we don't have a reservation. But later called back and said that they found it finally. But no effort to excuse, only more unfriendly behavior instead.
The place was a rathole. Very dirty. You could hear everything because because it was very old.
One good point: it was cheap. But it would be hard to want more money for this.response / report this review
