• Digital Nomad Resources
  • Train Travel
  • Urban Rail Transit
  • Where To Stay

Nomadic Notes

Travel blog and weekly travel newsletter

  • Blog
  • Travel Newsletter

Hostel Review: Piece Hostel Sanjo, Kyoto – Japan

July 22, 2019 By James Clark

Hostel Review: Piece Hostel Sanjo, Kyoto - Japan

Hostel Name: Piece Hostel Sanjo
Address: 530 Asakura-cho, Kyoto, Japan.

I stayed at the Piece Hostel Sanjo in Kyoto. This was my first time to Kyoto so I didn’t have a feel for what the best area would be. After a little research it looked like the area west of the Kamo River looked like a good spot, so I picked this hostel.

I booked a private room with bathroom for the rate of ¥5433.33 per night ($51.55 USD). I didn’t want to stay in a dorm or a capsule, so that was about the cheapest room I could find that had a private bathroom. I didn’t know what to expect for that price as the last time I got a cheap room in Osaka it was run down.

Another reason for booking this room was to be close to public transport. It was about a ten minute walk from the metro station to the hostel, and the metro goes directly to Kyoto Station.

The hostel is in a typical side street where there are no gutters or sidewalk and you walk on the road. The hostel is is a modern structure that is about 3 times the width of the little houses on this street.

Piece Hostel Sanjo street

I liked the vibe of the building the moment I walk in.

Hostel entrance

The reception area is bright and spacious, and at the front there is a mini-sunken garden which leads to the basement cafe lounge (where breakfast is served).

Hostel foyer

At the reception there are printed maps with a list of restaurants and essential services. The map had recommended ramen and sushi places, alongside vegetarian options. I arrived in the evening and I was dreaming of having ramen for my first meal back in Japan. This saved a lot of time on wandering around the wrong streets in search of food.

Hostel map

I wasn’t expecting much space in my room so I was surprised to see how spacious my room was. I was thinkin of the room I stayed in last year where there was barely enough room to place my bag.

Room entrance

The room had a double bed with a smaller bed on the bunk. The mattress was so soft and comfortable that I was in danger of just staying in my room and chilling out when I was meant to be out exploring. I actually lifted the sheets to find a mattress label, but I was too lazy to lift the whole bed over in search of the answer of who made this mattress. It was the best mattress I’ve slept on this year.

At the head of the bed is a little area to place items, and there is a power outlet and reading light. There is free wifi in the hostel, and I got a good connection on every floor I visited.

Bunk beds

I was happy with the bathroom as well as it had a good walk-in shower, and no awkward Japanese bathtub.

Bathroom

There is also a Japanese toilet, or as they say here – a toilet. This shouldn’t be a big deal but I’ve stayed in places that don’t have the fancy toilets and I’ve felt let down by not have this quintessential Japanese experience. And that place I stayed at in Osaka last year had a squat toilet.

Japanese toilet

To save space in the bathroom area they have put the sink outside the bathroom, opposite the bed. I don’t mind this, but the floor directly below the sink should be tiled and not carpeted.

Sink

In the hallway there is a shelf full of spare pillows and slippers.

Pillows and slippers

There is a free breakfast service consisting of basic western and Japanese options. It was good to start the day without looking for breakfast before sightseeing. They only had instant coffee though, so I went to a cafe a few doors down for my coffee fix.

Breakfast service

The breakfast area doubles as a bar and hangout area at night, and they had live music while I was staying there.

There is a rooftop bar and chill-out area, “Piece of Sky”. It wasn’t the best weather when I was there so I didn’t see it in full operation.

Piece of Sky

Overall this was a great place to stay in Kyoto. I’m a fan of staying in private rooms in hostel, as you get the privacy of a hotel with the options of meeting travellers if you want to be social. I was very impressed with the purpose-built building as well. This modern and spacious building felt like I was staying in a cool hotel. It’s a good location for tourists as well, being walkable to plenty of cafes and restaurants.

Book the Piece Hostel Sanjo online or search for more hotels in Kyoto.

My trip report is here: Notes on Kyoto – temple hopping and urban wanders.

Filed Under: Accommodation Tagged With: hostel, japan, kyoto

Weekly Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts, and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.
Subscribe For Free Here [No spam, unsubscribe anytime.]

About Nomadic Notes

James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

More about me and Nomadic Notes.

Follow Nomadic Notes

Recent Posts

  • Don Muang Airport Train: Getting the train from DMK to Central Bangkok
  • Bangkok to Pattaya by train
  • Notes on Udon Thani
  • Where to stay in Singapore: The best areas and notable hotels (2023)
  • Ornamental street signs of Thailand
  • Where to stay in Georgetown, Penang – The best area to stay and the pick of the hotels (2023)
  • Notes on Nakhon Phanom: Down by the river, and hanging out at Uncle Ho’s House
  • Where to stay in Da Nang – the best areas and most notable hotels (2023)
  • Where to stay in Hanoi: The best areas for first-time visitors
  • Where to stay in Dubai: The best areas and most iconic hotels

European Rail Travel

Eurail Pass Travel Guide

Europe Rail News – The new newsletter for train travel in Europe

Southeast Asia Rail Travel

Southeast Asia current and proposed railways

A complete guide to train travel in Southeast Asia

Featured Posts

Top 200 Travel Books
How to find cheap flights
Best new banks for travellers, expats, and nomads

About Nomadic Notes

About
Advertise
Contact
Contribute
Press/Media Mentions
Where I've Been

Search Nomadic Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Resources

Long-term Travel
Travel Blog Directory
Travel Gear
Travel Insurance
Travel Sites

Where To Stay In…

Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Da Nang
Ho Chi Minh City
Hong Kong
Jakarta
Kuala Lumpur
Macau
Penang
Singapore

Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.

Copyright © 2023 Nomadic Notes · Site Map | Privacy · Log in