hotel · Gion & Southern Higashiyama
Hotel The Celestine Kyoto Gion Review
A modern hotel on Yasaka-dōri, west of Higashiōji, in the Komatsu-chō block of southern Higashiyama.
Best for
A first trip that is mostly about templesEarly mornings, before the crowdsTravellers who want the slope without a ryokan's rules
Why it stands out
The address. Being on the slope rather than at the bottom of it is the whole difference between walking to Kiyomizu-dera at seven and queueing for a bus at ten.
Main trade-off
This is the dearest ground in Kyoto and the most crowded by day. It is also a hotel rather than a ryokan, so the stay is comfortable rather than distinctive.
Why we recommend it
Best on the Higashiyama slope
Our pick for Gion because it sits on Yasaka-dōri, on the slope itself between Yasaka Shrine and the lanes up to Kiyomizu-dera, so the walk everyone comes here to do starts at the door and can be done before the buses arrive.