The Hyatt Regency Kyoto was built in 2006, so it's older than newer properties such as the Four Seasons Kyoto (2016) and also the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto (2014).
TravelSort Clients receive these Virtuoso benefits:
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Daily Buffet breakfast, for up to two in room guests
- $100 USD Equivalent Food & Beverage credit, to be utilized during stay (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
- 50% off of any treatment at our Riraku Spa throughout the stay of the guests.
- Complimentary pick-up or send-off service at JR Kyoto Station at platform upon ARRIVAL. (Please notify us arrival train number, car number and seat number in advance)
- Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
Hyatt Regency Kyoto King Room
Hyatt Regency Kyoto standard rooms are 300 square feet and offer either one King bed or two Twin beds. Deluxe Rooms are 322 – 355 square feet, so in both cases, these are small rooms compared with entry level Deluxe Rooms at the Four Seasons Kyoto, which are 527-570 square feet. The kimono fabric on the wall was a nice touch, but didn't compensate for the cramped feeling of the room.
Another thing we missed at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto, compared to the Four Seasons Kyoto, was bed comfort. We were back to hard beds with Hyatt (even Park Hyatt has uncomfortably hard beds) instead of the customizable bed at the Four Seasons, where we'd had a Signature Plush mattress topper.
The bathroom has its single sink (no double vanities here) outside the tub and shower area, so unfortunately there's light and sound if someone needs to use the sink in the middle of the night, as no door separates it from the rest of the room.
In the bathroom, there was an ofuro soaking tub on the left, and a shower on the right, although just a conventional shower, not a rain shower.
Bath products were by Pharmacopia:
The room was also quite dark even in the daytime, as there's only a small window by the desk where natural light comes in; this definitely made the room feel smaller than it already was.
On the plus side, at least the window could open to let in fresh air. Here's the daytime view from our window:
Even though we'd noted we were staying with our son, there were no children's welcome amenities in the room of any kind, as there are at virtually all other luxury hotels we stay at (except for Park Hyatt, which also isn't good when it comes to kids). There were just three mandarin oranges:
There were cotton yukata on the beds for us, but nothing for our son:
For tea, there was Japanese green tea and Twinings English Breakfast tea, so more like a 4-star hotel tea amenity. But there was no Nespresso machine nor a coffee maker of any type, just instant Nescafe, which I found disappointing.
Hyatt Regency Kyoto Dining
I'll cover our buffet breakfast and lunch in a separate post.
The Verdict
For our short visit, the Hyatt Regency's location was fine, although some visitors feel it's too far from Gion and other tourist sites. The standard room we stayed in was very unimpressive and not luxury, more of a 3.5-4 star room. At 300 square feet it was extremely tight and barely fit the extra bed for our son, and we wouldn't have wanted to stay more than one night in that configuration.
Service was mixed: there was a rather long wait for the extra bed and it took awhile to check in, but the Concierge was helpful with directions to Fushimi Inari Taisha, and a pre-ordered bento box was ready exactly at the time I'd requested.
If returning to Kyoto, there's no question that I would stay at the Four Seasons Kyoto instead of the Hyatt Regency Kyoto for a more comfortable and luxurious stay. While there's a dearth of luxury options in Kyoto, in Tokyo, this property would not be Virtuoso.
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Disclosure: I paid for a Virtuoso reservation at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto
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