Hotel Okura Kyoto is the tall hotel at the corner of Kawaramachi and Oike, the former Kyoto Hotel, with the Kamo River behind it and a subway exit that comes up inside its second basement. Its official site is Japanese only, which keeps most of its rules out of English guides: check-in 15:00, checkout 11:00, cancellation free until two days before, children free only when sharing a bed or a cot, extra beds at the full adult price, parking at 2,000 yen a night, a pool that costs 3,300 yen and refuses tattoos, and a free shuttle from a lounge at Kyoto Station that solves the luggage problem on arrival day.
Everything below is from the hotel’s official Japanese site: the FAQ, the stay and room pages, the access page, the Welcome Lounge and shuttle page, and the breakfast page. Room rates are not here; the fees, hours and rules the hotel prints are.
Hotel Okura Kyoto at a glance
| Item | Official rule |
|---|---|
| Check-in / check-out | 15:00 / 11:00. |
| Cancellation | Free until 2 days before; day before 20%, same day 80%, no-show 100%. Plans may differ. |
| Children | Free sharing a bed or in a cot; extra bed = adult rate 12,650 yen. |
| Smoking | All rooms non-smoking since January 2021; booth in the first-floor lobby. |
| Parking | 2,000 yen per night (to 15:00 next day); 200 cars, 2.0 m height limit, no reservations. |
| Pool / gym / sauna | 3,300 yen per visit, ages 18+, no tattoos, closed Mondays. |
| Station | Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae exit 3 connects to basement 2. |
| Kyoto Station link | Free 9-seat shuttle from the Welcome Lounge, about 20-25 minutes; luggage forwarding 500 yen a piece. |
| Breakfast | 3,800 yen (Japanese set or buffet), 4,500 yen from October 1, 2026; children 2,000 yen at the buffet, 2,300 yen from October 1. |
| Payment | Major cards, UnionPay, transit IC cards, PayPay, Alipay, WeChat Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay. No traveler’s checks. |
What is Hotel Okura Kyoto, and where is it?
A 17-story hotel at Kawaramachi-Oike in Nakagyo ward, across the street from Kyoto City Hall and a few minutes on foot from the Kamo River, Pontocho and the Teramachi arcades that lead down to Nishiki Market. The room list runs from singles, doubles and twins through three Family room types to an Executive Floor with suites named Imperial, Royal, Presidential and Capital. Every room has been non-smoking since January 11, 2021; smokers use the booth in the lobby. Wired and Wi-Fi internet are free, but the hotel lends no computers and, by law, hands out no medicine, though the concierge will point you to a nearby pharmacy or clinic.
Is it really connected to the subway?
Yes. Exit 3 of Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station on the Tozai line opens into the hotel’s second basement, so you can arrive from Kyoto Station (about 11 minutes by subway with one change at Karasuma-Oike) without going outside. By car it is about 15 minutes from Kyoto Station, 20 from the Kyoto-Higashi interchange and 30 from Kyoto-Minami.
Is the hotel far from the sights?
It is in the middle of them. The Kamo River is a block east, Pontocho and Kiyamachi a few minutes south along it, the Teramachi and Shinkyogoku arcades a few minutes west, and Gion a walk or one Tozai-line stop across the river at Sanjo Keihan. Kyoto City Hall is directly across Oike-dori, which is why the subway station carries its name. For the temples on the eastern hills, the Tozai line runs from the basement to Higashiyama and Keage; for Arashiyama and the western sights, change at Karasuma-Oike or take a bus from Kawaramachi.
Check-in at 15:00, checkout at 11:00, and the Kyoto Station shuttle
How does the Welcome Lounge work?
The hotel keeps a Welcome Lounge on the first floor of the Cerema Building at 849 Higashi-Shiokoji-cho, in front of Kyoto Station, open 9:30 to 17:00 and free for hotel guests. From it a free nine-seat shuttle runs to the hotel in about 20 to 25 minutes, and back, at roughly half-hour intervals between about 10:00 and 17:00; some runs are skipped and a full shuttle leaves you waiting for the next, so staff direct you to the stop. It is the easiest way to arrive in Kyoto by Shinkansen and reach the hotel without a taxi; our Tokyo to Kyoto guide covers the train.
Can the lounge take my bags?
Yes, for 500 yen per piece. Hand bags in at the lounge between 9:30 and 14:00 and collect them at the hotel; on departure, leave them at the hotel by 11:00 and pick them up at the lounge between 14:00 and 17:00. Nothing is handed over outside lounge hours, and cash, valuables, laptops, game consoles, tablets and breakables are refused. The hotel’s own first-floor cloakroom holds luggage free before check-in and after checkout.
Where do I ship luggage in advance?
To 537-4 Ichinofunairi-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-0924, marked with your stay date and name. The hotel warns that the shorter “Kawaramachi-Oike” postal address is rejected by some carriers, so use the full one.
Cancellation: free until two days before
| When you cancel | Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to 2 days before | No charge |
| The day before | 20% of the room charge |
| On the day | 80% |
| No-show | 100% |
The FAQ notes that some plans carry different terms and that group bookings are excluded, so a non-refundable or package rate can be stricter. Restaurant reservations are a separate matter: the hotel asks for two days’ notice and generally charges nothing, except for special menus and groups.
Children: free in the bed, full price on an extra bed
The rule is short and worth reading twice. A child who shares a parent’s bed or uses a baby cot stays free; the cot for infants is free but numbers are limited, so request it in advance. There is no children’s rate for an extra bed: a child on an extra bed pays the same as an adult, 12,650 yen including tax and service charge. The hotel also runs a plan with a shuttle to nearby universities for students sitting entrance exams. Breakfast at the Orizzonte buffet has a child price of 2,000 yen (2,300 yen from October 1, 2026).
Parking, the pool and paying
How much is parking?
2,000 yen per car per night for staying guests, valid from the check-in day until 15:00 the following day; pay at the front desk and collect the parking voucher. Outside that window the Times-run lot charges 500 yen per 20 minutes from 8:00 to 22:00 and 100 yen per hour overnight, capped at 800 yen. The underground lot (entrance on the Oike-dori side by the fountain) holds 200 cars with a 2.0-meter height limit; taller vehicles are parked at the entrance by staff, and there are no reservations. Restaurant guests get 3 free hours for spending 3,000 yen or 1 hour for 2,000 to 3,000 yen.
Can I use the pool, and with a tattoo?
The fitness club with pool, gym, sauna and bath costs guests 3,300 yen per visit. It is closed on Mondays, open Tuesday to Friday 7:00 to 10:00 (last entry 9:00) and 12:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:00), and on weekends and holidays 7:00 to 21:00. Users must be 18 or older, and the FAQ states plainly that guests with tattoos are refused; our tattoo and onsen guide lists places in Kyoto that take a different view.
What can I pay with?
Mastercard, Diners, American Express, JCB, Visa, UC, NICOS, DC, Saison and UnionPay cards; iD, Rakuten Edy, WAON, nanaco and QUICPay; the Suica, ICOCA and other transit IC cards; PayPay, Rakuten Pay, au PAY, d-barai, Merpay, Alipay and WeChat Pay; and Apple Pay and Google Pay. Traveler’s checks are not accepted. A currency-exchange machine (foreign currency to yen only) and an ATM on B1 work 24 hours, and stays can be prepaid by domestic bank transfer or in person.
Gift certificates, JAL coupons and prepaying
Gift certificates from Diners, JCB, VJA, UC, NICOS and DC are accepted, and so are JAL coupons and JAL travel vouchers for the room bill, with the exception of JAL Travel vouchers, which are not; the hotel asks you to check its JAL pages before relying on them. Travel points issued by the Furunavi hometown-tax site can be used for the stay but not for buying goods. A stay can be settled in advance either by bank transfer from a Japanese account or by paying in person at the hotel, and the hotel records calls to its main number for quality purposes.
Breakfast, the airports and the small print
Where is breakfast?
Three options. A Japanese set breakfast at Irifune on the sixth floor, 7:00 to 10:00, 3,800 yen (4,500 yen from October 1, 2026); the Japanese and Western buffet at Top Lounge Orizzonte on the 17th floor with the Higashiyama hills in view, last order 10:00, 3,800 yen for adults and 2,000 yen for children, rising to 4,500 and 2,300 yen from October 1, 2026 (opening time varies by day); or room service, Western from 6:30 and Japanese from 7:00.
How do I get there from the airports?
From Kansai International Airport, the JR Haruka express to Kyoto Station takes about 75 minutes, or the airport limousine bus 88 to 103 minutes; from Itami the bus takes 50 to 55 minutes. From Kyoto Station, take the subway to Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae (about 11 minutes), the free shuttle from the Welcome Lounge, or a taxi (about 15 minutes). Our Kansai Airport to Kyoto guide compares the Haruka and the bus in detail.
What is in the room?
Shampoo, conditioner, body soap, toothbrush, soap, razor, cotton set, comb, brush, bath salts, cotton swabs and a skincare set, plus a bathrobe, slippers, nightwear, towels, a hair dryer and a humidifying air purifier. Shower caps, emery boards and curling dryers are available on request in limited numbers. Requests for high floors or views are noted but not guaranteed.
Can the restaurants handle allergies, and do they charge for cancellations?
Yes to the first: allergies and religious dietary restrictions are accommodated on request, but ingredients have to be ordered, so ask when you book rather than at the table. Restaurant cancellations are requested by two days before; the hotel generally charges nothing, though special menus and group bookings can carry a fee. For parking while dining, spending 3,000 yen or more earns 3 free hours and 2,000 to 3,000 yen earns 1 hour, with the same overrun rates as the hotel lot.
Can I ask for a high floor or a view?
You can, and the hotel accepts the request, but it is filled from whatever is free on the day and is not guaranteed. If the view matters, the Executive Floor and corner deluxe rooms are the categories to book rather than a note on a standard room. The hotel also sells an exam-season plan for students, with a shuttle to nearby universities, through its reservations center.
Who Hotel Okura Kyoto is for
Travelers who want a big, full-service hotel in the middle of downtown Kyoto rather than at the station, with a subway exit in the basement and a way to move luggage from Kyoto Station without a taxi. If being on top of the Shinkansen matters more, Hotel Granvia Kyoto is inside Kyoto Station; if you are here for the old streets, the hotel is a short walk from the kimono rental shops and the river.
(A different Okura hotel, in Kobe: our Hotel Okura Kobe guide notes that its health club refuses guests with tattoos, including printed ones.)
Frequently asked questions
What time is check-in and check-out at Hotel Okura Kyoto?
What is the cancellation policy?
Do children stay free?
Is there a shuttle from Kyoto Station?
How much is parking?
Can I use the pool and gym?
Which station is the hotel connected to?
Where is breakfast, and what does it cost?
Bottom line (2026). Check in from 15:00, out by 11:00. Cancel free until two days before; then 20, 80 and 100 percent. Children are free sharing a bed or in a cot but pay the adult 12,650 yen on an extra bed. Parking 2,000 yen a night; pool 3,300 yen, no tattoos, closed Mondays. The subway comes up in the basement and a free shuttle runs from a lounge at Kyoto Station. As of September 18, 2026.
Sources
Rules and figures are from Hotel Okura Kyoto’s official Japanese site: the FAQ, the stay page, the access page, the Welcome Lounge and shuttle page and the breakfast page, all read on September 18, 2026. Rates and rules change; confirm on the official site before you book.
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