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Welcome Arashiyama Benkei was established in 1969 on the historical and scenic land known as Arashiyama. Thriving spring cherry blossoms, red autumn leaves blanketing the mountains, and cultural and historic landmarks give Arashiyama the distinction of being one of Japan’s leading sightseeing destinations. Just upstream from (west of) the Togetsu-kyo Bridge, which marks the center of the area, and situated alongside the murmurs of the Oi River, is Arashiyama Benkei. Our ryokan accommodations, built in the traditional sukiya-zukuri architecture style reminiscent of antique tea houses, is not simply a place to rest and eat, but also houses facilities in which guests can enjoy Arashiyama onsen (hot springs) and indulge in traditional Kyoto cuisine. Please visit us to experience the utmost in comfort and relaxation. -Rooms- Arashiyama Benkei is honored to provide 10 guest rooms, each with their own individual charm. Each room is thoughtfully designed and furnished in the Japanese style, featuring views of the Arashiyama mountains or our lush garden. Cherry blossoms in spring, cormorant fishing in summer, cascading colors of maple leaves in autumn, and a dusting of snow in winter. Our guests are certain to enjoy a peaceful stay among the beauty and stillness of this unique Kyoto scenery. -Onsen- Arashiyama onsen (hot spring) water has a pH of 8.3 and provides an exceptionally smooth touch that is said to beautify skin and wash away any travel fatigue. Benkei has indoor and open-air baths; both are available for men and women and are separated by gender. Guests who prefer to enjoy a bath in private may reserve a secluded open-air bathtub (same-day reservation, \2,160/group/45 minutes). -Cuisine- Guests at Benkei indulge in traditional multi-course kaiseki fare that uses seasonal ingredients found not only in Kyoto, but sourced from all over Japan. We take care in creating cuisine that appeals to all palates, yet maintains respect for the tenets of traditional Kyoto cooking. -Day Trips- Day trip guests at Benkei may also opt to enjoy a relaxing bath in addition to a gourmet meal. Reservations are required for combined onsen and dining day trips. The facilities open at 11:30 a.m. We offer full plans that include meals in private room (2 hours for bento meals or 3 hours for full-course kaiseki meals), baths, towels, and yukata robe, as well as more informal plans that include a restaurant meal in the open space and onsen bath.
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We stayed in modern residential suite which is remote from main lobby and other rooms, also from busy street. Huge private hot tub made with hinoki wood was the most exciting part of this room. Two rooms were in good size and beddings ,mattress and futons were in excellent condition. Staffs were very helpful and fluent in English as well. Great service, great breakfast (as we did not choose dinner option) and more than great bath.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2020
Room Tip:We were 3 in our family, but 2 rooms seem spacious enough up to 5 people.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Food, hospitality, and location were incredible. The location could not have been better. We ate dinner over looking the mountains, river, and bridge. And the private onsen..... so relaxing. This was one of our most expensive excursions while in Japan but it was worth every penny to experience this traditional Japanese inn. We had SO MUCH food and were so relaxed. Thank you to the staff for this great night!
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Best views are river facing rooms
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The ryokan is very clean and maintain its traditionality, The tatami bed is very comfortable. We try the dinner there , which was 12 course of food, and it was amazing. The receptionist is very polite and helpful. We also book massage there and my mom said it was one of the best massage she ever had. They also had private onsen which you can book ahead of time, if you dont have private onsen in your room. The location is also perfect. It is located in front of a lake which is quite popular and 5 minutes walk to the famous kyoto arabica coffee and the arashiyama bamboo forest. Superb
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you haven't stayed in a ryokan or other traditional Japanese space before, Arashiyama Benkei might be ok. However, we came to Arashiyama Benkei after staying in a machiya, and it was hard not to compare the two. The private bathroom we had in our room could definitely have used an update, and the room wasn't very cozy -- we knew upon seeing it that we weren't going to spend much time there. Additionally, the location of Arashiyama Benkei is far from the city center of Kyoto, so for those looking for easy access to the city, this might not be for you. It was convenient for visiting the bamboo forest and some nearby shrines, but restaurants close early in the area, so we would take the train into the city for dinner. We had higher expectations for this place, and perhaps it just didn't suit what we were looking for. The private onsen was enjoyable, and we'd look forward to that.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Superlative food, attentive service, beautiful grounds and setting.
Any visit to Japan should include a stay at a ryoken (traditional Japanese inn), and you can't do much better than this one. It has the high level of service you expect from a top-notch ryoken, but also manages to do so in a way that is not overwhelming or stifling. The dinner and breakfast were the best we had in Japan. The location overlooking the river in Arashiyama is ideal. The private onsen is an added bonus.
Can't think of anything I would change about our stay.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This homely ryokan exudes a warm welcoming feeling with its super comfortable futons, yummy breakfast and friendly staff. Prices are steep but worth every cent. We walked to all the major scenic spots in Arashimaya and enjoyed the crisp fresh morning air. Will most certainly come back here when we next visit Kyoto.
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Date of stay: February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I stayed at Arashiyama Benkei ryokan for one night in April 2007 in a ten tatami mat room. We really treasured our brief experience here -- it was like stepping back in time to old world Japanese hospitality but with good heating and plumbing. We also had one of the best ryokan views in Arashiyama.
The staff was very friendly and at least a couple of them speak English. They spoke better English than the Western hotels that we also stayed at during our trip. This was a little bit important since my husband doesn't speak Japanese and I haven't studied Japanese in 14 years. We really appreciated that Mihoko-san translated the names of the wonderful kaiseki dishes for us.
When we were first walking from Arashiyama station to the ryokan, I was a little worried about finding the place even though I had printed out a map from their Web site. Thankfully, although their sign was in stylized Kanji, they very helpfully included the Hiragana equivalent next to it so that I could recognize their name right away and the map was easy to follow. For visitors who don't read Japanese at all, it is likely that any shop owner in the neighborhood can point you to the ryokan. They also have a black plaque outside welcoming each of their guests by name.
The view was absolutely amazing from our room. We could see the hill side foliage interspersed with cherry blossom trees, the Hozu river and the famous Togetsu bridge. We were also able to take an evening walk along the river in the ryokan's yukata. (We felt silly but when in Rome...)
The room was well heated (important for early April). We had a good sized (for Japan) half bath in our room and paid extra to reserve a bath which was a traditional round, wood tub on a private outdoor terrace. The showers were also on the outdoor terrace. I was cold for a minute but once the shower started, it was fine.
The kaiseki dinner and tofu-focused breakfast were very good and had tons of dishes; it's very possible to eat too much. Dinner was in our room and the breakfast was in a communal room. Coffee is served after breakfast in one's own room. (The lack of an immediate, full pot of morning coffee in all our hotels was problematic for me, the caffeine-addict.)
The futons were very comfortable and they provide Japanese style PJs for each guest.
We paid upon checkout and they take U.S. Visa and Mastercard, among others.
Hope this helps! We can highly recommend Benkei-san.
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Date of stay: April 2007
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check-in / front desk
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from benkei-staff, 広報担当マネージャー at Arashiyama BENKEI
Responded 20 Apr 2015
Dear Customer [MudFlower] , We, Arashiyama Benkei is truly appreciated with your warm comment. And, we'd like to use this opportunity to apologize for delaying the response to you for such a long time. Recently, we have established a new response service to all of our customers from overseas. Therefore, please feel free to contact us by anyway at anytime. As we are always here at Arashiyama, and it is our honor to welcome you again to provide you a best hospitality as it's being always kept original and mixture of improvement. We would be very much appreciated to hear from you again. And, we are always wishing that you are spending splendid days. Kindest regards, 嵐山辨慶 Arashiyama Benkei
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Late last year when excitedly planing my vacation to Japan, I tried making a reservation at this traditional Ryokan in Kyoto. The reviews were awesome. I imagined the place to be one steeped in tradition, providing exceptional care with respect for its guests. It was not inexpensive, this would be a once in a lifetime experience.
I attempted to secure the reservation through booking.com but due to an technical glitch the reservation was never confirmed and I failed to receive the letter of introduction for the facility welcoming me and my family to old Japan.
An alternate reservation was made elsewhere.
On my return from Japan, I was informed that the reservation had in fact gone though in spite of me having no knowledge of the above.
Saddened by this fact, I tried to enquire what had transpired and attempted to work with the Merchant and Vendor to ensure that any losses could be shared respectfully by each of the affected parties. This is when my faith and respect for the Merchant and Vendor was lost.
Abruptly with little empathy, respect and consideration, I was informed by the Ryokan, that they would not entertain any flexibility nor culpability and that further more they were resistant to any settlement that would not provide them with the full amount of the reservation. $4000.
I tried to engage them with respect, with courtesy and finally with sound financial reasoning that surely a settlement that would discount my young daughter’s supplement to our room or a discount on food that we had not consumed could still more than compensate them for the cost of the lost reservation, but management proved unsympathetic. They remained firm that it was not their issue and they were entitled to full restitution.
While I have since paid the amount and ended this conflict, it has left me saddened by the manner that I was treated by their establishment. Their attitude and manner, cold and distant, their empathy, lacking and their respect of me, absent.
I imagine the property is wonderful, its staff, careful and attentive and its venue, magnificent, but to me they have demonstrated only a hard view of themselves, and in is not one demonstrating care and attention to others. I wish you and them well. Alexandros
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Date of stay: May 2016
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from benkei-staff, 広報担当マネージャー at Arashiyama BENKEI
Responded 26 June 2016
Dear Alexandoros (Esmeerory) This matter was happened over the booking.com, As we are the small Ryokan with 10 rooms, the damage of NO SHOW (booking was exist but guest haven't show up) especially in the peak season is extreme. The Further process should take by based on the booking.com. As we have discussed, this matter's filter is the reservation site/system. We'll have discussion with booking.com, so please have your patient on this matter. Please note that Trip Advisor review isn't for the people who is not actually stay or visit on the site. We are totally understand your point, however we also feel that this review isn't fair. Arashiyama Benkei
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Room size is amazingly small but very pricey, amenities are simple and nothing worth sharing. Food wise, nothing impressive both dinner and breakfast! Staff friendly but not helpful, bad in verbal and written communication! I needed to enlist help from the concierge teams of Intercontinental Osaka (whilst I stayed in Osaka) and Kyoto Okura (whilst I stayed in Kyoto) to ascertain a few things with them!! Choosing Benkei is the worst decision I have ever made in hotel selection given my travel experience across the globe!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2016Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from benkei-staff, 広報担当マネージャー at Arashiyama BENKEI
Responded 25 Jan 2016
Dear 428joycec, First of all, we thank you for the review. It is quite shocking review but we would face to the things you have mentioned in your review. I assume that you have chosen our river-view room which isn't spacious, but it is the our room only for 2 people. We have superior and deluxe family room which is for the guest who are willing to have spacious atmosphere. Our Food as in Kyo-Kaiseki course meal, proudly provided by our chef and assistant teams but it is unfortunate that wasn't suite with your taste. As we are cuisine onsen ryokan, we do provide the Japanese experience that cannot be given by international hotel. However, at some points we were not certified with you. We will discuss about this review to take serious consideration for improving our hospitality level as provider of ryokan experience. Thanks for giving us opportunity to realize that our service level can be improved more. Very Truly Yours, Arashiyama Benkei
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We stayed at the Arashiyama Benkei in mid December as an alternative to our first choice, Hoshinoya, which was unfortunately closed for repairs. Taking the Hankyu railway from Kyoto, we alighted at the Hankyu Arashiyama station a short half hour later. On foot, crossing the famed Togetsukyo bridge, we found the ryokan by the river a short 8 minute walk later.
Arashiyama exudes small sleepy Japanese town. We were there during the week of the Hanatouro, or lantern festival. We were there fairly early in the morning, since we hoped to maximize our time in Arashiyama. Check in was at 3 pm, so we requested to drop our bags and head out for some sightseeing and lunch. We were offered a steaming hot cup of tea by the irori upon arrival, which was most welcome coming in from cold. The receptionist in a lovely kimono spoke English and was able to give us suggestions on what to see and where to go. Armed with maps, we headed out.
Arashiyama is a pretty tiny town, and the main sightseeing sights and the Main Street are all within very close proximity. The ryokan is literally round the corner from Main Street, filled to the brim with restaurants and souvenir shops. The famous Tenryuji is about 10 minutes walk from the ryokan's doorstep. Food choices are bountiful, the only problem is which one to pick for lunch (personally I'd recommend Unagi Hirokawa, opposite the Tenryuji temple). It is a bit farther to walk to the bamboo forest, about 15-20 minutes down the main road.
Returning before 3 pm, we found our room ready and our bags already placed in the room. I had booked the room online, which was only in Japanese, and using my very limited knowledge of the Japanese language, understood that this was a fairly large room with a garden view and a semi open air onsen bath. My understanding of the size of the room was clearly mistaken. This was a huge room, with 2 separate tatami areas, and a small balcony area overlooking a Japanese style garden, complete with massage chair. The bathing area is equally spacious, separate toilet, sink area, and the lovely lovely open air bath which looks out into the garden. Generous amount of toiletries and towels provided, all on heated towel rails. Wifi is available throughout the ryokan, and while reception was at times patchy, on the whole it worked well.
Dinner was traditional kaiseki, and served in the room. Course after course of beautifully presented food arrived and served to us by the nakai-san, and at very well paced timing.
Futons were prepared after dinner while we indulged in the onsen. For those of you with reservations about sleeping on the floor, let me assure you the mattresses are comfortable, comparable to sleeping on a firm mattress, and Japanese duvets in winter always feel like a thick soft cloud. My only complaint is the bean filled pillows, which I somehow can never get used to. Air conditioning is a bit off, it was either too warm or too cold.
With the exception to the private onsen in our room, there are 4 other onsens within the compound, 2 indoor and 2 outdoors, separated for men and women.
Breakfast is served early, and on the dot. The nakai-san woke us 15 minutes prior to our requested breakfast time. Breakfast is served in another tatami room, delicious Japanese fare comprising, amongst some other smaller dishes, rice porridge, grilled fish, and tofu soup.
The Arashiyama Benkei is a very traditional Japanese ryokan, so for those preferring a modern and luxury stay, this is not it. A bit worn and rough around the edges, it nevertheless has it's own charm and affords a deeper understanding of the Japanese culture. Prices however are neither competitive nor did I feel was value for money, even though we took advantage of a midweek promotion. Overall however, a very peaceful and restful stay.
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Date of stay: December 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from benkei-staff, 広報担当マネージャー at Arashiyama BENKEI
Responded 21 Apr 2015
Dear Customer [WYMC], First of all, we would like to thank you for your stay at Arashiyama Benkei back in December 2013. We are more than happy to see your comment about our Area "Arashiyama" as well as our site "Arashiyama Benkei". Recently, we have established a team which is to improve our response for customers from overseas and also to collect advice from our past client, current client and future client to improve our hospitality level better and better. In that point, we are very much appreciated with your comment, and some of your suggestion such as regards to pillow and room temperature will be in our list for needs to improve. Our motto is to treat our customer with spirits of Japanese tradition “Heart of Omotenashi”. We very much hope to welcome you again. Please feel free to contact us at any time. Yours sincerely, 嵐山辨慶 Arashiyama Benkei ※Please note that this massage is reply of the comment received in 13th JAN 2014. We are very sorry for the late reply. We stayed at the Arashiyama Benkei in mid December as an alternative to our first choice, Hoshinoya, which was unfortunately closed for repairs. Taking the Hankyu railway from Kyoto, we alighted at the Hankyu Arashiyama station a short half hour later. On foot, crossing the famed Togetsukyo bridge, we found the ryokan by the river a short 8 minute walk later. Arashiyama exudes small sleepy Japanese town. We were there during the week of the Hanatouro, or lantern festival. We were there fairly early in the morning, since we hoped to maximize our time in Arashiyama. Check in was at 3 pm, so we requested to drop our bags and head out for some sightseeing and lunch. We were offered a steaming hot cup of tea by the irori upon arrival, which was most welcome coming in from cold. The receptionist in a lovely kimono spoke English and was able to give us suggestions on what to see and where to go. Armed with maps, we headed out. Arashiyama is a pretty tiny town, and the main sightseeing sights and the Main Street are all within very close proximity. The ryokan is literally round the corner from Main Street, filled to the brim with restaurants and souvenir shops. The famous Tenryuji is about 10 minutes walk from the ryokan's doorstep. Food choices are bountiful, the only problem is which one to pick for lunch (personally I'd recommend Unagi Hirokawa, opposite the Tenryuji temple). It is a bit farther to walk to the bamboo forest, about 15-20 minutes down the main road. Returning before 3 pm, we found our room ready and our bags already placed in the room. I had booked the room online, which was only in Japanese, and using my very limited knowledge of the Japanese language, understood that this was a fairly large room with a garden view and a semi open air onsen bath. My understanding of the size of the room was clearly mistaken. This was a huge room, with 2 separate tatami areas, and a small balcony area overlooking a Japanese style garden, complete with massage chair. The bathing area is equally spacious, separate toilet, sink area, and the lovely lovely open air bath which looks out into the garden. Generous amount of toiletries and towels provided, all on heated towel rails. Wifi is available throughout the ryokan, and while reception was at times patchy, on the whole it worked well. Dinner was traditional kaiseki, and served in the room. Course after course of beautifully presented food arrived and served to us by the nakai-san, and at very well paced timing. Futons were prepared after dinner while we indulged in the onsen. For those of you with reservations about sleeping on the floor, let me assure you the mattresses are comfortable, comparable to sleeping on a firm mattress, and Japanese duvets in winter always feel like a thick soft cloud. My only complaint is the bean filled pillows, which I somehow can never get used to. Air conditioning is a bit off, it was either too warm or too cold. With the exception to the private onsen in our room, there are 4 other onsens within the compound, 2 indoor and 2 outdoors, separated for men and women. Breakfast is served early, and on the dot. The nakai-san woke us 15 minutes prior to our requested breakfast time. Breakfast is served in another tatami room, delicious Japanese fare comprising, amongst some other smaller dishes, rice porridge, grilled fish, and tofu soup. The Arashiyama Benkei is a very traditional Japanese ryokan, so for those preferring a modern and luxury stay, this is not it. A bit worn and rough around the edges, it nevertheless has it's own charm and affords a deeper understanding of the Japanese culture. Prices however are neither competitive nor did I feel was value for money, even though we took advantage of a midweek promotion. Overall however, a very peaceful and restful stay.
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New Orleans, Louisiana53 contributions20 helpful votes
Dinner is set time for 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30.
It;s multi-course Kaiseki dinner (Japanese haute cuisine).
It usually takes 90 minutes to complete.
You tell the host when you want to eat dinner.
Don't miss dinner (and don't eat much before dinner!).
You have to reserve dinner with them ahead of time.
So Sorry-- just seeing this and you probably have already been (but originally from NJ so will answer )....dinner is served in the guest room. It was a very cool experience.
There are more places to choose from in the Kyoto area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
arashiyama benkei hotel kyoto
LOCATION
JapanKinkiKyoto PrefectureKyotoWestern Kyoto
NUMBER OF ROOMS
12
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