老松町の宿

This house began life as an art gallery inside a traditional Kyoto machiya, and the conversion has left it with a more open, generously sized living and dining space than most townhouses of its size, room to spread out, eat together or actually unpack on a longer stay. It is in Kamigyo-ku, away from the city centre, which is the point: a quiet, genuinely local part of Kyoto of small shops, shrines and unhurried streets. Kitano Tenmangu is about six minutes on foot and Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, around fifteen; there is no train station close by, but the Kenryu-ko-mae and Kamishichiken bus stops are a few minutes away and run direct to Kyoto Station. A small traditional courtyard garden, a capsule coffee machine, microwave, kettle and washing machine cover the day-to-day. One thing worth knowing about the gallery layout: with a group of three or more, the ground-floor tatami room used by the third and fourth guests also connects through to the bathroom, so it is best suited to families or friends relaxed about sharing space.