pov: S$37,900 kyoto stay 🇯🇵🍵 the most overpriced hotel in kyoto. for dates that we booked it, the autumn foliage was supposed to be at its peak, but closer to the date the forecast changed and it ended up being delayed by 2 weeks, so we paid peak momiji season prices without getting to see the red leaves 😭 - there must’ve been a cancellation after the updated autumn foliage forecast was released, cuz they offered us a “special” upgrade at check-in to the Washigamine Pavillion (the biggest room that they have). - for the low, LOW price, of an additional S$9500/night (ONLY NINE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED!!😭) we could’ve upgraded to a huge 2-bedroom pavillion. it would’ve cost us ~S$94,000 for 4 nights had we booked it ourselves. - I couldn’t justify spending another S$38,000, I’d rather buy more clothes, so I had to pass, but ngl it would’ve made an insane room tour. also, I’ve been to so many amans and this was the first one that offered a paid upgrade deal, kinda odd. - room type: Kaede (60sqm or 646 sqft) - stayed here for 4 nights in late Nov 2025 as part of a 14-night kyoto/tokyo trip. am glad to have checked this property off my hotel bucket list, but I regrettably have to say it’s a one and done for me. I cannot justify the prices 😭 these are some europe/us hotel prices in JAPAN, not worth it!! also I can’t stay in a hotel without a gym 🥹 I need my nightly cardio to debloat, as well as 24/7 room service in a city where dinners start as early as 4/5PM 💀. it still blows my mind how they don’t have a fitness centre or overnight in-room dining when the hotel is 20 minutes away from civilisation and 40 minutes away from the city centre. I felt that the turndown service should’ve included some snacks or a sweet-treat to make-up for the lack of an in-room dining 🥲 - there aren’t much “communal” spaces in the hotel, and the rooms are on the smaller side for a resort style property. no pool, and no gym 🥲 could feel a bit claustrophobic for some people. they call themselves a forest retreat, but this is definitely not somewhere you can spend all day on-property for an extended period of time. I was ready to leave by day 3 😂 - as the property is rather secluded, leaving the hotel to the city centre of kyoto took around 40 minutes, and to Higashiyama (where a lot of the renowned kaiseki restaurants are) it’s about 50 minutes. we spent quite a fair bit of time commuting. definitely not somewhere you want to stay at if it’s your first time in kyoto. I would recommend the Park Hyatt instead (love, love, this hotel). - breakfast was decent, and despite the 24 rooms being fully booked, breakfast was surprisingly never crowded, never saw more than 3 couples during breakfast. they seemed to be understaffed, only 1 staff was present at breakfast, had to really try to get their attention. - the service here is just okay, bordering onto poor for Aman standards. usually when you stay at an Aman, they know your name and room number, you don’t have to introduce yourself everytime you show up for breakfast or when making a spa booking at the spa or requesting something with the concierge. it felt a lot less personalised compared to other Aman properties that I’ve stayed at. especially for them only having 26 rooms & pavillion, one would expect a higher level of recognition and attentiveness. for the prices they charge, the stay should’ve been seamless with faultless service. - Aman Kyoto Kyoto Hotels - #tiktoksg #luxurytravel #luxuryhotel #kyoto #amankyoto - @hoetels