My wife, son and I spent two incredible days with Tomoko and the other wonderful women at Shiraume. Everything about Shiraume is thoughtful and perfectly done. This begins when you arrive at a charming street lined with cherry blossoms on a quiet stream. Shiraume is a small house with 5 rooms and a small restaurant. The house is perfectly decorated. Our room, on the main floor, faced the stream which provided perfect serenity. The food (breakfast and dinner) were plentiful and quite an experience. For our son, there were kids meals that perfectly straddled the line between Japanese style and kid friendly (Kara-age fried chicken). He was very pleased. This inn has very high marks on Trip Advisor. They are deserved. It's difficult to be this highly rated and still, somehow, pleasantly delight. Shiraume delivered this. I should also mention that, prior to check in, I was a bit of a difficult customer, asking for Sumo reservations. Tomoko was able to accomadate this difficult request. In all, a wonderful Kyoto experience. …
Absolutely perfect in every way - from the gorgeous rooms to the delicious food, and the delightful hosts who went out of their way to accommodate us (especially Tomoko-san and Emi-san). Also, the vegan kaiseki was absolutely phenomenal - we were so grateful to be able to experience this type of local cuisine even though we do not eat meat or fish. You will not regret making this place part of your trip!
We came for one night on a quick weekend trip and had a memorable experience. All of the staff are kind and welcoming and the ryokan is in a great spot in Kyoto (~10-15 min walk from a lot of things to see, and ~3-5 mins away from nearest train station). We did the traditional in-room dinner and strongly recommend it. Overall can’t wait to return
Everything about this charming ryokan spells perfection. Upon arrival we were greeted by the proprietor and her assistants – all clad in beautiful kimonos – all waiting to assist you. And don’t let the kimono’s fool you, Tomoko, the owner, is extremely sophisticated and worldly- a savant in guests’ needs and how to make you feel special. In lieu of spoiling so many wonderful surprises that await you as a guest, I will only say: book your stay at Shiraume! And if they don’t have availability for when you want to go, consider changing your dates so that you can experience this exquisite property.
Highly recommend stay here. We were a group of families and had rooms in Shiraume and Baian. Both were better than expected....which is saying something. Couldn't speak more highly of the service and the lengths they go to ensure your stay is a memorable one.
We stayed 2 nights in a charming Umekoyomi room which offers the view of Shirakawa Stream. Tomoko san has spent time telling us the meaningful story of this place, beautiful Japanese traditions and introducing us to the historical surrounding areas. Kobe beef steak, Kaiseki dinner, and Japanese breakfast were wonderful with the taste, presentations, and storytelling about each ingredient. We were incredibly pampered by her and the team. We did not want to leave this beautiful place at all. Thank you so much Tomoko san and everyone for making our stay memorable.
Right from the start, you could tell that this was a hotel like no other with enthusiastic, thoughtful, authentic service and an attention to detail like nothing else we have ever experienced. Our room was delightful, full of traditional character but with modern conveniences like underfloor heating, a big double shower and a huge automatic hot tub that can open out onto the little garden. It's in a great area for exploring the wonderful geisha neighbourhood and close to lots of quaint authentic Japanese restaurants. We had the Japanese style breakfast and the kids had the western breakfast and both were delicious. The breakfast was different every day, so it was always exciting to see what delights awaited us in the morning, trying lots of new tastes and textures. There was plenty of food so we found that it was enough to see us through to dinner each day. Tomoko was the most amazing host and took time each morning to share personal stories with us and explain the local history and traditions. She was also very helpful in helping us plan our itinerary each day and provided great recommendations for dinner. We especially loved the personal touches with elegant handwritten daily notes containing references to the adventures that we had planned that day and thoughtful suggestions for the next day. Everything about our stay here was perfect and magical - an experience that we will remember for a very long time.…
The hospitality and warmth shown by Tomoko-san and her team before and during our stay at Shiraume was beyond anything we've enjoyed before. Our meals, hosts and very special Kaiseki dinner were enchanting. The history of the place, anecdotes from lived experience in Kyoto and personalised advice and ideas for our own visit were shared as with close friends. In a holiday in which we have experienced the exceptional service that visitors to Japan confirm, Shiraume stood out as exceptional.
The most satisfying hotel stay I have ever experienced. There are 5-star hotels that will overwhelm you with services but Shiraume is not like that. It offers warmth and hospitality that is genuine and beyond compare. The quality and beauty of accommodations are exceptional. The meals are delightful and satisfying.
Shiraume is without a doubt the most special place my husband and I have ever stayed at. Japan has been our number one dream destination for several years, and we were fortunate enough to finally make our trip happen this past November, just in time for the magical Koyo season in Kyoto. We planned our entire trip around Shiraume Ryokan's availability, and communicated via email with the gracious and patient Tomoko for literally years during the pandemic, changing our dates our plans multiple times. In the end we opted to stay for a couple of nights each in both the original building and later at the newer annex building, which turned out to be a fabulous combination. This stay was a splurge for us, but totally worth it and we felt the price was reasonable for the amazing experience we had. Our time in both buildings was the absolute highlight of our 2-week trip. I was moved to tears during our final night at Shiraume, during a special Kaiseki dinner with Tomoko, overcome by the beauty and care we were shown throughout the week. I truly hope we will be able to return someday, perhaps for plum blossom season. Thank you, Tomoko, and all of the Shiraume staff, for making our Kyoto visit the Japan of our dreams.…
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