Hatoya Zuihokaku（kyoto onsen）
A natural hot spring drawn from 910 m down, five minutes from the Karasuma central exit
About this hotel
Hatoya Zuihokaku stands on Nishinotoin-dori just south of Shiokoji, a short walk from Kyoto Station: leave by the Karasuma central exit of JR Kyoto Station, head west and go straight, about five minutes on foot. Its Kyoto Onsen is a natural hot spring drawn from 910 m underground, with an indoor bath and a semi open-air bath. The men's and women's sides switch between evening and morning, so a guest who bathes on arrival and again before breakfast sees both. On the day of arrival the baths run from 15:00 to midnight, and the next morning from 6:30 to 9:30. Some large Japanese-style rooms, 30.8 m², have a private spring bath of their own. There is a café open from 11:00 to 20:00 and a bar from noon until 5:00 the next morning. Through its ties with Kyoto temples, the hotel arranges lunches at Myoshin-ji, Tofuku-ji and Kurodani. Parking is on site, with a limited number of spaces.
- About five minutes on foot from the Karasuma central exit of JR Kyoto Station
- Natural hot spring drawn from 910 m underground
- Indoor and semi open-air baths, men's and women's sides switching overnight
- Some 30.8 m² Japanese-style rooms with a private spring bath
- Café 11:00 to 20:00, bar from noon to 5:00
- On-site parking with limited spaces
Our take
The spring at Hatoya Zuihokaku comes from 910 m below Kyoto, and it is the reason I would stay here rather than at one of the plain business hotels around the station: a proper onsen soak five minutes from the platforms. The walk starts at the Karasuma central exit of JR Kyoto Station, then straight west, which means shinkansen passengers arriving on the Hachijo side cross the station first. Time your arrival well. The baths open from 15:00 to midnight on arrival day and only from 6:30 to 9:30 the next morning, so a 7 a.m. train leaves little time. The men's and women's baths switch overnight, a good reason to go twice. For a family, I would book one of the 30.8 m² Japanese-style rooms with a private spring bath.
- Arriving by shinkansen on the Hachijo side, cross the station to the Karasuma central exit before heading west: that is the hotel's own route.
- Bathe on arrival and again in the morning: the men's and women's baths switch sides overnight.
- The morning bath closes at 9:30, so on a day with an early train, soak the evening before rather than counting on the morning.
- Ask the hotel about its temple lunches at Myoshin-ji, Tofuku-ji or Kurodani, arranged through its ties with those temples.
- Arriving by car, reserve a parking space: the hotel has its own car park, but spaces are limited.
Why we love it
- A natural hot spring from 910 m down, five minutes from the station
- Private spring baths in some 30.8 m² Japanese-style rooms
- Bar open until 5:00 for very late arrivals
Why guests love itI would book Hatoya Zuihokaku for travellers who want a hot spring bath without leaving the Kyoto Station area: rail passengers on a short stop, or a family who would rather not carry luggage to a ryokan in the hills. The natural spring from 910 m down feeds an indoor and a semi open-air bath, and the larger Japanese-style rooms of 30.8 m² with their own spring bath suit parents with young children who prefer to bathe privately. The trade-offs are timing and access. The baths close at midnight and reopen only from 6:30 to 9:30, and the walk starts from the Karasuma central exit, on the opposite side from the shinkansen platforms. Guests in our data rate it 8.2 out of 10 across 1,021 reviews.