A change in the rankings: Hotel Sala del Rey

After an exciting stay at Hotel Lotus Gorgeous I was still on a high after checking out the next hotel for the vacation was just down the street and after waddling over to see if they would hold luggage until check in, I was greeted by a mansion. The front of hotel sala del Rey is insane it resembles a rich mansion that a celebrity probably owns but rarely stays at. The entrance hall is spacious with marble flooring and a vibe of grandeur. The hotel checked in the bags, and I went about my day excited for the stay later.

First location as this hotel is in the same place as the first hotel already reviewed, I will be awarding 6 as the walk to the station is lengthy and you must cross at a few big junctions. The nearest station can take you to Nara or back towards Kyoto station.

For ease of access the hotel was booked via booking.com and they do have the modern touch screens for those arriving on the day. Like with the other Kyoto hotel if you book online you will have to talk to reception to get room information. However, where I am adding a point is after being told luggage was already in the room one other hotel over the nine days held luggage, but luggage was not moved into the room prior. So, for ease of access this hotel scores an 8 bringing the total to 14.

This hotel has a few different room types, and I booked the level under the best type using a discount on booking.com. the room I received however blew my mind and I am unsure what the top level of room could really offer me. The room was huge and is to date the largest room I have ever stayed in. it was pretty much an apartment/suite. The bed was huge, and the room was geared towards cinema with the option of a projector above the bed for movies. There was a sofa and table, and the rooms décor was marble this room is what I imagine celebrity rooms to look like. It gave me hotel Bvljua vibes, but this was on a different level. The bathroom was insane. It contained a steam room, jacuzzi, shower space and bedrock bath. Sadly, the bedrock bath was not working over my stay but just seeing it there in this huge space was insane. The size is like a communal spa in a local hotel in the UK I sometimes use for their pool and jacuzzi. But this was private.

There was also just a normal jet bath too in case you wanted another bath after hanging out in the jacuzzi, there were bathrobes and lots of towels. I often complain that the number of towels provided in love hotels is too little especially when these hotels cater for couples. But this hotel has you covered in fact I was starting to question if this hotel was a love hotel at all as there were none of the usual signs. There was no amenities bar but there was a free welcome drink. The room itself offered so many freebies the lack of amenities bar is forgiven. The room provided shampoos and conditions and bubble bath and salt. Anything you need is basically in the room for you. For amenities I award a 9 if the bedrock bath had been working the score would have been perfect. Bringing the score to 23.

For comfort and cleanliness, the hotel room was very clean the marble flooring making it perhaps easier to keep polished and clean. The bath area was also very clean and modern. The bedsheets were clean the cups and utensils in the room were new and covered in plastics so you could feel safe that they were hygienic. For this I award a 10 bringing the total to 33.

For food I was only able to experience the free breakfast as check in was later. The pancakes I had were good but nothing noteworthy, so I award a 6 bringing the total to 39.

For overall enjoyment I certainly had a fun time in the jacuzzi and the steam room the stay felt very much like a spa day and was really relaxing especially after the amount of walking I was slowing accumulating over the trip. The hotel was mind blowing from the service to the room itself. The surroundings were luxurious, and the bed was very comfortable. I really had an amazing night so I will award a full 10 taking the score to 49.

Finally, likelihood to rebook this is an easy one for me if I am ever back in Kyoto, I would book this hotel again not only was the stay memorable but the price was also cheaper than the first Kyoto hotel and I wasn’t charged an extension for being slightly earlier than the time I provided as I was past the hotels usual check in time anyway. I can’t imagine what the top band of rooms has but the step below has everything you will need if not more for night’s stay. So, I award a 10 taking the total to 59/70 which means there has been an upset in the rankings. Hotel Sala del Rey takes 1st place by one point. In second is Hotel Costa from Kanagawa with a score of 58/70 and in third we have the Pacela Kumamoto with 57/70. The top 6 are tight and all separated by one point. Will anything break into the 60s?