Lotus Hotel Modern – Kyoto

Long-time readers of the blog may think they have clicked on an old blog entry, but fear not, this is just a different hotel from the same branch. The best delight group run many hotels in the Kansai area, and I have stayed at the Hotel Gorgeous in Kyoto, which scored an admirable 51/70 on the blog. If you are ever in Kyoto and want to room shop to your heart’s content, I recommend staying just south of the city centre near Takeda station. Just a fifteen-minute walk from the station will lead you to love hotel paradise. There are at least 15 hotels here, all next to each other in about a four-block radius. The lotus hotel, featured in another blog and Paccela currently in first place on the hotel rankings, is literally a street away from today’s entry. If you are playing Pokémon Go, you will be able to spin the buddha statue, which greets guests at Gorgeous from Hotel Modern.

For location, the hotel will score the same as all the others in this area. The fifteen-minute walk is not too bad, and the station has links to Kyoto main station. If you are heading out to Gifu or Nara, it is on the direct line, so you have options for day trips. The score for location is a 6.

Being part of the best delights group, the same amazing collection of amenities is on offer. I still think this chain offers the most freebies out of all the hotels I have visited. From a popcorn machine with a choice of toppings, candy, drinks bar, beauty products, bath salts, snacks, games like Jenga, hot towels, sleep aids, and more, depending on the hotel, no doubt. Modern offers all the above, and the lobby has a water fountain which needs a little TLC. Hotel Gorgeous focused on spectacle from its giant moving Buddha and horse in the lobby. Whilst Modern is less gimmicky and themed. Modern also appears to be the oldest out of the three best delight hotels in this area. I ventured to the third hotel in the area, but the prices were very high. Modern has the lowest prices of the three but offers tiers for those who want to book higher. The most expensive room offers a sauna, bedrock bath and jacuzzi. The rooms also come with a selection of freebies, which promotes the usual turn up empty-handed motto that love hotels live by. For amenities, the hotel scores an 8 for a total of 14.

For comfort and cleanliness, I am awarding a 7, taking the total to 20. Hotel Modern is slightly older than the other two in the area. It would benefit from some TLC the fountain in the lobby needed some repair, and the darts room I selected had a broken darts board, eliminating the purpose of the room. I opted to wait for a darts room to become available, as it was a cheap tier which offered the same size bath as the higher tiers. But the dartboard was disconnected and broken. Lotus Gorgeous also suffered from a broken dartboard, so perhaps this is a feature that needed removing entirely or upgrading fully in the hotels. The option to play darts is exciting and fun, and a change for those who do not want the usual karaoke rooms.  Interestingly, this hotel offered a manga room perfect for bookworm couples who want a space to read together in luxury. My room was spacious for the price, but there were areas of wear and tear that showed. Some of the wooden interiors were broken and scratched, the bathroom itself needed a clean and other reviews on the site said the bathrooms had mould.

For ease of access, I award a 7, taking the score to 27. The hotel can be booked online, and the hotel has an electronic check-in board. There is no need to talk to anyone, but if you book online, you will need to call the front desk to check in. The interactive boards allow you to see the rooms free and their tiers and features. The boards this time provide a good selection of images to gauge size and bath from them.

Next up is the category of food, this chain offers an extensive menu with plenty of choice; they also offer multiple special features which change depending on season and month. At Gorgeous, I was able to try dishes from the menu, and the food was pretty good for love hotel standards. The steaks were good, and the food was flavourful. When I arrived, it was late, but I noticed the hotel was advertising a chocolate fair. Being a huge fan of chocolate, I decided to have a late-night snack. I had the hot chocolate, chocolate French toast, chocolate milk and some fries. I have a membership card for this hotel chain, so I was granted a free drink and food item. The food was fun but for me slightly off the mark, the chocolate was a little weak, and the flavours were mild. But the many different food events make the stays very fun and different each time. For food, I award 6 points, taking the new total to 34.

For overall enjoyment, I award a 7, taking the total to 41. I am sad that the darts board did not work as I waited it out for the room to become available for this reason. You can book slots in the lobby games room and make spa appointments at this chain of hotels. So, if you are intending to use these services, I can imagine your time and experience would be fulfilling. The third hotel in the area from this chain even offers a golf driving range on the roof. The bath in my room was the biggest of all the hotels I stayed in over the trip. The freebies and bath made up for the lack of darts, and the bed was very comfy. I was able to enjoy my time and do enjoy this chain as they offer so much, which appeals to a wide range of people.

Last is re-booking, which is tough with so many hotels clustered in this area; the likelihood of return is very low. I want to try more hotels in this area and would probably choose Gorgeous over Modern if it came down to the two. I will award a score of 6 for a final of 47/70. Gorgeous scored 51/70, so they are both reasonable. There is too much choice in this area, and to date, it’s the most love hotels I’ve ever seen in an area. It has a vibe of excitement, and the competition to outdo one another must be tough. Just walking around the area felt like what I imagine Las Vegas feels like, the glittering lights and big decorations. The hotels are decorated to look big and impressive; it is worth a visit even if you do not intend to stay at any.