Shijo Guesthouse HIVE
A reliable choice for budget travellers seeking a clean and well-located capsule stay in Kyoto, particularly those who value privacy within a hostel setting.
Shijo Guesthouse HIVE in Kyoto offers a modern and clean capsule experience, particularly well-suited for budget-conscious travellers. Guests sleep in open bunk-style pods, some within dedicated female-only dorms, which provide a good degree of privacy with charger ports and space for personal items. While the mattresses can be thin and pods occasionally warm, the overall comfort is generally satisfactory. The shared bathrooms are a highlight, praised for their cleanliness, ample facilities, and thoughtful design with separate wet and dry areas. The guesthouse boasts an excellent location, just a short walk from Shijo railway station and within easy reach of Kyoto's main attractions and dining options. Staff are consistently noted for their friendliness and helpfulness, ensuring a smooth stay. Although the atmosphere is less social than some might expect, the spacious common area provides a functional space for guests.
♀ Reviews mention 'a pod in a female shared room' and 'the other female visitors were making an absolute mess of the facilities daily', indicating dedicated female dorms.
Stations & airport.
Distances measured from the hotel. Walking times assume a gentle pace with a backpack.
- Exit #5 Bukkouji St.60 m1 min walk
- Shijō121 m2 min walk
- Shijō122 m2 min walk
Eleven dimensions of capsule life, read from 454 reviews.
Noise & sleep
Noise isolation is a mixed bag; some guests found the hostel surprisingly quiet, while others experienced significant disturbances from other guests or proximity to the door, even with earplugs.
“My bed was right by the door, so I couldn’t sleep well even with earplugs.”
“Despite there being so many people staying the hostel is very clean and surprisingly quiet, which was perfect for us”
“Other guests were very loud in the dorms at late hours (2:30am on one morning.)”
Pod comfort
Reviews are mixed on pod comfort, with some finding the mattress too thin and the pod warm, while others found the comfort great with useful amenities like charger ports.
“Mattress was too thin, sleeping on my side was not comfortable”
“The comfort has been great as well and the pods (I booked for a pod in a female shared room) had charger ports and also a place for you to put your personal items.”
“The “pod” you sleep in can get pretty warm. The fan they have in there isn’t really strong enough to remove the hot air.”
Privacy
Guests generally appreciate the privacy offered by the capsules, noting they provide a good sense of personal space, superior to many traditional hostels.
“The comfort has been great as well and the pods (I booked for a pod in a female shared room) had charger ports and also a place for you to put your personal items.”
“You sleep in capsules with a lot of privacy, much better than most hostels we usually see in Europe.”
Cleanliness
The property is generally praised for its cleanliness, with daily cleaning of common areas, showers, and toilets. However, some guests noted issues with other guests leaving rooms and sinks untidy.
“Everyday the common areas, shower and toilet areas were cleaned and overall the cleanliness I would rate it at 100%.”
“Cleanliness.”
“The rooms were dirty. A lot of plastic bags and other things such as plastic wraps were laying around, and the sinks had a lot of loose hair. There's a sign that says people are supposed to throw away their lost strands themselves, but not a lot of people seem to do so.”
Shared bathrooms
The shared bathrooms are a strong point, described as clean, tidy, and well-designed with separate wet and dry areas in the showers. Hairdryers and toiletries are provided, and there are enough facilities to avoid queues.
“The shower area had a wet and dry area, which was splendid as this allowed guests to dry themselves before heading out to the main room area. The shower area and toilet area were separate and the layout made everything much cleaner. There were also hairdryers provided as well.”
“Big large bed and quite nice showers”
“Shared shower room, but they have enough clean tidy shower rooms.”
Luggage storage
Luggage storage is a significant drawback, with guests frequently complaining about minimal space, crowded dorms due to bags, and small lockers that don't accommodate larger items, forcing luggage to be left in the aisles.
“Dorm was a bit crowded with people's luggages.”
“The area for luggage was minimal just left outside your bed.”
“26 beds per room, but no storage space at all but a small locker, you have to put your stuff against the wall, nothing to hang your towel.”
Staff & check-in
Staff are consistently praised for being friendly, helpful, and kind, with smooth check-in processes even for late arrivals.
“The staff of Shijo guesthouse have been extremely helpful and guided me well during my late check in at the hostel. I arrived at 10pm and although there was no one at the counter, everything was seamless.”
“Staff were so friendly and dorm was clean and comfy. Bathrooms and room were all nice too. Good place to stay.”
“It was a cozy and clean place, staff was kind and helpful.”
Location & access
The location is highly rated, described as excellent and perfect for exploring Kyoto, being a 5-minute walk to Shijo railway station and within walking distance of main attractions and food options.
“The location has been extremely perfect as it is only a 5 min walk to the Shijo railway station and you could basically travel to any part of Japan from there. The main attractions are also within walkable distance and plenty of options to explore for touristy places or food hunts within Kyoto.”
“Great location- very easy to get around.”
“Good location.”
Wifi & working
While not explicitly mentioned, the common area seems to be used for work, suggesting adequate WiFi, though one review notes it can be crowded with people using laptops.
“It’s full of Western people, typical expats who spend the day in the common areas with their laptops or sit for two hours with a juice taking up a table (they think they are in a Starbucks or something)”
Atmosphere
The atmosphere is described as less social than some guests expected, despite a spacious common area that can be busy with people using laptops, suggesting more of a quiet workspace than a lively social hub.
“Less social then expected”
“The common area was spacious with a lot of people sitting.”
“It’s full of Western people, typical expats who spend the day in the common areas with their laptops or sit for two hours with a juice taking up a table (they think they are in a Starbucks or something)”
Value for money
Guests generally consider Shijo Guesthouse HIVE a good option for budget travelers, offering great value for its location and facilities, though some are frustrated by additional city taxes not included in the initial booking price.
“Great location, great price, sleep can be a little rough with the curtain closed”
“Travelling on a budget? A good option to stay in this place 👍”
“The location was perfect. The facilities were adequate. I don’t know if this is the property’s issue or it’s booking.com, but why don’t we just add the tax requirement in the calculation of the rate? Instead it has to be collected at the property. When someone like me who travels on a budget every cent counts, which means the cost of each place I stay matters a lot.”
The honest drawbacks, from guests.
- thin mattresses
- limited luggage space in dorms
- pods can get warm
- potential for noisy neighbours
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