We LOVED our stay at BnA Alter Museum and would happily stay again. I originally booked our stay here because my niece, who’s creative and works in style and artistic production, was traveling with us and I knew would appreciate the unique art rooms, created each by a different artist. We first were in a quirky, whimsical room with Murphy-style pull down beds. It was such fun. We extended our stay an extra day and were moved to a beautiful, calming room by a sculptural artist with gentle warm lighting, minimalist wooden pieces and 5 yen coins flowing along portions of the walls, floor and ceiling, with opportunity to add your own. This hotel provides a unique and modern experience while still offering distictive Japanese features (robes and low beds, dense mattresses, bathrooms you want to transport home with you, etc). The hotel was comfortable and quiet, the location was fantastic… a very close walk to beautiful, narrow traditional lanes along the river and Gion with its picturesque Kyoto charm, vibrant, modern shopping thoroughfares and massive covered market “maze” offering a mix of old world and new, food lanes, thrift shops, every kind of thing you can imagine, and frequented by locals and visitors alike (a place to spend a day and get happily lost, especially if the weather is challenging). Just beyond all these things, across the river and easily reached by foot are the famous temples and gardens of Kyoto. Hospitality is huge in Japan, but I can’t say enough about the staff at BnA Alter Museum… warm and approachable while still offering impeccable hospitality. In particular, my elderly mother joined us our third night there. The only room available (the beautiful 5-yen coin room) had very low beds. The staff made sure to put a good, stable chair in the room for her as requested specifically to aid her getting in and out of bed and offered to do more.

We didn’t dislike anything. Just things to be aware of: The space to move about or spread luggage and things out (at least in the two rooms we had) is very limited, and the bed height and density of mattresses and pillows may be challenging for some (though we were quite comfortable). I’d communicate with the staff beforehand if this is an issue for you. These aren’t criticisms, just things to know if you’re one who wants what you’re used to in a big hotel chain. We have no complaints whatsoever.

Very friendly staff. Excellent location. We used the cafe for coffee and other refreshments, and we ordered a black sesame terrine and ice cream, which was fabulous! Every room had a different artistic theme and we all liked our rooms. I did, however, swop with my daughter as I prefer a light room, and l was originally allocated a very dark room. My daughter was very happy to swap! The complimentary cocktail every night was very welcome, and both barmen were extremely friendly and chatty.

I had a slight issue with the flow of hot water in my bathroom sink. I did report to reception so they could look at the issue. This wouldn't put me off returning to the hotel.

The staff was so helpful and friendly, and the concept of the rooms was beautiful and interesting. Really good breakfast, too! The staff spoke fluent English and the bartenders were great. I loved this place and will absolutely stay again. I extended my stay here when the Shinkansen got shut down for the day and took the opportunity to try a different room, and I hope I can come back to see more!

I love that the rooms were art pieces, but if I were to tweak the design I would have some kind of control for the lights by the bed instead of placing them all by the door so I'm not finding my way in the dark. One room had no convenient table to keep my glasses, phone, and water by the bed at night. It's fun for me, a person who is just happy to be in a weird hotel, but I think it's a design consideration that would keep me from recommending it to my parents, for example.

Great location, it's within walking distance to malls and shopping centers. Very nice breakfast, friendly staffs, and interesting room designs.

While the room design is quite neat, some functional aspects could've been improved. For example, apart from the bed, there is just one single chair and super tiny table for both of us, so if the other person wants to sit, they need to sit on the bed. And we're used to have TV in our room, but here we only have a tiny tablet on that tiny table, so there isn't much entertainment per se once we got back to our hotel at night. There is also just one power outlet and it is located right next to door/exit which makes charging our phones super challenging.

this is one of the best and most interesting places i've stayed at :) upon arrival, the staff was extremely welcoming and did a fantastic job at explaining the room's concept to us. we were offered early check-in, and since we booked a different room for each night, they even offered to transport our packed luggage from room-to-room while we were out travelling. the customer service is excellent and they also provided us with lovely recommendations for local restaurants and delights. location wise, it is very close to a bus stop that takes you to the main tourist area and also kiyumizudera. but i found that kyoto buses did not run on a very strict schedule. it is a survivable walking distance away from a train station :) the rooms themselves were simply fantastic, and i had such a great time soaking up the deliberate, and sometimes interactive, designs and concepts. every aspect of the room was carefully thought-out, and i have no complaints over the cleanliness. it was such a wonderful experience and it left me wanting to return to check out some of the other rooms. this specific room was incredibly large and had an INCREDIBLE view. i still dream about this place.

nothing!

We stayed at this hotel for four nights and enjoyed its unique atmosphere. It is a special hotel that incorporates art into the rooms, adding a creative and interesting touch to the stay. The staff was very courteous, always available, and made every effort to assist with any request. However, the main drawback is the lack of functionality – while the rooms, including the suite, are pleasant and well-maintained, they lack basic facilities for a comfortable stay, which slightly reduces the overall experience. This hotel is recommended for those who appreciate design and art, but less so for those seeking functional comfort.

The location was really great, next to a lively central street with a lot of cafes/restaurants etc. The fact that there is a cafe in the building with nice coffee was very convenient. The room was interesting and definitely unusual, it has different levels of light.

The fact that the room was unusual was at the same convenient and not, the bed/matress are located almost on the ground, so it wasn't convenient, also there were no regular chairs to sit, so quite unusual. There was no room cleaning service as no one from the staff is entering the room while you are staying for security purposes, but I would like to have cleaning, so good to keep in mind.

The location was great—just a 10-minute walk from Gion, so it was quieter but still close to the action. The coffee shop at the hotel was amazing, and their oat latte was a rare find in the area. The room was really unique and a cool experience, plus the bathroom was spacious and super comfortable.

Even though the room was spacious, the layout felt more about showcasing art than being practical for guests. For the price, I expected better storage for luggage and easier ways to hang clothes. Also, a laundry room or service would have been nice.

It was good to stay somewhere a bit quirky and different to regular business hotels. Our double room (Vault 803) was light and airy, with some thoughtful visual art and mixed media installations. Fab spacious bathroom and power shower. Great location - close to many attractions and bus stops nearby. Plenty of good bars and restaurants around too. I loved my avocado breakfast but my husband (vegetarian) found the choice of breakfast sets limiting, however the staff kindly reheated gyoza for him and provided a mountain of toast! Excellent value for money.

It was all good.

- Room was so unique, beautiful and moody - Clean and super spacious (we had no issues with 2 large suitcases) - Conveniently located, about a 6 min walk to Kawaramachi Station and lots of shopping/restaurants - Bed was surprisingly comfortable - Bathroom was very spacious and the bath was really nice after a long day - Staff were friendly and helpful and could all speak English

- Obviously not the most functional room. There were some hooks on the walls but no proper wardrobes per se but you book it knowing this so we were fine with it. - No TV but you do get a tablet with Netflix on it