Luck You townhouse, a traditional newly built Ryokan in Kyoto, gave us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in Japanese style while in Japan.

Up to now we have stayed in hotels, hostels and guest houses around the world, each one better than the last, but being in a traditional house of the country we were visiting was something completely new. Our experience couldn’t have been more rewarding.

Every day I bug Ruth more and more about how I’m in love with Japan, and the high point was undoubtedly our stay in this old-style house.

Everything we’d experienced over the previous few days in Japan was encapsulated in those 4 nights at Luck You townhouse: tradition, respect, culture and a tranquil environment … This is a fascinating country, and our stay there for one week has really made us feel something for Japan.

A bit about Luck You Townhouse in Kyoto

Luck You, its name in Japanese, means “Enjoy and Play”, which reminds guests not to lose their playful spirit. Plus in English we can understand “good luck to you”.

The design of Luck You townhouse includes, among other things: a sensation of open space, especially above the kitchen where the ceiling is very high allowing smoke and steam from the kitchen to escape easily; different types of ceiling in the guest rooms, according to the purpose and status of the room; and the modernity of new advanced equipment to make it a comfortable space, such as electronic toilets and widescreen TVs.

Our room at Luck You townhouse Kyoto

The house has 7 guest rooms, all with private toilet and bath, designed in a different way and with attention to detail at every turn. Each of the rooms has a name with a specific meaning.

Our room was called “Momo” and was 9.18m², fitting the 3 of us comfortably. It was equipped with 3 futons, a round table that we used to work with our laptops, a widescreen TV, plenty of space in the closet, a mini safe, a mini fridge and a small washroom with a bath and a bidet toilet (washlet).

In the corner there was a beautiful flower vase hanging on the wall with a specific light over it. All the rooms have a bamboo flower vase from Kohchosai Kosuga.

One thing that we really loved at Luck You townhouse was a box containing fresh towels and beautiful gowns that we could use to go to the public house located in front of the house, or simply to walk around the property in comfortable clothing.

Apart from ours we saw two other rooms in the townhouse that were just as beautiful:

Tsubaki room, which was 6.98m² and ideal for 2 guests;

Sakura room, which was 9.18m² and included a very large bath for guests who want to have a leisurely soak during their stay.

Facilities and services at Luck You Townhouse and the Public Bath

From outside the first impression is that the house is not very big, but once you enter the property you immediately realize that every inch of the space is taken advantage of. Otherwise you could never imagine that there are 7 comfortable guest rooms, a small inner garden, a kitchen, a large living and dining area for breakfast, a space for computers and the reception ….

The staff then took us to see the dining area, where we had breakfast every morning. The dining area is full of space, and you get that sense because of the ceiling which is very high. In the dining area there is a large table and a separate space with a low round table that gives guests more intimacy.

They also have computer with a large screen that guests can use to access the internet or to work on documents.

And then there’s a small inner garden that brings some light to the house and guarantees a flow of air to freshen the environment.

Finally, we were invited to take a bath in the Gokoyu public bath located just in front of the property. Public baths are also a traditional thing in Japan, and although they don’t belong to the owner of the house, they are conveniently located and guests are given free entry on one occasion. They have medicinal, bubble and rock salt baths, as well as a sauna. As mentioned above, we took our Samue-style gowns and clogs and walked to the bath.

For guests who are still not sure about what to do and visit in Kyoto, the staff can help you decide the best places to visit, such as temples, gardens and areas around the city. Just next to the dining area they also make available to guests many reading books and pamphlets with more information about Kyoto, attractions and festivals.

Getting to Luck You townhouse Kyoto

The Machiya Ryokan is really well located and easily reachable by public transport. 1 minute from the house there is a bus stop called Omiya-Gojo, where bus number 206 from Kyoto train station stops.

On the other hand, if you have a JR Pass like us, you can benefit from free transport by train on the specific line for Japan Rail. We took the train from Kyoto train station and stopped at the next stop, called Tambaguchi JR Station. From there we walked for about 15 minutes to the house.

We really enjoyed our experience in a traditional Machiya townhouse, and for that we thank Hama san, Yuto san and the whole staff for this opportunity and for making us feel so welcome during our stay.

Family Travel Secrets stayed at Luck You townhouse as guests. All opinions and the oodles of pictures remain our own.