Hotel Granvia Kyoto

Hotel Granvia Kyoto is built into the Kyoto Station building, the huge glass and steel complex that serves as the city's main rail gateway, and it is directly connected to JR Kyoto Station at the central exit. For travellers arriving by shinkansen or on the Haruka airport express from Kansai International Airport, it is about as convenient as a hotel can be: you can walk from the platforms to reception without going outside.

The hotel is run by the JR West hotel group, and it is a full-service hotel with a wide range of room types for single travellers, couples and families. Rooms on the higher floors look out over the city towards Kyoto Tower and the hills. There is a pool and fitness section for guests, and the standard of service is that of a large international-style hotel.

Dining is extensive. The hotel lists Café Restaurant Le Temps, View and Dining Cotociel, the Gozan-bo teppanyaki restaurant, Chinese cuisine at Roppongi Rokuhonki, Japanese cuisine at Ukihashi, kyo-kaiseki at Minokichi Takeshigero and tempura at Kyorinsen, along with the Grand Jour lobby lounge, the Orbite main bar and a pastry and bakery shop. That range means you can eat well without leaving the building on a rainy evening or after a long day.

The Granvia suits business travellers, families and anyone planning day trips, since trains to Nara, Osaka, Himeji and Hiroshima all leave from the station below. The station area is not the most atmospheric part of Kyoto, but the subway, JR lines and the main city bus terminal are on the doorstep, making it easy to reach every corner of the city. Prices are mid to upper range and rise in the peak seasons, so compare dates if your plans are flexible.

Kyoto Tower is directly across the road, and Higashi Hongan-ji is a short walk to the north. The underground Porta shopping centre and the department store in the station building offer food halls and shops, and Honke Daiichi-asahi, a well-known ramen shop, is a few minutes' walk to the east. To-ji, with its five-storey pagoda, is about fifteen minutes away on foot.