The Art Mon Zen is one of the most delightful hotels I have ever stayed in. The rooms were beautiful, immaculately clean and incomparable comfortable. Each one features unique and fascinating antiques (ours had a cuneiform tablet, Roman bowl and Ming vase). The breakfasts were skillfully prepared and artfully presented; we ended up eating there every day we could. The afternoon tea was whimsical, gorgeous and utterly delicious - don't miss it if you stay here! The location is basically perfect: in Gion, walking distance to the river, the Path of Philosophy, Kiyomizu, Yasaka, Gion's shopping, etc. Sanjo station is three minutes away, from whence you can easily connect to anywhere in the Kyoto train system. And despite all that, the staff is what truly made our trip magical. They were polite, attentive and always friendly. They helped us organize a variety of outings and dinners across Kyoto, all of which were perfect. They even rescued us from a mountain hike, when we lost phone service and couldn't call our taxi. They went well beyond 'above and beyond' in every way. I have stayed in luxury hotels across the world, and I can say without caveat that the Art Mon Zen is one of the finest you will ever have the privilege of enjoying.
