Watch the tranquil flow of the Kamo River from this Marriott design hotel in Kyoto

The Genji Kyoto Hotel, part of the Marriott Design Hotels collection. I've been to Kyoto many times, and most of the time I stay in the traditional tourist areas: Kawaramachi, Kiyamachi, Nijo Castle, and even the International Conference Center. This time I tried something different. The hotel is located in a quiet residential area along the Kamo River, where cars cannot enter the main entrance, so you either get off at the intersection near the Kamo River Bridge or on the side near the Takase River, and it's a five-minute walk from there. Highly recommend the top-floor suite with a balcony, overlooking the river from a high vantage point, watching the incessant traffic and the Kamo River flowing quietly. The hotel is not large, so it was fully booked during the peak season before. This time I used points to redeem a top-floor river view suite, and the overall feeling was good. The first-floor public area integrates the reception and the bar, with a wide selection of welcome drinks. After finishing our drinks, we wondered why the room cards hadn't been delivered yet, 'Maybe they're not ready yet, finish up the edamame,' but the worry that the front desk guy was still handling other things was completely unnecessary, as he had been waiting for us at the elevator with the keys for a long time. Good thing we got up and looked around, otherwise the 'i' group would still be at a standoff tomorrow morning. The room is not large but highly efficient, with shoes to be removed right at the entrance, and wooden clogs on the balcony. The L-shaped balcony offers a view of the Kamo River on one side and the residential area around Gojo on the other. The hotel is exquisite, and its biggest selling point might be the view from the top-floor observation deck, which should be very nice in spring, summer, and autumn. In winter, because it's near the river, it feels a bit cold. The room's blackout curtains are a bit thin, with no drapes, only electric blackout blinds, which may affect sleep quality at night. If you're taking a taxi and the driver can't find the place, you can contact the hotel front desk directly, and they will come out to meet you.