This brand new space has 5,000 books for guests to read, a special bar stocked with local beers, and bunks inside the shelves to sleep in.

Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto has inspired writers and poets for centuries, and now there’s a new type of accommodation in the city that’s set to be a haven for visiting literature buffs and bookworms. As the second branch of Book and Bed Tokyo, which opened in November last year just a short walk away from Tokyo’s Ikebukuro Station, the new Kyoto location looks to be just as spectacular, with guest beds located inside a number of beautiful wooden bookshelves filled with a total of 5,000 books.

Centrally located in Kyoto’s famous Gion district, the hostel aims to accommodate both local and overseas travellers with a wide selection of English and Japanese-language books for visitors to browse through at their leisure.

The accommodation itself is located behind a beautiful arched doorway on the 9th floor of a building, where there are a total of 20 beds available.

There are 18 “Standard Bookshelf Bunks” measuring 220 centimetres × 110 centimetres (86.6 inches x 43.3 inches), which are priced from 5,300 yen (US$46.80) a night.

There is one slightly narrower “Compact Bookshelf” bunk measuring 220 centimetres × 90 centimetres (86.6 inches x 35.4 inches), which is priced from 4,800 yen per night.

And another compact bookshelf bunk with the same measurements, called the “River View Compact” due to its proximity to the window, which is priced from 5,300 yen a night.

While the number and types of beds available differ slightly to the Tokyo location, the on-site amenities remain the same. Each bunk has luggage space under the bed, along with a personal lamp, power outlet, hanger and private curtain.

Shared lounges line the walls of the hostel, while guests can enjoy free Wi-Fi and the use of shared showers and bathrooms at any time during their stay. Towels, soaps, shampoos, conditioners, toothbrushes and toothpaste are not supplied, but can be rented as a pack for an extra 540 yen.

Like the hostel’s Tokyo branch, guests will be provided with stylish NOWHAW-brand robes to wear during their stay, available only on the 8th, 18th and 28th days of each month.

Unique to the Kyoto location is the addition of a “Book and Bed and Beer” bar space, which is stocked with a selection of local brews for guests to purchase.

Check-in time at the hostel is between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., with check-out available until 11:00 a.m. the next day. If you’re curious to see what the place is like without using one of their bunks, visitors can stop by for a quiet read on the lounges during the daytime, at a charge of 540 yen per hour, or 1,620 yen for an unlimited period during daytime business hours.

To book your short or overnight stay, check out the Kyoto Book and Bed Tokyo website for more details in Japanese and English. Reservations are essential and require advance payment by credit card, or prepaid Japanese IC cards like Pasmo or Suica, which makes for a smooth and easy check-in upon arrival.

Information

Book and Bed Tokyo – Kyoto branch

Address: Kyoto-fu, Kyoto-shi, Higashiyama-ku, Nakanocho-Nishiiru 200, 9F Kamogawa Building

京都府京都市東山区中之町西入ル200カモガワビル9階

Office hours: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Website (English)

Source, images: PR Times