--- title: "BenTen Residences vs SOWAKA: which hotel is better?" description: "BenTen Residences or SOWAKA in Kyoto? Compare guest ratings, location, amenities, rooms and prices side by side." url: https://stayversus.com/en/compare/benten-residences-kyoto-vs-sowaka-kyoto/ language: en source: StayVersus (https://stayversus.com) retrieved: 2026-11-14 --- # BenTen Residences vs SOWAKA Both are in Kyoto, 150 m apart. Here is where each one is stronger. Apartment · 辰巳町 ## [BenTen Residences](https://stayversus.com/en/hotel/benten-residences-kyoto/) - **Guest rating:** 9.6 · Exceptional - **Location score:** 8.4 - **Score by category:** 0 of 3 [Check rates](https://stayversus.com/go/1201578/agoda/?lang=en) Hotel · ★★★★ · 辰巳町 ## [SOWAKA](https://stayversus.com/en/hotel/sowaka-kyoto/) - **Guest rating:** 9.6 · Exceptional - **Location score:** 8.4 - **Score by category:** 0 of 3 [Check rates](https://stayversus.com/go/2118603/agoda/?lang=en) The short answer ## Too close to call Neither hotel has a clear edge on the facts we have. Your priorities decide. 150 m apart. ### Choose BenTen Residences if you want - a smaller, quieter hotel (Rooms: 2 / 23) ### Choose SOWAKA if you want - the more consistently praised stay (9.6 / 9.6) - a big hotel with more facilities (Rooms: 23 / 2) ### Why is BenTen Residences better than SOWAKA? No clear advantages in our data. ### Why is SOWAKA better than BenTen Residences? 1. More guest reviews (385 vs 51), so the rating is more reliable (×7.5) ## All compared facts Every category is scored from 0 to 10 with the same formula for every hotel. | | BenTen Residences | SOWAKA | | --- | --- | --- | | Score by category | | Guest rating | 9.6 | 9.6 | | Location | 8.4 | 8.4 | | Facilities | – | 5.8 | | Spa & wellness | – | 4.0 | | Public transport | 7.5 | 7.4 | | Ratings & reviews | | StayVersus score | 9.3 | 9.5 (+0.2) | | Guest rating | 9.6 | 9.6 | | Number of reviews | 51 | 385 (+334) | | Google rating | – | 4.7/5 | | Google reviews | – | 307 | | Rank in Kyoto | top 7% | top 1% (+6%) | | Location | | Location score | 8.4 | 8.4 | | Distance to 辰巳町 centre | 270 m (−150 m) | 420 m | | To public transport | 620 m | 630 m | | To the airport | 39 km | 39 km | | Restaurants within 500 m | 150 | 150 | | To the nearest food shop | 90 m | 70 m | | Shops within 500 m | 11 | 10 | | Sights within 1 km | 32 | 36 (+4) | | Rooms & building | | Star rating | – | ★★★★ | | Rooms | 2 | 23 | | Floors | – | 2 | | Newest building or renovation | – | 2019 | | Listed amenities | 8 | 17 (+9) | | Policies | | Check-in from | 15:00 | 15:00 | | Check-out until | 11:00 | 11:00 | | Amenities | | Parking | ✓ | – | | Concierge | ✓ | ✓ | | Laundry | ✓ | ✓ | | Luggage storage | ✓ | ✓ | | Air conditioning | ✓ | ✓ | | In-room safe | ✓ | ✓ | | Coffee or tea maker | ✓ | – | | Free Wi-Fi | – | ✓ | | Breakfast | – | ✓ | | Restaurant | – | ✓ | | Bar | – | ✓ | | Room service | – | ✓ | | Spa | – | ✓ | | Massage | – | ✓ | | Terrace | – | ✓ | | Smoke-free | – | ✓ | | Balcony | – | ✓ | | Minibar | – | ✓ | | Distance to the main sights | | Tō-ji Temple | 3.5 km | 3.6 km | | Sanjūsangen-dō Temple | 1.5 km | 1.7 km | | Kyoto Tower | 2.2 km | 2.4 km | | Honnō-ji Temple | 1.4 km | 1.3 km | | Chion-in Temple | 720 m | 600 m | | Nishi Hongan-ji Temple | 2.6 km | 2.7 km | | Which hotel suits you | | Couples | – | ✓ | | Business trips | – | ✓ | | Spa & relaxation | – | ✓ | ## Live prices around both hotels Real nightly rates from booking partners for the dates you picked above. Tap a price for the offer. ## Nightly price by month BenTen ResidencesSOWAKA - BenTen Residences is cheaper in 11 of 11 months - BenTen Residences: €445 a night on average · SOWAKA: €1,045 a night on average Pick a month to check today's price for its cheapest date. [Hotel prices in Kyoto by month](https://stayversus.com/en/japan/kyoto/prices/) Averages of real one-night prices for two adults on Agoda, a Tuesday and a Saturday in each month, last checked 12 November 2026. In euros; the final price is shown before you book. [BenTen Residences prices by month](https://stayversus.com/en/hotel/benten-residences-kyoto/prices/)[SOWAKA prices by month](https://stayversus.com/en/hotel/sowaka-kyoto/prices/) ## Location 150 m apart BenTen Residences: city centre: 1.7 km, Osaka Itami International Airport (ITM): 39 km, 150+ places to eat within 500 m, 32 sights within 1 km. SOWAKA: city centre: 1.7 km, Osaka Itami International Airport (ITM): 39 km, 150+ places to eat within 500 m, 36 sights within 1 km. [Top-rated of 78 hotels in Gion](https://stayversus.com/en/japan/kyoto/area/gion/) ## Weather in Kyoto [Kyoto weather: 15-day forecast](https://atlasofseasons.com/en/japan/kyoto/kyoto/weather) ## BenTen Residences or SOWAKA: common questions ### Which is cheaper, BenTen Residences or SOWAKA? Over the year BenTen Residences costs about €445 a night on average against €1,045 at SOWAKA, and it is cheaper in 11 of the 11 months we checked. Pick your dates above for today's prices. ### Which hotel is closer to the centre? BenTen Residences is closer: 270 m from the centre, against 420 m for SOWAKA. ### How far apart are BenTen Residences and SOWAKA? The two hotels are 150 m apart in a straight line. ## More match-ups - [SOWAKA vs Kyoto Ryokan Gion Sano](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/kyoto-ryokan-gion-sano-kyoto-vs-sowaka-kyoto/) - [SOWAKA vs Gion Ryokan Karaku](https://stayversus.com/en/compare/gion-ryokan-karaku-kyoto-vs-sowaka-kyoto/) ## Compare now Updated 6 Oct 2026. Data: Agoda, Overture Maps, OpenStreetMap, OurAirports and hotels' own websites. We may earn a commission from partner links; it never changes the comparison. [How we score](https://stayversus.com/en/about/) --- Source: https://stayversus.com/en/compare/benten-residences-kyoto-vs-sowaka-kyoto/. Facts are compiled by StayVersus from partner data (Agoda), Overture Maps, OpenStreetMap, OurAirports, public Google Maps listings and hotels' own websites. Scores use one formula for every hotel. Methodology: https://stayversus.com/en/about/