Tallying the 204,773 reviews posted for lodging facilities in Kyoto Prefecture over the last 12 months by language, Japanese accounted for 123,387 (60.3%) and English for 69,356 (33.9%) — above Tokyo’s English share of 31.3% (150,149 of 479,430). The evaluation criteria also differ by language: in Japanese the most-mentioned item is “proximity to the station” at 20.9%, with “meals” third at 17.7%, whereas in English “location overall” leads at 25.7%, “staff overall” is third at 20.2%, and meals do not make the top five. Pricing, meanwhile, is soft: estimated settled ADR (closed months compared with closed months) for Kyoto Prefecture city hotels was ¥20,200 in September 2026 (N=61), −14.6% year on year, and business hotels were ¥11,700 (N=327), −2.4%. This article overlays the review fact that each guest segment judges on different criteria with the price fact that rates are running below last year, and works out how Kyoto’s city and business hotels should structure segment-specific messaging and pricing ahead of the autumn-foliage season.
Scope: reviews of Kyoto Prefecture lodging facilities, N=204,773 (all property types, last 12 months, reviewer basis); estimated settled ADR for Kyoto Prefecture city hotels N=61 properties and business hotels N=327 properties (September 2026 closed figures). The price metric in this article is estimated settled ADR (the settled price level estimated from OTA and other sales data, tax-excluded equivalent), and occupancy is an estimate based on OTA-listed inventory. Both are defined at the end of the article. Data as of October 17, 2026.
- — 33.9% English — Of 204,773 reviews in Kyoto Prefecture (all property types, last 12 months, reviewer basis), one in three is in English, 2.6pt above Tokyo’s 31.3%.
- — Criteria differ by language — Japanese reviews lead with station proximity 20.9% and meals 17.7%; English with location overall 25.7% and staff overall 20.2%, while meals rank 7th in English at 12.1%.
- — City Sep ¥20,179 (−14.6%) — Kyoto Prefecture estimated settled ADR for city hotels (N=61) fell by double digits for four straight months, Jun–Sep; business hotels (N=327) were ¥11,701 in September, −2.4%.
- — Nov 21: 95.0% at 45 days out — Observed October 16, 2026: city-hotel estimated OCC (37 properties, 5,084 rooms) for the first day of the foliage three-day weekend was 96.2% at 36 days out; ordinary weekend Nov 14 was at 90.3%.
- — Break-even on a price cut — Cutting November 2026 estimated ADR by 5% requires 94.7% estimated OCC to hold RevPAR, and a 10% cut requires 100% — little room to win revenue back with discounts on the holiday’s first day.
One in three Kyoto reviews is in English — a higher foreign-language share than Tokyo
Start with the language mix of reviewers. Of the 204,773 reviews posted for Kyoto Prefecture lodging facilities over the last 12 months, 123,387 (60.3%) were in Japanese, 69,356 (33.9%) in English, 5,424 (2.6%) in Korean and 3,365 (1.6%) in Traditional Chinese; foreign languages including English add up to roughly 40%. Running the same tally for Tokyo gives 294,496 Japanese (61.4%), 150,149 English (31.3%), 16,655 Korean (3.5%) and 11,397 Traditional Chinese (2.4%) out of 479,430. Kyoto’s English share is 2.6pt higher than Tokyo’s, while its Korean and Traditional Chinese shares are lower.
Note that this mix describes the language of the people who posted reviews, not the guest mix itself. Posting rates vary by platform and nationality, and travellers from non-English-speaking countries who write in English are included. Even so, the gap against Tokyo under identical conditions, and the differences in what each language praises, are a perfectly usable comparison axis for thinking about a property’s own guest mix. For a nationwide view of how evaluation criteria differ by language, see What Guests Write About in 8 Languages — 3.46M Review Tag Analysis.
| Language | Kyoto Pref. count | Kyoto Pref. share | Tokyo count | Tokyo share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 123,387 | 60.3% | 294,496 | 61.4% |
| English | 69,356 | 33.9% | 150,149 | 31.3% |
| Korean | 5,424 | 2.6% | 16,655 | 3.5% |
| Traditional Chinese | 3,365 | 1.6% | 11,397 | 2.4% |
| Spanish | 1,155 | 0.6% | 2,195 | 0.5% |
| French | 1,014 | 0.5% | 2,092 | 0.4% |
| Simplified Chinese | 598 | 0.3% | 1,408 | 0.3% |
| German | 474 | 0.2% | 1,038 | 0.2% |
| Total | 204,773 | 100% | 479,430 | 100% |
Source: MetroEngines Research, compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team
Behind this lies a shift in inbound demand at the national level. The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) estimates that visitor arrivals in August 2026 were 3,098,900, down 9.6% year on year — the first year-on-year decline in two months (sources at the end of the article). That does not change the fact that one in three Kyoto reviews is in English; precisely because the “volume” of each segment is wobbling, understanding the “quality” — what each segment values — becomes the premise of price design.
Japanese: “station proximity and meals”; English: “location overall and staff” — evaluation criteria differ by language
Next, look at the most-mentioned evaluation items by language. In Japanese reviews the top five are “proximity to the station” 20.9%, “room cleanliness” 20.0%, “meals” 17.7%, “location overall” 12.9% and “room size” 12.9%, with station access and meals standing out. In English the top five are “location overall” 25.7%, “room cleanliness” 23.9%, “staff overall” 20.2%, “proximity to the station” 19.9% and “staff friendliness” 16.6%, while “meals” — third in Japanese — sits seventh at 12.1%. One reading is that English-language reviewers judge on an overall assessment of location — where the property sits relative to sights and nightlife — rather than distance from the station, together with their interactions with staff.
Korean and Traditional Chinese both put “proximity to the station” first (24.6% and 27.0%), behaving much like Japanese reviewers, but are distinctive in having “room size” in the top five (12.9% and 19.8%). Traditional Chinese also places “value for money” sixth at 13.4%, higher than English (outside the top 12) or Japanese (8.1%, 10th). Repeat visitors from nearby markets appear to judge on a combination of three factors: station proximity, room size and price. All top items in this tally are mentions in a positive context; negative mentions are not included.
Source: MetroEngines Research, compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team
| Evaluation item | Japanese (N=123,387) | English (N=69,356) | Korean (N=5,424) | Traditional Chinese (N=3,365) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proximity to station | 20.9% (1st) | 19.9% (4th) | 24.6% (1st) | 27.0% (1st) |
| Location overall | 12.9% (4th) | 25.7% (1st) | 16.8% (4th) | 26.5% (2nd) |
| Room cleanliness | 20.0% (2nd) | 23.9% (2nd) | 20.2% (2nd) | 26.2% (3rd) |
| Meals | 17.7% (3rd) | 12.1% (7th) | 12.0% (6th) | Outside top 12 |
| Room size | 12.9% (5th) | 15.3% (6th) | 12.9% (5th) | 19.8% (4th) |
| Staff overall | 12.5% (7th) | 20.2% (3rd) | 7.6% (12th) | Outside top 12 |
| Staff friendliness | 12.9% (6th) | 16.6% (5th) | 17.6% (3rd) | Outside top 12 |
| Value for money | 8.1% (10th) | Outside top 12 | 8.9% (9th) | 13.4% (6th) |
Source: MetroEngines Research, compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team
In sum, Kyoto’s guests fall broadly into three layers: a Japanese-language segment that chooses on station proximity and meals, an English-language segment that chooses on overall location and staff service, and a nearby-Asia segment that chooses on a combination of station proximity, room size and price. Different criteria mean that, even for the same room, the order of the sales message and the place where price can be loaded change by segment. So where do those prices stand now?
Estimated settled ADR fell below last year in Jun–Sep — four straight months of double-digit declines for city hotels
Comparing closed months, estimated settled ADR for Kyoto Prefecture city hotels (N=61) was ¥20,200 in September 2026, −14.6% from ¥23,600 a year earlier (N=58), and business hotels (N=327) were ¥11,700, −2.4% from ¥12,000 (N=319). Going back through the year, city hotels were −14.6% in June, −16.8% in July, −10.2% in August and −14.6% in September — four consecutive months of double-digit year-on-year declines — and the simple Jan–Sep average of ¥21,600 is 7.2% below last year’s ¥23,300. Business hotels beat last year in spring (March +6.7%, April +1.3%, May +10.5%), then fell sharply in summer (June −9.8%, July −13.0%, August −15.6%) before narrowing the gap to −2.4% in September. Their Jan–Sep average of ¥12,600 is −2.2% year on year, a smaller decline than city hotels. Where in spring this summer’s year-on-year decline branched off is covered, together with how to set a rate floor, in Kyoto Settled ADR Jun–Aug 2026: City −16.8%, Business −15.6% YoY.
Source: MetroEngines Research, compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team
| Stay month | City 2026 | City 2025 | City YoY | Business 2026 | Business 2025 | Business YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | ¥18,432 | ¥20,233 | −8.9% | ¥9,773 | ¥10,148 | −3.7% |
| Feb | ¥18,660 | ¥18,724 | −0.3% | ¥9,641 | ¥9,941 | −3.0% |
| Mar | ¥26,774 | ¥26,141 | +2.4% | ¥16,969 | ¥15,904 | +6.7% |
| Apr | ¥29,986 | ¥32,625 | −8.1% | ¥20,308 | ¥20,038 | +1.3% |
| May | ¥25,867 | ¥24,956 | +3.7% | ¥15,278 | ¥13,820 | +10.5% |
| Jun | ¥17,738 | ¥20,768 | −14.6% | ¥9,616 | ¥10,659 | −9.8% |
| Jul | ¥17,420 | ¥20,926 | −16.8% | ¥10,230 | ¥11,752 | −13.0% |
| Aug | ¥19,662 | ¥21,892 | −10.2% | ¥9,993 | ¥11,846 | −15.6% |
| Sep | ¥20,179 | ¥23,624 | −14.6% | ¥11,701 | ¥11,992 | −2.4% |
| Oct | ¥31,088 (current estimate) | ¥29,248 | — | ¥20,842 (current estimate) | ¥18,068 | — |
| Nov | ¥34,321 (current estimate) | ¥31,958 | — | ¥24,136 (current estimate) | ¥21,610 | — |
| Dec | ¥22,021 (current estimate) | ¥25,300 | — | ¥13,510 (current estimate) | ¥13,224 | — |
Source: MetroEngines Research, compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team
From October onward, however, the picture changes. Estimates based on current sales show city hotels at ¥31,100 for October (N=62) and ¥34,300 for November (N=63), and business hotels at ¥20,800 for October (N=322) and ¥24,100 for November (N=319) — all selling above last year’s closed figures (city: October ¥29,200, November ¥32,000; business: October ¥18,100, November ¥21,600). These are snapshots of sales in progress, however, and a straight comparison with closed figures has to wait until the months close. More notable is the seasonal swing: on 2025 closed figures, November was 1.54x June for city hotels and 2.03x for business hotels. Kyoto’s annual revenue is largely decided by two peaks, spring and autumn, and whether the summer shortfall can be recovered depends on rates and inventory allocation in the foliage season.
Foliage-season booking progress — Saturday, Nov 21 at 95.0% estimated OCC 45 days out
As of the October 16, 2026 observation, we check how far foliage-season bookings have progressed using booking curves (the cumulative path of estimated OCC from 45 days before the stay date to the latest observation). The target is a fixed cohort of 37 Kyoto Prefecture city hotels with 5,084 rooms (based on listings on major booking sites), with the latest observation on October 16. Saturday, November 21 — the first day of the three-day weekend that includes Labor Thanksgiving Day — had already reached 95.0% estimated OCC (OTA-listed inventory basis) at 45 days out, 96.2% at the latest point (36 days out), and a sell-out rate (the estimated share of properties with no listed inventory visible on OTAs) of 59.5%. By contrast, Saturday, November 14, a week earlier, went from 86.5% at 45 days out to 90.3% at 29 days out (+3.8pt), and Wednesday, November 18, a weekday, went from 84.4% at 45 days out to 86.7% at 33 days out (+2.3pt). The gap between the three-day weekend and ordinary weekends and weekdays was already open at 45 days out.
Source: MetroEngines Research, compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team
| Stay date | Day | City 45 days out | City 30 days out | City latest | City days remaining at latest | Business 45 days out | Business 30 days out | Business latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24 | Sat | 87.6% | 90.4% | 96.2% | 8 days | 84.3% | 90.5% | 95.9% |
| Oct 31 | Sat | 88.0% | 90.7% | 93.7% | 15 days | 82.8% | 87.2% | 92.1% |
| Nov 7 | Sat | 84.4% | 87.9% | 90.1% | 22 days | 77.6% | 85.2% | 88.3% |
| Nov 14 | Sat | 86.5% | 90.5% | 90.3% | 29 days | 82.7% | 90.2% | 90.4% |
| Nov 18 | Wed | 84.4% | — | 86.7% | 33 days | 79.6% | — | 85.2% |
| Nov 21 | Sat | 95.0% | — | 96.2% | 36 days | 93.2% | — | 95.9% |
| Nov 25 | Wed | 89.8% | — | 90.1% | 40 days | 85.8% | — | 87.6% |
| Nov 28 | Sat | 88.9% | — | 88.7% | 43 days | 83.0% | — | 83.6% |
Source: MetroEngines Research, compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team
Business hotels (fixed cohort of 193–197 properties / 19,035–19,262 rooms) show the same shape: November 21 stands out at 93.2% at 45 days out and 95.9% at the latest point, while Saturday, November 7 rose from 77.6% at 45 days out to 88.3% at 22 days out (+10.7pt), the typical pattern of an ordinary weekend building toward the stay date. For reference, the closed-month results for September 2026 averaged 85.3% for city hotels (N=34–37 properties / 4,987–5,084 rooms) and 84.8% for business hotels (N=189–201 properties / 19,544–20,010 rooms); by day of week, city hotels were 89.7% on Saturdays versus 82.5% on Thursdays and business hotels 89.6% on Saturdays versus 82.1% on Sundays, a weekend–weekday gap of about 7pt. In the middle of the five-day holiday that included Respect for the Aged Day (September 19–23), Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st reached 99.8% on both days for city hotels and 100.0% and 99.9% for business hotels. That trait of Kyoto demand — holidays filling to the cap — shows up directly in the early progress for November 21. Note that for stay dates more than 30 days out, these figures describe current sales, and inventory changes daily. Progress for late October, ahead of the November peak, is summarised as a three-point check in Kyoto Before Peak Foliage: Oct 24 City Hotels 95.2%, Ryokan 84.6%.
How far can foliage-season rates move? — sensitivity of November estimated settled ADR × estimated OCC
At a point where autumn has to recover the summer shortfall, does it pay to cut foliage-season rates to chase occupancy? Starting from November 2026 estimated settled ADR (current estimate, tax-excluded equivalent) of ¥34,321 for city hotels and ¥24,136 for business hotels, we laid out revenue per available room (RevPAR = ADR × estimated OCC) for ADR moves of −10% to +5% across an estimated OCC range of 84–96%. The OCC range is taken from the spread of November stay dates for city hotels as of the October 16, 2026 observation: 86.7% (Wednesday, Nov 18) to 96.2% (Saturday, Nov 21).
| ADR setting | ADR | Est. OCC = 84% | Est. OCC = 88% | Est. OCC = 92% | Est. OCC = 96% | Est. OCC needed for same RevPAR (base 90%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| −10% | ¥30,889 | ¥25,947 | ¥27,182 | ¥28,418 | ¥29,653 | 100.0% (cap) |
| −5% | ¥32,605 | ¥27,388 | ¥28,692 | ¥29,997 | ¥31,301 | 94.7% |
| ±0 (current estimate) | ¥34,321 | ¥28,830 | ¥30,202 | ¥31,575 | ¥32,948 | 90.0% |
| +5% | ¥36,037 | ¥30,271 | ¥31,713 | ¥33,154 | ¥34,596 | 85.7% |
Source: MetroEngines Research, compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team (ADR is the current estimate for November 2026, tax-excluded equivalent, per room. RevPAR = ADR × OCC, arithmetic estimate)
| ADR setting | ADR | Est. OCC = 84% | Est. OCC = 88% | Est. OCC = 92% | Est. OCC = 96% | Est. OCC needed for same RevPAR (base 90%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| −10% | ¥21,722 | ¥18,246 | ¥19,115 | ¥19,984 | ¥20,853 | 100.0% (cap) |
| −5% | ¥22,929 | ¥19,260 | ¥20,178 | ¥21,095 | ¥22,012 | 94.7% |
| ±0 (current estimate) | ¥24,136 | ¥20,274 | ¥21,240 | ¥22,205 | ¥23,171 | 90.0% |
| +5% | ¥25,343 | ¥21,288 | ¥22,302 | ¥23,316 | ¥24,329 | 85.7% |
Source: MetroEngines Research, compiled by HotelBank Editorial Team (ADR is the current estimate for November 2026, tax-excluded equivalent, per room. RevPAR = ADR × OCC, arithmetic estimate)
The right-hand column shows, for a date that can reach 90% OCC at the current rate, the OCC needed to earn the same RevPAR after a rate change; regardless of property type it is “90% ÷ (1 + price change)”. A 5% cut requires 94.7% occupancy and a 10% cut requires 100.0% — the latter only matches the original revenue at a full house. Given that city hotels had already reached 96.2% at 36 days out for Saturday, November 21 as of the October 16, 2026 observation, a rate cut on the holiday’s first day can add at most just under 4pt of occupancy, leaving almost no room to grow revenue through discounting. Conversely, at a +5% rate the OCC needed for the same revenue is 85.7%, almost level with the latest 86.7% for city hotels on Wednesday, November 18. Even on weekdays, holding or nudging rates up protects revenue more easily than cutting them.
Note: Estimated OCC is an estimate based on OTA-listed inventory and is defined differently from actual room occupancy. These tables are arithmetic estimates comparing rate–occupancy combinations; they do not factor in incremental demand from price cuts (price elasticity) or commission differences by sales channel.
For revenue managers running Kyoto city and business hotels — implications and action plan
Operational insights
1. Use the review language mix as a mirror of the criteria your guests choose on. Across Kyoto Prefecture, English is 33.9% and Japanese 60.3%, but how far your own reviews’ language mix departs from this changes the order of priorities in your messaging. A property with an English share above the prefectural average has good reason to lead its sales copy with the top three English-language items shown here (location overall 25.7%, cleanliness 23.9%, staff overall 20.2%); a property with a high Japanese share is better served by putting station proximity (20.9%) and meals (17.7%) up front.
2. The weight of “meals” varies sharply by segment. Meals rank 3rd in Japanese (17.7%) and 7th in English (12.1%), so the appeal of breakfast-included plans differs by language. Rather than applying the meal-plan price premium uniformly to all segments, consider rebuilding the plan line-up by segment: weight meal-inclusive plans more heavily on dates where Japanese-speaking demand is strong, and on foliage-season weekends, when the English share rises, push room-only plans with location and staff messaging to the front.
3. Market rates fell below last year in summer and are being recovered in autumn. City-hotel estimated settled ADR was −10.2% to −16.8% year on year in Jun–Sep, and business hotels slumped −9.8% to −15.6% in summer; Jan–Sep averages were −7.2% for city and −2.2% for business. October–November, on the other hand, are selling above last year’s closed figures on current estimates, and on 2025 closed figures November was 1.54x June for city hotels and 2.03x for business hotels. The room to fill the summer shortfall is concentrated in these two autumn months, and not giving up foliage-season rates early will decide how the year balances out.
4. The gap between the three-day weekend and ordinary weekends is already set at 45 days out. Saturday, November 21 was close to the cap at 45 days out — 95.0% for city and 93.2% for business hotels — while Saturday, November 14 was at 86.5% and 82.7%, and Wednesday, November 18 at 84.4% and 79.6%. Compare your own curve with the market values for these three dates: if you are behind the market on the holiday’s first day, review allocation rather than rates; if you are behind on an ordinary weekend, prepare last-minute promotion.
Action plan (with timeline)
| Timeline | Action | Decision trigger (check against figures in the article) | Aim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today–this week | Tally your own reviews by language and compare with the prefectural average (Japanese 60.3%, English 33.9%, Korean 2.6%, Traditional Chinese 1.6%) | Properties above the 33.9% English share lead with the top three English-language items; those below lead with station proximity and meals | Don’t miss conversions — message in the order your segment cares about |
| Today–this week | Check your progress for Saturday, November 21 against the market (city 95.0%→96.2%, business 93.2%→95.9%) | If you are below the market, review allocation of remaining rooms (direct sales, long stays, multi-night conditions); if above, hold current rates | Don’t give up first-day-of-holiday rates early |
| Within 2 weeks | Compare your curves for Saturday, November 14 and Wednesday, November 18 with the market’s 45-days-out→latest pickup (+3.8pt / +2.3pt) | For dates where pickup trails the market, gauge last-minute promotion room by whether you reach city 90.5% / business 90.2% (Nov 14) at 30 days out | Don’t get overconfident on ordinary weekends and weekdays because of the holiday |
| Within 2 weeks | Review the breakfast-included vs room-only plan mix by date | On dates with strong Japanese-speaking demand, weight meal-inclusive plans more heavily; on foliage-season weekends when the English share rises, push room-only plans with location and staff messaging | Reflect the language-specific criteria (meals 17.7% vs 12.1%) in the plan mix |
| Toward next month | Once November closes, check your ADR against the market’s prior-year closed figures (city ¥31,958, business ¥21,610) | If your result lands below the current estimates (city ¥34,321, business ¥24,136), bring forward the review of your pricing calendar for December onward | Quantify how much of the summer shortfall (city Jan–Sep −7.2%) the two autumn months recovered |
| Toward next month | Use “room size” and “value for money” — top items in Korean and Traditional Chinese reviews — to market larger room types | Building on Traditional Chinese criteria of “value for money” 13.4% (6th) and “room size” 19.8% (4th), prepare information that explains the price premium of larger rooms | Present size as the rationale for the price premium to repeat visitors from nearby markets |
Summary — three yardsticks for segment-based pricing in Kyoto
The Kyoto Prefecture figures in this article boil down to three yardsticks a property can reuse. First, the review language mix: the prefectural average is Japanese 60.3% and English 33.9% (N=204,773, all property types, last 12 months, reviewer basis), and which way your own mix leans from this decides the order of your messaging. Second, evaluation criteria by language: Japanese leads with station proximity 20.9% and meals 17.7%, English with location overall 25.7% and staff overall 20.2%, and Korean and Traditional Chinese add room size (12.9% and 19.8%) to station proximity in their top items. Third, market rates and booking progress: estimated settled ADR for city hotels was ¥20,200 in September (N=61, −14.6% YoY) and for business hotels ¥11,700 (N=327, −2.4%), still dragged down by the summer decline, while Saturday, November 21 had already reached 95.0% for city and 93.2% for business hotels at 45 days out. Precisely because autumn is when the rates conceded in summer must be won back, the practical task is to reflect each segment’s distinct criteria in messaging and plan mix, and to price holidays and ordinary weekends separately.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What share of Kyoto hotel reviews are in foreign languages?
A. Of the 204,773 reviews (all property types) posted for Kyoto Prefecture lodging facilities over the last 12 months, Japanese accounted for 60.3%; foreign languages — English 33.9%, Korean 2.6%, Traditional Chinese 1.6% and others — made up roughly 40%. The English share is 2.6pt higher than Tokyo’s 31.3% (479,430 reviews). This is the mix of reviewers, not the guest mix itself.
Q. How do English-language and Japanese-language reviews differ in what they praise?
A. In Japanese, “proximity to the station” leads at 20.9% and “meals” is third at 17.7%. In English, “location overall” leads at 25.7%, “staff overall” is third at 20.2%, and “meals” sits seventh at 12.1%. Korean and Traditional Chinese put station proximity first and are distinctive in having “room size” in their top five.
Q. Are Kyoto hotel rates lower than last year?
A. On estimated settled ADR (tax-excluded equivalent) comparing closed months, Kyoto Prefecture city hotels were ¥20,179 in September 2026 (N=61), −14.6% year on year, with four straight months of double-digit declines in Jun–Sep. Business hotels were ¥11,701 in September (N=327), −2.4%, and −15.6% in August. Jan–Sep averages were −7.2% for city and −2.2% for business hotels.
Q. Is November’s foliage season likely to beat last year?
A. Estimates based on sales as of October 2026 put November estimated settled ADR at ¥34,321 for city hotels (N=63) and ¥24,136 for business hotels (N=319), selling above last year’s closed figures (¥31,958 and ¥21,610). These are estimates while sales are in progress, however, and comparison with closed figures has to wait until the month closes.
Q. How full is the November three-day weekend?
A. As of the October 16, 2026 observation, for Saturday, November 21 — the first day of the three-day weekend including Labor Thanksgiving Day — Kyoto Prefecture city hotels (fixed cohort of 37 properties / 5,084 rooms) had estimated OCC (OTA-listed inventory basis) of 95.0% at 45 days out and 96.2% at 36 days out, with a sell-out rate of 59.5%. Business hotels were also at 93.2% at 45 days out and 95.9% at the latest point.
Q. Is it wise to cut rates to chase occupancy in the foliage season?
A. Comparing revenue per room (ADR × estimated OCC), on a date that can reach 90% estimated OCC, a 5% rate cut needs 94.7% estimated OCC to earn the same revenue, and a 10% cut needs 100%. As of the October 16, 2026 observation, city hotels had already reached 96.2% for November 21, leaving almost no occupancy to add through discounting. This is an arithmetic estimate that does not factor in price elasticity or channel commissions.
About the data
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Estimated OCC (OTA-listed inventory basis) | OTA-listed-inventory occupancy = 100 − 100 × OTA-listed remaining rooms ÷ total rooms. Covers a fixed cohort of properties listing at least 30% of their total rooms on OTAs (the same set of properties for each stay date; property counts are given in the text). It is an estimate based on how OTA-sold inventory is being absorbed and is defined differently from actual room occupancy (it runs high because unlisted rooms are counted as absorbed). |
| Booking curve | Based on observations from 45 days before the stay date to the latest point. Fixed points are 45 days out, 30 days out and the latest. Latest observation date: October 16, 2026. |
| Estimated settled ADR | The settled price level (tax-excluded equivalent) estimated from OTA and other sales data (lowest-plan level × property-type coefficient, an ensemble across multiple channels). Past months are closed figures; current and future months are estimates based on current sales. Median error against published operating results: 6.6%. Year-on-year change is calculated only between closed months. |
| Review tally | Reviews posted for lodging facilities in Kyoto Prefecture and Tokyo over the last 12 months, tallied by language (Kyoto Prefecture N=204,773, Tokyo N=479,430, all property types). The mention rate is the share of each language’s reviews that mention the item positively, based on tags extracted from guest reviews (natural-language analysis by the HotelBank Editorial Team). This is a reviewer-based mix, not the guest mix itself. |
| Number of properties (N=) | Estimated settled ADR: Kyoto Prefecture city hotels, September 2026 N=61 properties (September 2025 N=58); business hotels N=327 properties (same, N=319). Estimated OCC: city fixed cohort N=37 properties / 5,084 rooms; business N=193–197 properties / 19,035–19,262 rooms (both based on listings on major booking sites). |
| Data as of | October 17, 2026. Sales and inventory change daily, so the figures in this article are a snapshot at the time of retrieval. |
References and sources
■ Data sources
MetroEngines Research aggregated data: lodging-facility reviews tallied by language and evaluation item (Kyoto Prefecture N=204,773, Tokyo N=479,430, last 12 months); estimated settled ADR (Kyoto Prefecture city and business hotels, monthly, January 2025–December 2026); estimated OCC (OTA-listed inventory basis, fixed cohort, daily for September 2026 and booking curves for November stay dates, latest observation October 16, 2026). Public statistics: Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) visitor arrival statistics.
■ Calculation assumptions
RevPAR in the sensitivity tables is the arithmetic product of November 2026 estimated settled ADR (current estimate, tax-excluded equivalent, per room), the ADR change (−10% to +5%) and estimated OCC (84–96%). OCC needed for the same RevPAR = base OCC 90% ÷ (1 + price change). Price elasticity, channel commissions and ancillary revenue are not factored in. Year-on-year change is calculated only between closed months.
■ Limitations
The review language mix is on a reviewer basis, not the guests’ nationality mix itself (posting rates differ by platform and nationality). Estimated OCC is based on the absorption of OTA-listed inventory and runs higher than actual occupancy because unlisted rooms are counted as absorbed. Oct–Dec ADR and estimated OCC more than 30 days out are snapshots of sales in progress and change daily.
■ Market data
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), “Visitor Arrival Statistics” https://www.jnto.go.jp/statistics/data/visitors-statistics/ (August 2026 estimate: 3,098,900 visitors, −9.6% YoY)
Aviation Wire, “August visitors fall below last year for first time in two months” (in Japanese), September 28, 2026 https://www.aviationwire.jp/archives/351081
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