Nara Hotel

“Great location - big rooms.”

Had one night only and the hotel was great. It is a huge building - old and new part. We stayed in the new that was 40 years old. So all is a bit dated but great big room, great location to all of Nara and great service from everyone. Free shuttle to train-station was great.

“Nice hotel, old world charm”

We stayed here for 2 nights so that we could spend an entire day in Nara rather than rush a day trip to Nara. I think that this was the right choice for us as Nara Park is worth the investment of time, it is stunning and there is a lot to see. The hotel and its location are both beautiful. Many f… more

We stayed here for 2 nights so that we could spend an entire day in Nara rather than rush a day trip to Nara. I think that this was the right choice for us as Nara Park is worth the investment of time, it is stunning and there is a lot to see. The hotel and its location are both beautiful. Many famous people have stayed here over the years (Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein and various members of the British royal family, including Princess Margaret, amongst others). There is a display near reception which details the history of the hotel. The hotel does feel its age so if you are after something modern and funky this place probably isn’t for you. The hotel is situated a short walk (a kilometre, maybe a kilometre and a half) from the main area of Nara town where all the restaurants are so unless you are up for the walk (which was lovely) be prepared to eat in one of the 2 expensive on-site restaurants or catch a taxi into the main area of town. The hotel does provide a shuttle service which we used to get to the train station with our luggage on the day of our departure. I don’t think that this was running in the evening though. Breakfast was included in our rate and was a fairly elegant and entertaining affair, vegetarians can cope (just) but vegans will struggle as it is quite egg-based. We elected the American breakfast option so I cannot comment on the Japanese breakfast option. Our room was large and very comfortable. My main criticism of this hotel (and the reason why I have only given it 4 stars) is that the aircon throughout is set very low - it was cold in the hotel but quite warm outside. So if you stay here in summer don’t forget to bring a jumper!

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“Slightly faded glory”

Personally, I liked this hotel, because I appreciate the 1930’s vibe, but it will not be to everyone’s taste. This is an old hotel, which is probably a bit past its best - for example, shower over the bath with a shower curtain. However, if you like the charm of a fireplace in your bedroom, and a 1… more

Personally, I liked this hotel, because I appreciate the 1930’s vibe, but it will not be to everyone’s taste. This is an old hotel, which is probably a bit past its best - for example, shower over the bath with a shower curtain. However, if you like the charm of a fireplace in your bedroom, and a 1930’s style cocktail bar, then this may be right for you. Our room was large, clean, and had sliding doors to a little balcony overlooking the hotel garden, which was filled with Nara deer. We didn’t eat at the hotel, so can’t comment. We walked into town, not far but be aware there are quite a lot of steps down to the town, and therefore of course back up. The room numbering is really confusing. The lobby is apparently the 5th floor (even though we walked in from ground lever?), and our room 3110 was DOWN one level on what they called floor 1, even though obviously in fact -1, and clearly should have been floor 3 based on the number. Anyway, overall we found this hotel to be decent, we slept well, room was very quiet and comfortable.

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“Just okay, but not worth the price”

Nara Hotel is well located and has a lot of cultural charm. However, the accommodations are not worth the price. The carpet in the room was stained and the bathroom floors remained ice cold, despite the insufficient heating. The hallway to the rooms was cold, dark, and unwelcoming. The staff were v… more

Nara Hotel is well located and has a lot of cultural charm. However, the accommodations are not worth the price. The carpet in the room was stained and the bathroom floors remained ice cold, despite the insufficient heating. The hallway to the rooms was cold, dark, and unwelcoming. The staff were very nice. Breakfast was expensive but delicious and a luxurious experience. It was not a bad stay, but I do not think it was worth the price and would look elsewhere should I revisit Nara. The town is small and easily walkable.

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