Hot Springs Hotels in Nara Prefecture, Japan

Excellent as always! I used to stay at the onsen hotel on the west side of JR Nara Station, but this time I tried On-yado Nono on the east side. The service standards are consistently high. The noodle bar, where you can grab a late-night ramen, also doubles as a cozy spot for a coffee during the day – it's incredibly relaxing. It's super convenient for getting around anywhere on the JR line. Plus, there's a large supermarket right downstairs inside the station, which I made sure to pop into every evening on my way back these past few days.

A question to think about, ‘What makes a hotel a luxury one?’ To me, it’s luxury because of the hospitality of the staff, quality of the property and the food they provided totally exceed travellers’ expectations, and as a result, we would love to pay more for the experience. Some staff really tried their very best to help me during my stay while some just didn’t. Upon arrival, I tried to communicate with the staff that I’d like to cancel my third night’s dinner because of the change of my plan. At first, I booked six meals in total and I’d only want to cancel one dinner and they said I needed to pay 100% for the cancelled meal because they have already bought the ingredients. Okay, I tried to understand that because they had already taken away my credit card and there’s nothing I could do about that and I thought it must be a very nice meal and that’s why they insisted that. Disappointingly, the portion was so small and paying the same amount of money I could get so much better food in 虹夕諾雅 or any other five star onsen hotels in Japan. As a result, I went to bed feeling hungry and eating the snacks I bought for myself :( The food portions are like a bento instead of a proper meal. ) Also, the Western style breakfast was so overpriced and the avocado in the omelette was not fresh at all. One more thing to note is that the complimentary champagne service they provided to their guests. It’s a nice experience but maybe I’m just a lady travelling alone and I couldn’t speak Japanese at all, the waitress didn’t serve me the same way as she served other people in the cafe. When all of them got two glasses of free drinks, one cocktail and one champagne, she only gave me one champagne and didn’t offer me the cocktail. And the day after, there was a nice staff who served me properly and I finally realized that I am entitled to two drinks. (Sigh)The experience was like buying a Chanel bag. The bag was pricey but the chain of the bag just suddenly fall apart while you are using it for the very first time. My advice is: Don’t use their catering services especially for the in-room dining plan. There are so many better choices out there in the city. The room and the service of the staff are great tho.

Three of us in a triple room. 3 adults. Separate. No couples. Just three friends. But they gave us only two cards to the room. I deliberately asked for the third card, as it was obvious that we will need the third one. Unfortunately they said that only two carfs per room are permitted. 😂 As it was any problem to generate the third one. ** It was pleasant stay, with semi-public onsen experience (opened for the guests from outside the hotel).

This hotel is super conveniently located right next to JR Nara Station, making transportation a breeze. There's a 7-Eleven and a large supermarket next to JR Nara Station, which is really handy. You can also catch a bus right outside the hotel to Nara Park. The hotel offers many optional services, showing great thoughtfulness. The onsen (hot spring) experience was generally good. They even provided sleep aids like different pillows and sleep supplements. My room was quite spacious for one person, though the facilities were relatively simple. The keyless entry with a password lock on the door was great as it meant I didn't need to carry a room card. The hairdryer was a Refa, and it was fantastic! The best part was definitely the free happy hour at the restaurant in the evenings. There was a wide variety of drinks available, and many guests brought food from the convenience store to enjoy with their drinks.

Stepping into the hotel lobby, you're immediately greeted by the distinct aroma of the hot spring baths. We booked a standard room, which was a bit small. If you're traveling with children, I'd recommend a suite for more space. The hotel is super close to Nara Station, just a quick left turn when you exit. The hot spring baths cost extra, but it's not expensive and they're open until midnight. A really thoughtful touch is that the TV in the room shows how busy the baths are. Overall, I'm very satisfied. Japanese hotels are always incredibly clean; you really can't find anything to complain about. I forgot to take pictures of the room, but I did snap a few of the TV, haha. P2 is a specialty product I bought from a persimmon shop in Nara.

Excellent stay in Hanaya Tokubei!!! Thank you!!! We stayed here for only 1 day, everything was top notch, the hardest part is getting here (buses only run 3 times a day), but it's definitely worth it!!! We checked into a spacious room in a traditional style, we were given yukatas - traditional clothes, you could go outside in them to take pictures. There are 2 small onsen with very hot water, I liked the one on the left with a panoramic window to the street, to the Red Gate. After a hot bath, your body feels very relaxed, it's great to go to a room with light jazz music and relax there and enjoy your rest. And then it's time for kaiseki - an aesthetic and delicious dinner - which perfectly completes this wonderful day. The next morning they serve an equally wonderful breakfast. After checking out, you can leave your suitcase in the lobby and go for a walk around Dorogava, namely to the 2 caves and ride the monorails leading to them. It was a perfect holiday, really enjoyed it, thankful for this experience!

This was my second stay here. Thank you for everything. I particularly enjoyed the morning tea porridge.

The hotel boasts an excellent location, conveniently close to Nara Kintetsu Station and surrounded by numerous restaurants offering a diverse range of food options. It's also very near Nara Park, where you can easily spot the deer with just a short walk. The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful, and the meals served were also of good quality. A minor point for improvement would be the hallway carpets, which could use more frequent cleaning. The onsen (hot spring) facilities were also excellent and very clean. However, the mineral concentration of the hot spring water felt a bit low!

During our stay, we encountered the Yama Festival at Mt. Wakakusa in Nara. The hotel provided a shuttle bus for guests staying that day to go down the mountain to watch the festival. They also distributed warm packs to guests before departure, which was a very thoughtful arrangement. The hotel is located halfway up the mountain and overlooks the entire city of Nara, with beautiful scenery. 

This got to be one of the best rappers i had ever been to, (besides a few really high end resort in Bali). This resort service is impeccable. The kaiseki dinner is really delicious. The Garden is so well curated that it can compete with some of the shrine garden. And last but not least the onsen is truly relaxing and beautiful. One tip, is it place the herbal pack into the onsen early. It takes 6 hours for it to fully diffuse into the onsen.