Our first Onyado Nono experience and we are already looking forward to future stays. Wasn't expecting much for city hotel onsen but surprised it even had a good size outdoor option + sauna& cold pool. . The breakfast buffet was amazing, got to try lots of local dishes. Parking at hotel was abit pricy. 1500 ¥ per day but it does allow unlimited in and out. You can probably find cheaper options around the hotel if willing to walk. We just parked for 2 days and walked around the shopping district + Nara Park (25mins). Lots of food options nearby.
It's a well-known fact that accommodations in Japan can be pricey, so for my trip, I opted for several chain budget hotels, and Smile Hotel was one of them. It offers great value for money.
The Smile Hotel in Nara is conveniently located right next to Nara JR Station; you can spot their sign as soon as you exit the station. It's the perfect starting point for exploring Nara.
Rooms in Japanese budget hotels are generally small, but they are always clean and tidy, with impeccable hygiene standards. And even though the rooms are compact, they still come with a desk and chair, which I found very convenient for writing and organizing. I really appreciate that.
Finally, a heads-up: toiletries and pajamas are available on the first floor for guests to pick up as needed. You might want to grab them before heading up to your room.
To experience a Japanese tatami room, I chose Asuka-so. The hotel is small, very much like the guesthouses on Mount Putuo, surrounded by similar small but exquisite inns.
Check-in was at 3 PM, and we arrived early. We couldn't get into our room, but the front desk kindly stored our luggage. After feeding the deer, we returned to find that the staff had already taken our luggage to our room. Another pleasant surprise was that while we were wondering how to lay out the futons, we returned from dinner to find the tatami already made up! 😊 We slept very comfortably.
There's also a public bath at the inn, and our room had a Japanese-style bathroom. We were given Japanese yukata upon check-in. Even though we only stayed one night, it was a deep and interesting experience of a Japanese ryokan.
There's a free bar at the hotel front desk offering coffee, tea, and complimentary ice cream, open until 9 PM.
Right across from the inn is a convenience store where you can buy deer crackers. There are deer everywhere nearby, so there's no need to go specifically to Nara Park if you just want to feed them; you can do so right around the inn.
about a 10-minute walk from Shin-Omiya Station. Right next to it is the Mi Nara Shopping Mall, which has a large hypermarket and several shops selling affordable clothing — including lovely children’s wear. To reach Mi Nara, head to the left side of the hotel, toward the JW Marriott Hotel.
Highly recommend:
- Mount Yoshino (steep slopes hiking) lots of persimmon, kiwi trees, pomegranate. Be sure to prepare some food, water in your bag & most importantly hiking stick. We took 4 hours of walking to complete the entire Mount Yoshino (from right with shrines to left with restaurant, fruit trees).
Places to explore near the hotel:
1️⃣ Mi Nara Shopping Mall – Perfect for groceries and daily essentials, with prices more affordable than Aeon Supermarket.
2️⃣ Montbell Village & Bellside Café – A great spot for outdoor gear, and the café serves delicious pasta, pizza, and pastries.
- Ask the hotel staff for a printed copy of Bus 28’s schedule to Montbell (the bus stop is right in front of JW Marriott). From Montbell, it’s a short walk to Hard Off / Off House, where you can browse a fun selection of secondhand items — clothes, bags, toys, and household goods.
- The breakfast buffet offers a good variety and is worth the price — ¥3,000 per person, payable at the front desk.
- The room was clean and comfortable. I recommend renting a humidifier if you experience a dry nose due to the cold air. Also, wearing a mask outdoors helps to stay comfortable in dry or chilly weather.
- A free shuttle bus is available — check with the lobby staff for a printed copy of the schedule.
I like Mercure very much. There are lounge services in the afternoon and evening. There are quite a lot of drinks, as well as cookies and candies. It is very comfortable to chat with family and friends. The room is quite large. The one we stayed in is a bit old, but the hygiene is still quite good. This time, we included a buffet breakfast and dinner. There are not many categories, but there are still surprises. It includes many specialties of Kashihara Nara, and provides a lot of sauces, which can be DIY. A student team checked in on the second day of the stay, but the hotel management is good, orderly, and food is added in time. The overall feeling is great.
The room was spacious and spotlessly clean, including the bedding. While the room was well-equipped, some facilities felt a bit dated. However, both the interior and exterior of the building exuded an aristocratic grandeur. The front desk staff were incredibly polite, professional, and went above and beyond to help guests with any issues. The hot spring had specific operating hours, and unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to experience it, which was a slight disappointment.
Last year, I stayed with my husband and wife. It is quiet and spacious, the bath has a washroom, and the toilet is individual. The view from the window was peaceful and relaxing. This time, at the request of my husband, I finally came to stay with my family to come with my daughters. I have bad teeth, so I can't eat out and bring my meal. I checked that the microwave was installed last time, so I used it this time. I spent a leisurely time until the last minute of check-out time. The staff responded well. Thank you.
True to its reputation as an established hotel, everything was impeccable. With Christmas and New Year approaching, the lobby was beautifully and exquisitely decorated. The walls of the lobby displayed the hotel's illustrious history, making me feel incredibly fortunate on my first stay. Additionally, the hotel boasts an excellent location, right outside the JR station, making travel exceptionally convenient. It will definitely be my top choice for my next visit to Nara!
Idealy located to visit Shigisan, a 5min walk from the entrance !
A very pleasant Onsen (indoor and Outdoor) is in the hotel.
Note however that they don't serve diner and all restaurants are closed in the evening, so make sure you plan accordingly !
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GGuest UserA 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.
KKoh Kabout a 10-minute walk from Shin-Omiya Station. Right next to it is the Mi Nara Shopping Mall, which has a large hypermarket and several shops selling affordable clothing — including lovely children’s wear. To reach Mi Nara, head to the left side of the hotel, toward the JW Marriott Hotel.
Highly recommend:
- Mount Yoshino (steep slopes hiking) lots of persimmon, kiwi trees, pomegranate. Be sure to prepare some food, water in your bag & most importantly hiking stick. We took 4 hours of walking to complete the entire Mount Yoshino (from right with shrines to left with restaurant, fruit trees).
Places to explore near the hotel:
1️⃣ Mi Nara Shopping Mall – Perfect for groceries and daily essentials, with prices more affordable than Aeon Supermarket.
2️⃣ Montbell Village & Bellside Café – A great spot for outdoor gear, and the café serves delicious pasta, pizza, and pastries.
- Ask the hotel staff for a printed copy of Bus 28’s schedule to Montbell (the bus stop is right in front of JW Marriott). From Montbell, it’s a short walk to Hard Off / Off House, where you can browse a fun selection of secondhand items — clothes, bags, toys, and household goods.
- The breakfast buffet offers a good variety and is worth the price — ¥3,000 per person, payable at the front desk.
- The room was clean and comfortable. I recommend renting a humidifier if you experience a dry nose due to the cold air. Also, wearing a mask outdoors helps to stay comfortable in dry or chilly weather.
- A free shuttle bus is available — check with the lobby staff for a printed copy of the schedule.
SSolo AceThe hotel is literally next to the JR Nara Station.You can purchase all of your travel tickets there and the airport bus tickets, too. In that area, there is a grocery store, a Walgreens type store, and nice affordable places to eat. I highly recommend the place on the corner(pic #1-2). The two guys that run it are so nice. There is a long shopping/restaurant street kinda across from the tourist center. I don't recommend this one ramen place located there. They make everyone pay before eating, and for the basic ramen that I got, it was overpriced. My bowl wasn't even full!(pic# 3-7)
The tourist center is located close by, and the folks in there are very helpful(pic# 8). All of the buses are right there, so touring is very easy. The hotel itself is very comfortable. It's keyless, so take a picture of your pass code. The onsen on the premises has a pass code as well. Inside was very nice and relaxing. I went at 2:20am and it was wonderful. They have pajamas, pillows, and a free happy hour. The variety of spirits is extensive. Also, the elevator smells so good! The scent will de stress you. You can try a lot of things with a nice view of the station. I would definitely stay at this hotel again. The last two pictures are the view of the bus terminal. There is another one on the other side of the building. This is the front view (airport bus location)
GGuest UserOur first Onyado Nono experience and we are already looking forward to future stays. Wasn't expecting much for city hotel onsen but surprised it even had a good size outdoor option + sauna& cold pool. . The breakfast buffet was amazing, got to try lots of local dishes. Parking at hotel was abit pricy. 1500 ¥ per day but it does allow unlimited in and out. You can probably find cheaper options around the hotel if willing to walk. We just parked for 2 days and walked around the shopping district + Nara Park (25mins). Lots of food options nearby.
GGuest UserFor friends who ask for dinner, please see the picture. It is suitable for bringing children. The environment is good and the service is very good. We have arrived at Yoshino Station at more than 8 o'clock in the evening. Please ask the service staff of the station to call the hotel and pick us up in less than ten minutes. Because the hotel does not provide dinner, we deliberately took us to a nearby restaurant for dinner. I helped put our shoes in the fantasy early in the morning, so sweet!
MM0117****True to its reputation as an established hotel, everything was impeccable. With Christmas and New Year approaching, the lobby was beautifully and exquisitely decorated. The walls of the lobby displayed the hotel's illustrious history, making me feel incredibly fortunate on my first stay. Additionally, the hotel boasts an excellent location, right outside the JR station, making travel exceptionally convenient. It will definitely be my top choice for my next visit to Nara!
11356424****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.
AAnonymous UserThis is a great choice for solo travelers. It's located on Nara's main street, perfectly situated between Kintetsu Nara Station and JR Nara Station, offering easy access to all the major sights. There are numerous dining options nearby, and I'd advise against eating at the hotel as the prices are quite high. It's excellent for an overnight stay and provides great value for money. Although the rooms are small, they're well-equipped, and you can even take a bath to relax and wash away the day's tiredness. The view is alright. If you're after luxury, there are plenty of 4- and 5-star hotels in the area.
AAnonymous UserThe hotel's location is fantastic, right next to the subway station, making it incredibly easy to find upon exit. Just diagonally across from the hotel, there's a bustling shopping street, offering great convenience for dining and shopping. There's a bus stop right outside the hotel with direct service to Nara Park, allowing you to get off and leisurely explore the area. We booked a room including breakfast, which was a buffet. The front desk staff were also very friendly and welcoming. If you arrive early, you can even store your luggage with them and go explore before check-in.
Dd_donneIt's a well-known fact that accommodations in Japan can be pricey, so for my trip, I opted for several chain budget hotels, and Smile Hotel was one of them. It offers great value for money.
The Smile Hotel in Nara is conveniently located right next to Nara JR Station; you can spot their sign as soon as you exit the station. It's the perfect starting point for exploring Nara.
Rooms in Japanese budget hotels are generally small, but they are always clean and tidy, with impeccable hygiene standards. And even though the rooms are compact, they still come with a desk and chair, which I found very convenient for writing and organizing. I really appreciate that.
Finally, a heads-up: toiletries and pajamas are available on the first floor for guests to pick up as needed. You might want to grab them before heading up to your room.
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