I've stayed at Novotel hotels all over the world and have never been disappointed; the brand consistently delivers. This particular one is very new, and the rooms are quite spacious and quiet. We were originally scheduled to check in at 3 PM, but the hotel let us in at 1 PM. Just outside, you'll find the beautiful Sahogawa cherry blossoms. The parking lot is also very spacious and convenient, costing 1500 JPY per day with unlimited in-and-out access.
My best appraise is for the services in both of reception and restaurant, especially the staffs from Nepal and Max from Indonesia. Many thanks for the sincere service and patience to my naughty boy, he missed you a lot and he promised to come again next year to see you then. For me, the soundproofing effectiveness is really not friendly, I woke up by the car noises outside many time in the nite😭
The first time I experienced a youth hostel, the bed type was the upper and lower bunks. I was lucky to be assigned to the upper bunks. After all, if I want to get out of bed, it will affect the lower bunks. The hotel staff is still kind, the part that excludes waiting in line for a bath and there is a distance from JR Nara. Others are not bad. After all, it is a youth travel. People who are afraid of noisy and need independent space think twice.
Facilities: The hotel facilities are extremely clean.
Hygiene: Both the room and the hotel lobby are very clean.
Service: The service attitude is excellent, and the hotel receptionist speaks Chinese.
Environment: The surrounding environment is particularly good, close to Nara Park.
Hotel location is very close to Bamu Station, five minutes walk, typical island business hotel, the room is not big, more hygienic. The hotel is not luxurious and suitable for business travel.
We stayed here for two nights and one night with three families, eight people in total, and it was very spacious and comfortable. There were two bathrooms, one on the first floor and one on the second floor, so we had no trouble finding one. Each of the four rooms on the second floor had two double (or maybe king?) beds, so each of the eight people could use one, which was a luxurious experience. The bedding was also very comfortable. There was no mention of pajamas, but they provided some samue-style work clothes. There were two Refa hair irons, one for curling and one for straightening, which was nice. The refrigerator had four bottles of mineral water, two 1-go (approx. 180ml) bottles of sake, one shochu (approx. 180ml) of the same size, two carbonated drinks, and snacks. It was disappointing that there were only seven snacks for eight people. Coffee, tea, green tea, and sugar were provided. There was no milk for coffee. The coffee was served in a cassette dispenser. There was also a microwave, toaster oven, water heater, and rice cooker. The kitchen was well-equipped with the basic necessities. The glasses were made of plastic, which bothered me a little, and they were cloudy and scratched. It would have been nice to have hand towels (there were some in the bathroom).
The living room, adjacent to the kitchen, had a comfortable sofa, a large-screen TV, and a Switch. The disposable slippers were made of fluffy towel material and felt very comfortable. The lighting was mostly indirect and dim. I wish there were trash cans in each room on the second floor. The bathroom had a sauna and a separate cold bath, as well as two rocking chairs for relaxing. There were two showers in the large communal bath and another glass-enclosed shower booth next to the toilet in the laundry room. The amenities were also plentiful. One thing I didn't like about the bath was the water pressure, which significantly decreased if multiple taps were used at the same time. The sauna was large enough for three adults to fit in at the same time. Sauna mats were also provided.
I had been able to contact them by phone the day before, but on the day itself, I couldn't get through at all, which was frustrating. Later, I found a wooden box with a special item for contacting them at the entrance, but I wondered how this system worked.
There were plastic umbrellas available at the entrance, but there weren't enough for everyone. However, we were lucky to get some unexpected rain. The location is great, within walking distance of tourist spots like the Naramachi area and Todaiji Temple. Being able to leave our luggage at 12 o'clock was a relief. It would have been even better if we could have checked in at the same time... Everyone was very kind, from the phone staff to the cleaning staff. Overall, I was very satisfied. I would have liked to stay another night.
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.
We stayed at Mikasa Ryokan (万葉若草の宿 三笠旅館) in Nara, and overall it was a great experience — but there are definitely some things you should know and plan for in advance.
🏞 1. Location & Transportation
The ryokan is located halfway up Mount Wakakusa, with beautiful views over Nara city — the scenery is stunning, especially at night. But getting up and down the mountain isn’t very convenient.
At first, I thought the location was right near Todai-ji Temple and would be easy to access. Turns out:
The mountain road is very narrow and winding, and it actually takes longer than expected.
According to the staff, walking up the mountain is not allowed. There's a gate, and the staff inside don’t permit people to walk up.
Luckily, the hotel offers a shuttle bus up the mountain, but you should arrange it with the hotel in advance.
Once you’re at the ryokan, getting out isn’t very easy either. Even if you want to take a taxi, you need to book it in advance — it’s not like calling a cab from the street. So I’d recommend planning your itinerary carefully before you arrive.
While Todai-ji Temple, Nara Park, and Kasuga Taisha are technically just at the bottom of the mountain, they’re not within walking distance from the hotel, so you’ll still need transport.
🛌 2. Room Experience
We booked the Japanese-style room with a private open-air bath. I did quite a bit of research before booking:
Sites like *********** say the room is about 28 sqm (307 sq ft)
But Ctrip listed it as 56 sqm, which was confusing
After checking in, I think 28 sqm is probably just the indoor area, and 56 sqm includes the balcony, private onsen, and garden area.
The room is traditional Japanese-style with tatami floors and a low table in the center. In the evening, while we were out having dinner, staff came in and set up our futon beds for the night — a really nice touch.
This was our first time sleeping on Japanese futons. It was surprisingly comfortable, and the room temperature was perfect. If you're traveling with kids, this type of setup could be extra fun. 3. Onsen Experience
We tried both the public onsen and the private one in our room:
The public bath areas are located on the first and second floors, with men’s and women’s baths alternating daily.
They include both indoor and outdoor hot spring pools. The water is hot — after about 10 minutes, we felt totally warm and relaxed.
The private bath in the room was also very enjoyable. The garden had high fences and trees for privacy, and the tub was perfectly sized for two people.
🍱 4. Meals
We booked a plan that included both dinner and breakfast. One important thing to note — you need to confirm your dinner time with the hotel before arrival, because if you arrive after 7 PM, you might miss dinner.
Dinner is served in private dining rooms, which gave us a cozy and quiet atmosphere. The food was beautifully presented and very Japanese — including Wagyu beef and sukiyaki.
Breakfast was also very traditional — grilled fish, rice, and various small dishes. Personally, I prefer something lighter for breakfast, and there was no coffee, bread, or buns included.
If you want coffee, you can get it later in the lounge near the lobby.
A hotel full of history as it has been the chosen venue for important events in Nara. Many celebrities had stayed in this hotel including Albert Einstein. Tried the rice lager at the tea house which is very good tgough some may find it not strong enough. The vicinity is nice. It is within waljing distance of the famous Nara Park. The room is spacious. Shuttle bus service to Nara station is excellent. Very helpful staff. An enjoyable stay indeed!
Great
436 reviews
9.3/10
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