Candeo Hotels Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown

The price is pretty low for a hotel that looks this good, and Chinatown and other places to eat are close by. Our room looked great overall, though the wallpaper was peeling in a few spots. It’s very small, so it’s probably not for you if you’re claustrophobic. The onsen itself was solid, and I only wished the water were a little hotter. The locker room feels much too cramped for the number of people using it day and night.

The rooms are clean and modern, with good amenities, though there’s no safe or wardrobe. The hotel is next to a casino and a long way from the station. Breakfast is the only meal the restaurant serves. You have to pick up amenities from the lobby yourself, buffet-style, which felt a bit odd.

The rooms were a decent size, and I liked the couch by the window. The bathrooms, though, felt very dated compared with the modern-looking exterior. I also thought asking guests to have cleaning done by 9 AM was unreasonable. The public bath didn’t work for me. The outdoor bath is nice and the indoor one is okay, but the smaller facilities seemed neglected. The sauna had no towels on the floor or pads for the benches. The vanity area, stuck in the middle of a hallway, was small and had no seats. The narrow locker area had no benches either. There are useful spots nearby: Chinatown, Hamanmachi shopping arcade, a pharmacy downstairs, and two konbinis. Parking at the nearby Times lot is affordable. The lobby looks modern, reception staff speak good English, and the amenities bar is handy. I’d seen all the rave reviews, but the hotel was just okay for me. The advertised deep discounts seemed deceptive, since I think that’s just the usual room pricing. There was so much traffic through the hotel that I found it off-putting. It wasn’t my favorite place on the trip.

We got up at dawn and took the elevator to the rooftop baths, which were almost empty around 6 AM. Such a lovely way to start the day. The beds were comfortable, and breakfast on the 11th floor came with wide harbour views. The hotel is centrally located, an easy tram ride from the station and handy for fitting in a busy day of sightseeing.