Grand Base Nagasaki City

There was a cockroach outside our room, which really scared me and kept this from being a five-star stay. The room was clean and reasonably roomy. The beds and pillows were comfortable, and the bathrooms had the basics. Check-in was easy enough, though there's quite a bit to do yourself. With Grand Base, the low price seems partly down to having very little service.

We stayed in October 2023. The place seemed new, and our room was spacious, clean, and well equipped. There's no staff onsite, but the self-service process from check-in through checkout is fairly simple. If something comes up, you can message management through the wall unit, and they respond well. It's about a 10-minute walk to Sakuramachi tram station, and roughly 25 minutes to Nagasaki Station and the airport bus terminal. There's a slight hill on the way up.

Once I was settled in, I had a great time in the apartment. It was very clean, with a big room, kitchenette, and wonderful bathroom, in a quiet, charming area about a five-minute walk from the tram. I really want to give it 4.5 stars and would stay again if I had the budget. The hard part was getting there. I contacted the hotel several times through Expedia before arriving just after midnight, but got no reply. Only a few hours before check-in did they send the door code and confirm I could arrive later. After a 30-plus-hour trip, check-in wasn't going smoothly. Luckily there was a phone at reception, and the person on duty got me checked in. The whole arrival left me anxious. During my stay, I struggled to understand the Japanese washing machine instructions and how to empty the bin. After a week's stay, I also wanted some cleaning or at least cleaning supplies. It's an unstaffed apartment building, so there wasn't anyone around to ask.

The room was decent, but checking in was a nightmare. We stood waiting for an hour while two groups ahead of us had trouble. Both were Japanese groups, so even Japanese guests were having problems, never mind foreigners. Make sure you have your login ID and password ready. I don't think I'd stay again. It wasn't worth the hassle.