Hotel Forza Nagasaki

Forza seems to be a common mid-range chain around here, and we prefer it to APA mainly because the rooms are larger, better laid out, and have bigger bathrooms. This hotel sits right in the shopping arcade, next to Chinatown and close to tram stops, restaurants, and bars. The first floor has a Pronto Cafe, which isn't part of Forza, but it's handy for their happy hour wine carafes and Japanese and western bar food. The rooms could use a refresh: the wallpaper and bed base had stains, for example. Like other Japanese hotels, the bed is against a wall, so the person on that side has to climb around to get in and out. There isn't a plug, light, or shelf for them either. Forza hotels don't have safes, but in Japan that didn't feel like much of an issue. We'd definitely stay again.

We booked through Priceline, and check-in was easy with friendly staff. The published photos represent the property well. It's a modern, clean hotel, within walking distance or an easy public transit ride of key sites, and less than a 20 minute walk from JR hakata station. Rooms are above the mall, with secure elevator access using the room card. For our fourth hotel on a Southern Japan holiday, it was great value. The rooms are carpeted, and the hallways could use attention: they were somewhat dim and had low air circulation. Still, overall, great value.

The room was spacious and clean, with a comfortable bed, fluffy towels, slippers, strong shower pressure, and a mirror that didn't fog up. It also had two bottles of spring water, green matcha tea by the kettle, and a big portable mirror that was handy for makeup. The location worked well for sightseeing. You can get coffee or cappuccino at the front desk, and there's bath salt at the amenity corner. The front desk service was very polite. Just a note, the TV doesn't have YouTube.

The location is hard to beat: the hotel is right on Nagasaki's main covered shopping street, with plenty of shops and restaurants by the entrance and streetcar and bus stops less than a five minute walk away. We booked two rooms for one night and would gladly return for the rooms, service, and location. We arrived early, and staff held our bags until check-in. Getting in at 2 pm was nice, since many Japanese hotels start at 3. Everyone was polite and helpful, from the lobby staff who greeted us whenever we came in to the breakfast team. We also liked having a small sitting area between the lobby and breakfast room to meet friends. The rooms were surprisingly spacious, with a very large full closet, something we hadn't seen in this class of hotel in Japan. The desk was large, the fridge had complimentary water, and the TV faced the bed and was a smart TV with streaming services. Highly recommend!