Pension Badenheim

It was incredibly hot when we visited, and we were soaked in sweat, but they kindly arranged for us to take a shower. We had a very worthwhile stay over two days and one night, starting July 2, 2025. This hostel is home to Japan’s only MC-1P public telephone. If you ask the owner ahead of time, they’ll demonstrate how it rings when a call comes in.

This place is aimed at people who want an inexpensive stay but still need a private room. We paid around 7-8 thousand yen, compared with 4-6 thousand for a capsule hotel and 13 or more for a typical business hotel. I did laugh a little at how large the room seemed next to the bed. The inn is run by an elderly couple. I think some negative reviewers may simply not have communicated well with the owner, the husband. He was a bit indifferent at first, but after we got back from sightseeing he answered my questions politely about where I was going next, how to get there and how long it would take. These days some customers expect businesses to treat them as if they’re always right. He wasn’t overly deferential, and I felt he was just being normal, rather than bowing to rude customers.

With every hotel in Nagasaki booked up, I managed to get a room here. It had none of the amenities or facilities I would expect from a business hotel. The owner seemed a little eccentric, and I was so busy being considerate of him that I nearly forgot I was a guest. At least I had a junior colleague with me and wasn’t alone. It was quite a learning experience.

We slept soundly here. Even though it’s in the city center, it was quiet at night, and the food was delicious. The menu probably changes from day to day, but our meal started with cheese on crackers, a stylish appetizer, then pumpkin potage and soba salad with mizuna. After that we had shrimp and tilefish baked in foil, followed by Nagasaki beef stewed in red wine with rice. Everything was carefully made, the portions were generous, and even I, a man, was completely full.