guesthouse haru kitamachi - Hostel

The room was clean, and there were enough facilities and supplies, including a fridge and microwave for putting together a simple meal like breakfast. Nara Station is a little far, though the stay seemed fine outside peak season. I was there for the Nara marathon run 2017, when the rooms were all booked. It was very noisy at night and early in the morning, and I’m not used to falling asleep to other people snoring loudly. A guesthouse like this may not suit marathon runners.

The manager greets guests politely when they arrive and when they leave in the morning. They communicate in Chinese through a translator, though the translations can be inaccurate. Cleaning starts after 9 am, which means there’s no chance to sleep in or use the bathroom then. It’s a 17-minute walk to Nara Park, and the hotel is very close to the bus stop, so it’s easy to find. On the main street you might spot deer and takoyaki, though the takoyaki place was never open. At the entrance you have to change into hotel slippers, but the toes felt uncomfortable and there were no size choices. The room’s sunshade curtains let light through. There’s a mattress protector on the bed, which was a nice touch. Tea bags in three types and coffee are complimentary, and cups and disposable chopsticks are provided. The corridor is quite narrow, and the air conditioning doesn’t get very warm.

I slept really well, and the bathroom and bed were comfortable. Todai-ji Temple is very close, and the bus stop is just a three-minute walk away. Not having luggage storage was inconvenient, and around 5,000 yen per night felt a bit expensive for a youth hostel. The host and hostess were both very friendly, but neither spoke English.

Be extremely careful if you book this inn. They told me I wouldn’t be allowed in even if I arrived just five minutes late for my reservation. They said the train accident had absolutely nothing to do with it, and their customer service felt extremely malicious. Calling it fraud is no exaggeration.