Nara Ryokan

The bed was divine, and the room’s simple setup had one gorgeous detail: paper screens and wooden slats over the windows, which gave the space a special feel above the street. The Ryokan seemed recently renovated and still had a crisp feel. Its private Onsen runs in assigned time slots, and during our two-night stay all the Ryokans guests followed the rules. We arrived at night, went out for curry, then came back soon after because it was getting cold, with the onsen waiting for us. By morning we could see what a perfect location it has. Staff were friendly. They don’t offer luggage courier services, but that was a minor concern in an otherwise great place.

The smell of stale urine was repulsive, in our room and in the onsen. We’d been looking forward to this stay more than any other on our Japan trip, but on the second morning we spent hours finding somewhere else because we couldn’t take it. Staff acknowledged a drain problem, but the hotel was full and couldn’t move us to another room. We woke several times each night to the odor. The wifi was incredibly weak: I could barely open an email despite seeing two or three bars. Water pressure was very low in the shower, and the toilet struggled to flush. The AC was weak even at maximum. The onsen showers only run for 30 seconds at a time for some reason. I washed my hair there because the water pressure was better, but had to pump the control dozens of times. The staff were kind, refunded the second night fairly easily, and the location was good, which is the only reason this gets one star. Knowing about these problems, I never would have stayed and lost so much of our short Nara trip.

It was a clean and conveniently located place to sleep in Nara, but our one-night stay had a problem. We got back late after visiting Nara and found there was no hot running water. We were exhausted and had an early start the next day, so we didn’t go to reception and let it slide. The hotel’s onsen, or public bath, also wasn’t working, perhaps because of the hot water issue. I doubt it was natural, though.

The onsen was amazing, but there are some practical things to know. Watch the entrance, there’s a small raised step about 4 feet from the front door, and I saw several people trip over it or down from it. Early check-in costs 5000yen. There’s no elevator to the second floor, and the stairs are steep if you have mobility issues. The rooms have very little soundproofing, so expect noise, and the windows have no shades, meaning the sun can wake you.