SUPER HOTEL Premier JR Nara Station

If you haven't checked in yet, the hotel front desk is on the fourth floor and you can leave your luggage there before heading out to Nara park. The building is close to both the bus stop and JR Nara. On the first floor there's Lawson, the bus stop, and AEON; upstairs on the second are JR Nara, bus tickets, 7Eleven, a pharmacy, and souvenir shops.

The standard double worked fine for us with two small suitcases and backpacks, though anyone with big luggage might want to look for a larger room if one is available. The rooms are small but adequate, and the hotel seems quite new, with fresh looking amenities. Its biggest advantage is the location. It's just outside the JR station doors, with a fairly large grocery store below (Vierre?) and the main road toward Nara Park across the street. The park is about a relaxed 15-minute walk, either through streets with shops or quieter residential and commercial roads. We chose to stay near JR because Osaka was our next stop after Nara, which came near the end of our three-week Japan trip. Breakfast is an optional buffet for Y1500. We thought the range and quality made it worthwhile, with hot and cold dishes, Western choices, and traditional Japanese breakfast items. During Happy (4) Hours you can mix your own drinks. There were at least five types of gin, vodka, and other spirits, and you could make them as strong or mild as you liked. There's an "onsen" with a separate one for ladies, but I skipped it because it was too busy. Laundry is available onsite, with washing for Y200 and a free dryer. We recommend the hotel for its location and amenities.

I slept really well here. I'm sensitive to both noise and light, and being able to black out the window made a big difference. The public bath was comfortable and relaxing, and the room was a decent size by Japanese hotel standards. There's even a little tatami under the bed that pulls out to make extra sleeping space. The staff were very polite and went out of their way to make guests feel welcome. The hotel connects directly to the train station, so you can leave your luggage there as soon as you arrive and head out. Nara park is about a 15-minute walk, or you can take the bus outside. The free bar had a good range of alcohol. Lots of people picked things up at the nearby supermarket and brought them up to enjoy with it. Breakfast was delicious and decent for 1000 yen, though it closes a bit early.

Really loved it, and the service was amazing. The toilet is so small that even I, and I'm small, could barely fit. If you're a bigger guy, I'd look for somewhere else. Best hotel in Nara, for sure.