Hot Springs Hotels in Nara Prefecture, Japan

"This was one of the low key place where it is located after crossing Nara train station. Convenient. Staff was welcoming, allow to leave luggage before check in time. The whole hotel has tatami flooring, you need to go to locker leave your shoes in there, throughout the stay. In the room they gave you a bag, socks to wear around hotel and towels to use in public onsen. It was a great experience and dipping in hot pool after long day walk. Most families guests, and they allow older kids accompanied with parent of same gender. But those parent don't know how to control kids should respect the other guests. I have kid myself and try to be respectful. Since after onsen they wan to give cooling down so they have free flow ice cream afternoon to night. And probiotic drink morning. They have a massage chair and if it is peak season proly all these will be in queue. But I went on weekday and end of May so it was quite nice. Not too busy. I didnt pick hotel breakfast as I always wake up late lol. Oh and supper 9pm or 930pm onward they provide ramen and it was real nice after a long day and after onsen, hearty hot ramen soup and green tea to end the night. The experience they provide part of the stay is really fantastic!"

"Fantastic hotel for anyone who drive. Free Car park with lots of spaces. The facility is very clean, spacious room, both indoor and outdoor hot spring. Really there is nothing to complain in this hotel. It is located in a fairly decent neighborhoods and able to provide this standard of hot spring is phenomenal. One of the best stay we had in this journey. Highly Recommended."

"We received great service from the staff. Luggage was brought to when we waited for check-in. Room is spacious and very clean. It's an exoerience to stay in such traditional Japanese style hotel. Hot bath was nive as well. The price is a bit on the higher side compared to regular hotels, but its the experience you get instead, including traditional indoor clothing."

"The hotel is quite old, and my room on a low floor felt a bit dim. The hotel's attached hot spring was pretty good, with three pools and a dry sauna. Parking at the hotel costs 500 RMB."

"The hot springs were great. The building itself shows its age, but it didn't bother me too much. The toilet in the room is small (there's also a shared toilet in the hallway). My child enjoyed making and eating the welcome mitarashi dango and shaved ice. The staff were polite and kind, which was very reassuring. There's a kids' playroom on the 3rd floor and an outdoor pool, so I think young children will enjoy various things."

"We stayed at Mikasa Ryokan (万葉若草の宿 三笠旅館) in Nara, and overall it was a great experience — but there are definitely some things you should know and plan for in advance. 🏞 1. Location & Transportation The ryokan is located halfway up Mount Wakakusa, with beautiful views over Nara city — the scenery is stunning, especially at night. But getting up and down the mountain isn’t very convenient. At first, I thought the location was right near Todai-ji Temple and would be easy to access. Turns out: The mountain road is very narrow and winding, and it actually takes longer than expected. According to the staff, walking up the mountain is not allowed. There's a gate, and the staff inside don’t permit people to walk up. Luckily, the hotel offers a shuttle bus up the mountain, but you should arrange it with the hotel in advance. Once you’re at the ryokan, getting out isn’t very easy either. Even if you want to take a taxi, you need to book it in advance — it’s not like calling a cab from the street. So I’d recommend planning your itinerary carefully before you arrive. While Todai-ji Temple, Nara Park, and Kasuga Taisha are technically just at the bottom of the mountain, they’re not within walking distance from the hotel, so you’ll still need transport. 🛌 2. Room Experience We booked the Japanese-style room with a private open-air bath. I did quite a bit of research before booking: Sites like *********** say the room is about 28 sqm (307 sq ft) But Ctrip listed it as 56 sqm, which was confusing After checking in, I think 28 sqm is probably just the indoor area, and 56 sqm includes the balcony, private onsen, and garden area. The room is traditional Japanese-style with tatami floors and a low table in the center. In the evening, while we were out having dinner, staff came in and set up our futon beds for the night — a really nice touch. This was our first time sleeping on Japanese futons. It was surprisingly comfortable, and the room temperature was perfect. If you're traveling with kids, this type of setup could be extra fun. 3. Onsen Experience We tried both the public onsen and the private one in our room: The public bath areas are located on the first and second floors, with men’s and women’s baths alternating daily. They include both indoor and outdoor hot spring pools. The water is hot — after about 10 minutes, we felt totally warm and relaxed. The private bath in the room was also very enjoyable. The garden had high fences and trees for privacy, and the tub was perfectly sized for two people. 🍱 4. Meals We booked a plan that included both dinner and breakfast. One important thing to note — you need to confirm your dinner time with the hotel before arrival, because if you arrive after 7 PM, you might miss dinner. Dinner is served in private dining rooms, which gave us a cozy and quiet atmosphere. The food was beautifully presented and very Japanese — including Wagyu beef and sukiyaki. Breakfast was also very traditional — grilled fish, rice, and various small dishes. Personally, I prefer something lighter for breakfast, and there was no coffee, bread, or buns included. If you want coffee, you can get it later in the lounge near the lobby."

"This hotel was booked in the morning and we arrived early evening. When we asked about dinner we were told that it had to be booked in advance, not only that but breakfast the next day would need to be booked three days in advance so was not available to us. A shame that they have such a policy, the room was good and modern and the onsen also pleasant and even had a small outdoor natural spring pool."

"Forgot to take photos, but this hotel exceeded my expectations! I've always had a slight apprehension about Japanese hotels being small, but this one was surprisingly spacious. The room was fully equipped with amenities, including two air conditioners and a leg massager, which was great for relieving fatigue. The toiletries were a full set of POLA products, and the breakfast was very refined. The only thing that could be improved is that each person only gets one bottle of mineral water per night. Of course, the hotel's location is superb, right between Kintetsu Nara Station and Kofukuji Temple, which is a must-pass route for tourists heading to Nara Park."

"The location is far away, but quiet, there are hot springs and breakfast and dinner and delicious ............................."

"The room was clean and I was able to relax. I was staying alone but only a twin room was available so I booked it, and it was spacious and comfortable. I was able to add breakfast for the next day when I checked in, so I was able to relax at the hotel in the morning before checking out. Thank you very much."