Nara Royal Hotel

The hot spring is a nice touch, and the water is very clean. It's close to a mall for shopping, and there are plenty of dining options nearby. The floor is well-equipped with a microwave and vending machine, which is convenient for heating up food. The service is also great.

This is a hot spring hotel with a style reminiscent of the state-run hotels from the 90s in our country. The facilities are a bit rustic, which I guess is part of Nara's charm. I noticed many Japanese locals specifically come here for the hot spring, so it seems quite famous.

This hotel's 'royal' claim is quite baffling; I couldn't find anything remotely royal about it. It felt more like a designated shopping stop for tour groups, with an unusually large lobby packed with local specialties and souvenirs. However, the rooms themselves were quite small, though thankfully clean and tidy with decent facilities. The location is a bit out of the way. A major inconvenience was the lack of self-service laundry facilities. On the bright side, there's a massive parking lot, so you'll never have to worry about finding a space.

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.