This is the best place you can stay at for the price, I can assure you. The rooms are clean and comfortable. So is the bathroom, shower, etc. The location is fantastic, you can walk everywhere in Nara: The Park and Temples, the Naramachi district, the train station... The staff is amazingly nice and kind, you can tell they like their job and they enjoy dealing with travellers. I had the chance to meet Mrs Gao in the Reception Desk, and she was absolutely marvellous!!! I want to thank her again and again for her attention and kindness. I will 100% stay here again if I am back in Nara.

Everything was fantastic and exceeded my expectations!

The Nara Visitor Center & Inn, located in the heart of Nara, is a truly unique establishment that seamlessly combines the functions of a tourist information center and a charming hotel, and as such, its not comparable to standard hotel-like accommodations. Do not expect communal areas or rooms to be adorned with fresh and fancy designs, but if you're looking for value for your money, you'll have to look far and wide to find something even close. Nestled just a stone's throw from the serene Sarusawa Pond and within walking distance of Nara's most revered temples and shrines, the Nara Visitor Center & Inn offers an unparalleled experience for those seeking to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of Japanese culture. But what really stood out to me was the consistently exceptional customer service I received from the Nara Visitor Center & Inn staff throughout my stay. Their attentiveness, friendliness, and genuine passion for Japanese culture were evident in every interaction. They went above and beyond to ensure that my stay was nothing short of exceptional, answering my questions with patience and providing valuable insights into Nara's rich history and traditions. My six-night stay at the Nara Visitor Center & Inn was an unforgettable journey into the heart of Japanese culture. It was a place where I could truly slow down, appreciate the beauty of simplicity, and reconnect with myself. If you seek an authentic and transformative cultural experience, I wholeheartedly recommend the Nara Visitor Center & Inn. It is a place where you can truly embrace the essence of Japanese hospitality and create memories that will last a lifetime.

I loved my stay in Nara and at the Visitor Inn. This place was perfect, close to the train station and the room has a beautiful view of the pond and you can walk to all the major sightseeing spots. The room is really spacious, clean and has a big beautiful window overlooking a great view. There is a convenience store on the ground floor, washing machine and kitchen facilities and a small Onsen you can use. The place has some great activities, like calligraphy and origami which I really enjoyed. The staff are also really friendly and helpful and can speak multiple languages. I am so glad I stayed here, it was perfect.

Everything exceeded my expectations. The hotel is located not too far from Kintetsu Nara Station and it was very close to Nara Park. The atmosphere was lovely, as it is located in front of a beautiful pond. The staff was sweet and friendly, they really do male you feel welcome! They are happy to help if you have any question and they can speak English perfectly. The room was super spacious and clean. A set of pyjamas (traditional samue) was provided to make you live the Japanese culture fully. It was super comfy and I really appreciated it! I wish I had stayed longer, I didn’t feel this welcome and comfortable anywhere else? And the price was super convenient!!

Friendly and helpful staff: They helped me handling courier service for sending my luggage to my hotel in Tokyo, which made my travel in Kyoto a lot easier. The location is great: I can see deer when I sat by the window. The room is spacious. There is a microwave in the public kitchen area. The front desk let me borrow an electric kettle when I check in, so I can easily make a cup of coffee in my room. When I don't want to have cleaning services for my room, I can still get new towels and floor mat (when I informed the front desk that I left used towels and mat outside my room).

I brought my own cup with me whenever I travel, so it was fine when no ceremic mug was provided.

So far, this has been the highlight of our trip to Japan! The hotel is amazing — beautifully located with stunning views, and full of charm. There are plenty of free activities to enjoy, and the staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming. We absolutely loved our stay in the traditional Japanese room; it was such a special experience and we honestly regret not booking more nights. The onsen was a wonderful bonus, and having a konbini attached to the hotel was super convenient. Nara itself is a magical place, and staying here made it even better. Highly recommended!

The location was excellent, close to all the shops and restaurants. It was also very quiet which is really important to us. The staff were amazingly helpful with excellent restaurant recommendations. They couldn’t have been more kind and helpful. We had a room with a view, which would have been outstanding, but the pagoda is under construction until 2031, which was disappointing but isn’t the hotel’s fault. The hotel also has a Family Mart convenience store in the basement which was so incredibly handy for picking up last minute items. Our room was huge, much bigger than we had anticipated. Additionally the hotel has a visitor center which provides all kinds of information on the various tours available. They also seem to offer classes on calligraphy and origami, etc. The hotel also has a public bath which we did not use. Overall, this hotel is excellent value and the amenities they offer for the price they charge is outstanding We’d highly recommend it.

I found the beds to be a bit on the hard side, and I like a rather hard bed. It felt as if the mattresses were a bit worn. I think it is perhaps time that the hotel considers buying new mattresses. Also the carpets in our bedroom were stained. It has to be impossible to not have hotel carpets with stains over time. Having said this, our room was spotlessly clean, as was the rest of the hotel. Overall what this hotel has to offer in terms of location, cleanliness, service, and friendliness of the staff, is exceptional and outstanding value for a budget hotel.

Absolutely fantastic place to stay! Not only are you in the heart of everything you'd wish to see in Nara, they also offer free cultural activities such as calligraphy and origami. The staff are incredibly polite and helpful, the rooms are very clean, comfortable, traditional and have everything you need for a great stay. I had worried 2 nights would be too long but wish we'd had longer; there's so much more to see in Nara than I'd expected. If you stay here, I highly recommend the tea ceremony with Oookayayoi and two other lovely ladies was absolutely wonderful! Definitely book this if you are visiting; they are so friendly, polite and kind and the ceremony is informative but really fun. Our eleven year old daughter also loved the ceremony so it's great for couples, friends, and family.

We adored our stay at your place and it is the best hotel we had during our Japan Trip. The location was perfect, we were able to visit Nara easily. Everything is walkable which we really enjoyed. The apartment was really big and it’s really well arranged and confortable. The neighborhood is really calm and there was plenty of shops nearby which was really nice! We mostly appreciated the availability of the staff and they made sure everything was going well, everyone we met was super nice and they really facilitate our stay ! Thank you and if we get the chance to come back to Japan one day we will not hesitate to book your accommodation again !

-traditional Japanese room had lots of space for 3 futon mattresses and a separate seating area. 2 adults and 2 younger primary school aged kids. -we used the bath on the lower level for bathing - there was no one else using it whilst we were there so it was nice. Water is clean and good temperature. -towels and bedding very clean -close to temples and undercover shopping street -big pond/lake in front where you will find a few deer's. Very picturesque when you take a photo from this spot with the lake, deers and temple in the background -Jinbei provided (kind of traditional loungewear) to use during your stay -activities in the visitor centre in the same building on ground floor included free activities like cosplay (Yukata, kimono, sumo wrestler, ninja, deer), Japanese name writing, origami of a deer -free WiFi. -convenience store on lower level. Not the biggest selection but handy to have. Can get the deer crackers here for 200yen (standard price all around nara). -coin laundry on the lower level. -We stayed on level 4 - they had a common area which had a 2 seat table, microwave, cooktop. Cooking utensils and pots can be borrowed from front desk if you want them - we didn't cook, plenty to eat around the area even with the typhoon Lan hitting us right in the middle of the obon holiday -shutting down the rail network everywhere for most of the day.

Everything was great