Nara Guesthouse Kamunabi — Hotel in Nara

Please avoid this inn at all costs.

Here’s what happened: The inn is in a poor location, and the road from Kintetsu Nara Station is extremely rough—bumpy and full of potholes, which really took a toll on our luggage. We walked for a long time with our child and suitcases, arriving around 10 PM, only to find a note on the door saying we’d missed check-in and weren’t allowed in. We immediately contacted the listed email as instructed, but got no reply. Later, we noticed the door was unlocked, so we tried calling and shouting at the entrance. We could hear the phone ringing inside, but no one answered. It was hot, with swarms of mosquitoes, and we waited outside until past 11 PM. Desperate, we left and didn’t find another hotel until 12:30 AM.

To be fair, we underestimated how long the walk would take, which put us in a tough spot. But the inn’s communication and service were clearly lacking: First, the note claimed they’d “sent multiple messages we didn’t respond to,” but I only received one message at around 9:30 PM asking when we’d arrive. Second, when I tried contacting their customer service at the door, I wasted a lot of time with no useful response. Third, while shouting at the entrance, I swear I heard noises inside, yet no one came out.

Three days earlier, I’d heard Nara had elected an anti-foreign-tourist influencer as a city councilor and considered canceling the trip. When I asked this inn about canceling, they refused, so we proceeded. I can’t help but wonder if that attempt to cancel annoyed them, leading to this late-night experience of loneliness, helplessness, and utter disappointment.

Since we couldn’t even check in, I’m forced to give the...

Update: They refunded my money which is a nice turn of events. Still an experience that disrupted my plans.

Might be nice - if they let you in. They overbooked their male dorm room because they just assumed I was female by my name. When I arrived, they had no bed available and said that I booked a female dorm. Showed them their listing and my booking - it just said dorm room with no way to specify the gender.

Now, mistakes might happen but they also refused any assistance in finding a new place to stay for me and even refused to say anything about a refund. They keep ignoring my e-mails since days.

I'm aware that this is the first really bad review, but please stay away from places that treat you like that if something goes wrong. I'll likely have to get my money back through a credit card chargeback as they keep ignoring me. Unacceptable, ruined my limited...

We spent our first two nights in Japan here, arriving from Osaka airport. Akie Hayano warmly welcomed us to her friendly, comfortable ryokan. Her breakfast was outstanding - delicious local flavours, healthy and filling. We also enjoyed the snacks she offered and ate here one evening. We had a room to ourselves and shared the bathroom facilities which were clean and sharing was no impost at all. The cafe at the front of the guesthouse was a great space to regroup and warm up from the cold outside. There was also a little sitting room with table and chairs, and tea & coffee facilities. The guesthouse was quiet and conveniently located near the bus stop. Akie was the perfect host, helpful and friendly. We highly recommend Nara Guesthouse, with its convivial ambiance and homely atmosphere, one of the best places we stayed at during our three week stay in Japan....