3-Star Hotels in Nara Prefecture, Japan

It's a well-known fact that accommodations in Japan can be pricey, so for my trip, I opted for several chain budget hotels, and Smile Hotel was one of them. It offers great value for money. The Smile Hotel in Nara is conveniently located right next to Nara JR Station; you can spot their sign as soon as you exit the station. It's the perfect starting point for exploring Nara. Rooms in Japanese budget hotels are generally small, but they are always clean and tidy, with impeccable hygiene standards. And even though the rooms are compact, they still come with a desk and chair, which I found very convenient for writing and organizing. I really appreciate that. Finally, a heads-up: toiletries and pajamas are available on the first floor for guests to pick up as needed. You might want to grab them before heading up to your room.

This hotel is super conveniently located right next to JR Nara Station, making transportation a breeze. There's a 7-Eleven and a large supermarket next to JR Nara Station, which is really handy. You can also catch a bus right outside the hotel to Nara Park. The hotel offers many optional services, showing great thoughtfulness. The onsen (hot spring) experience was generally good. They even provided sleep aids like different pillows and sleep supplements. My room was quite spacious for one person, though the facilities were relatively simple. The keyless entry with a password lock on the door was great as it meant I didn't need to carry a room card. The hairdryer was a Refa, and it was fantastic! The best part was definitely the free happy hour at the restaurant in the evenings. There was a wide variety of drinks available, and many guests brought food from the convenience store to enjoy with their drinks.

The room was comfortable and clean. However, the first room I was given faced the street and was a bit noisy, which affected my sleep. After two nights, I asked the front desk staff to switch rooms. The staff member was very helpful and showed me the new room, for which I'm very grateful. I slept very well on the last night. The hotel is super close to Nara Station, making transportation incredibly convenient. I even walked to Nara Park.

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.

The hotel room was incredibly spacious and well-equipped, definitely the largest and most complete I stayed in during my Kansai trip. And all for just about $44 (based on the exchange rate on November 19, 2025)! However, the hotel's location is quite out of the way; it's about a 30-minute walk to the nearest subway station, and the closest bus only comes around after a long wait. Plus, there's a cemetery right next door to the hotel.

Modern stylish hotel. Room was spacious with panoramic view. Cozy comfortable matres and soft pillow. Very hospitality staff. In every moment try to help you. You may see Nara deers from cafe terrace. Convenient and quiet location. Not too many tourists. Grocery and a lot of deers near. Paid parking about 700 yens per weekday. I couldn't eat Japanese breakfast. It was too conceptual and unusual. But western breakfast is ok. I recommend you not to pay for hotel breakfast. Because of its unpalatable and at a high price for this place. Handy laundry. One washing costs 600 yens.

This hotel's convenient location near the train station and a five-minute walk from a shopping district offers easy accessibility. While the bathroom curtain exhibited an unpleasant odor (not a big deal), the overall environment was quite pleasant.

位置看起來有點兒偏，但實際離奈良公園很近，出門不小心就能看到鹿。 房間乾淨又寬敞，但入住離開都無人工服務。適應之後感覺很不錯。帶孩子玩，很喜歡日式榻榻米。 還配有微波爐和電磁爐，可短住。 門口的小院子雖小但設計得很好。還可以免費停車。 唯一的不足是沒有早餐。要自己準備。 瑕不掩瑜，下次來還會住這裏。

Great hotel! Super convenient location right by the JR station. The room was spacious and had everything one could need. Breakfast was also quite good.

Booked this hotel through Trip which was a godsend. The hotel that I booked through ******* was screwed up big time by ******* because the hotel didn't receive the reservation apparently. ******* was not helpful with the relocation (even thought there were availability at other hotels), claiming the hotel class are different from the one I booked. Anyways this hotel is convenient and clean, only thing that I disliked was the site mentioned double bed BUT only can accommodate 1 person!? Ended we have to pay additional ¥3k for the 3rd person (my youngest daughter) for 2 rooms. 1 room for myself and the other for both daughters because the manager was adamant about the 1 room per person, however after paying the additional ¥3k he was ok with 2 persons in a room. Didn't make sense unless I was explained it is some government regulations to allow only 1 double bed room for 1 person