Comfort Hotel Nara

Rooms and decor

Comfort Hotel Nara is a budget chain stay under Choice Hotels, the same group as America's Comfort Inn — an 8-floor blue-and-yellow building a 3-minute walk from JR Nara Station West through an underpass. The twin runs ¥7,800 a night (about $53) with the free buffet breakfast included, sized at 18 sq m — small but well laid out, in cream and navy, with two twin beds (110x195 cm), two down pillows, a 32-inch LG TV, free 100 Mbps Wi-Fi, a kettle, a writing desk and an ergonomic chair. The unit bathroom is a standard 3 sq m with a short tub, shower, Toto Washlet and Pola amenities. Ask for the 6th floor or higher to stay quieter, since you can hear trains from 5–7 AM opposite JR Nara.

Food and amenities

The free breakfast runs 6:30–9:30 at the 2nd-floor restaurant — a buffet of more than 30 Japanese and Western items. There is Kaki-no-ha sushi, the Nara specialty wrapped in persimmon leaf, Yamato pork sausage, miso soup with wakame, Koshihikari rice, tamagoyaki, pickles, bread, scrambled egg, bacon, Toraja coffee and juice. The quality is solid rather than fancy, which is exactly what makes a ¥7,800 room with breakfast such good value. If you are heading to Nara Park early, you can take some with you. The hotel also runs bike rental, a coin laundry, and a PC corner with three machines for guests.

Location and getting there

Comfort Hotel sits at JR Nara Station West, a 3–5 minute walk to the station. The JR Yamatoji Line reaches Osaka Station in 50 minutes and Kyoto in 45 minutes for ¥720 (about $5) each way, which makes this one of the easiest bases for day trips. Nara Park is 1.8 km away — a 22-minute walk, so take bus #2 from JR Nara West for ¥220 and get off at Todai-ji Daibutsuden in 8 minutes, right in front of the temple. Sanjo Street and Naramachi are a 10-minute walk, lined with local restaurants at about ¥1,000 a meal (around $7) — Nara wagyu donburi, ramen and udon.

Things to know before booking

The single rooms are a tight 16 sq m, and even the 22 sq m triple is not large, so this is better for a night or two than a long stay. There is no onsen or spa — just the in-room unit bath — so onsen lovers should look at Onyado Nono or Super Hotel Lohas instead. And because you are opposite the station, light sleepers should request a higher floor to dodge the early-morning train noise.

Our take

Comfort Hotel Nara is the cheapest chain in town — from $53 a night with a free buffet breakfast, a 3–5 minute walk to JR Nara, free Wi-Fi, a 24-hour front desk, English-speaking staff and the Choice Hotels name behind it. A 9.1/10 score from 2,800+ reviews backs up the quality. It closes the Top 10 as the most budget-friendly pick — best for solo travelers, backpackers, budget-minded families and day-trippers from Kyoto or Osaka who want to see Nara as cheaply as possible while keeping Japanese standards.