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Reviews of Wakasa Bettei

3 out of 5
Wakasa Bettei
1 Kitahanda Higashimachi, Nara, Nara-ken

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 59 out of 90 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 18 out of 90 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 10 out of 90 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 90 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 90 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

9.0/10

Amenities

9.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Kevin

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Wakasa Bettei surprised me as one of my favorite hotels in my 8-day Japan trip. I think it came down to the fact that the premises were cozy and new, the location was serene and close to Todaiji, and the staff were just so friendly. Absolutely gorgeous meals for dinner kaiseki and Japanese-style breakfast too. There's a goofy charm in having a violinist serenade us during dinner, and offering to take photos of us in our ukatas smiling next to their mascot. Both public bath options they offered were so clean and relaxing and not at all crowded. I would not hestitate to stay here again.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

8/10 Good

Yann

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Pranav

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Dave, Waipahu

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful property and interior design.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Christopher

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Experience a luxurious Japanese inn
Very welcoming. Very helpful. Most staff knew enough English to get along. We stayed in the annex, where we had the experience of a traditional Japanese inn with delicious Japanese dinners and breakfasts.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lynn

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful stay!
Absolutely beautiful stay! Staff were all very friendly and attentive and it felt like a true luxury experience. We arrive early with luggage so we could go for a walk and it was all taken to our room by the time we checked in. Minutes away from Nara Park, and would fully recommend booking the private onsen if you can!
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Business traveller, Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing Kyoto location
The food was authentic they serve you meal after meal in waves but it’s all in good portions so you won’t be too full to continue. While you eat dinner they’ll prepare your beds in your room. The room is spacious and there was a balcony, overall a very nice place.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

2/10 Terrible

Eddy

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Haley

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay
Extremely kind detailed staff. The room was comfortable and had everything we needed for one night and close to the park.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022

8/10 Good

Wallace

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

6/10 Okay

Reem

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
Great location but weird staff
I was disappointed that, the reception want to charge me 2500 yen for an 45 min delay in the sign out.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

William

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Awesome!
First and only experience in a Ryokan, and I'm SO glad we did it. It was exactly what I hoped for and more. The staff were so friendly and accommodating and made this a great experience. The onsen baths are really nice and the whole place is so comfortable. They also will help you book a FREE tour of Nara park and the guide will meet at the hotel!
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019

8/10 Good

Athena

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Come for the keiseki not the spa
I went with my mom and sister. The room was adequate, very spacious and relaxing. The service was spectacular. I read many reviews before coming and was worried about what people said (not worth the price and spa was overrated). It was a little on the pricier side but the dinner and breakfast experience were amazing, so filling and delicious. I feel like the overrated parts were the personal tub and the public bath. Very simple.
Stayed 1 night in May 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very good location with an easy walk to most of the sights. Rooms are spacious and clean. Morning breakfast was also very good. I loved eating in our own small breakfast space.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Hiroshi

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Pleasant stay in Nara, the onsen really re-charges
The hotel is close to Todaiji temple and is around 15-20 minutes from either of the train stations. It's worth the effort. The tatami room was spacious and clean and had all anticipated needs...free cold beer was a welcome surprise after the hot onsen. If you can afford it, it's worth splurging on breakfast and dinner option ( there isn't much choice nearby). Everything well presented and so much choice...don't feel bad if you can't eat it all. The service and assistance fronm the staff was first rate. Very enjoyable stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Wynn B.

Very welcoming. Perfect for first time ryokan visitors
The staff was cheerful and always eager to help. We felt transported to a different world with the tatami mats and shoji screens. I have never encountered more friendly hotel staff! A short walk (5 or 10 min) to Giant Buddha and other shrines. free range deer are about 3 blocks away. The onsen bath (separate men’s & women’s baths) we novel & relaxing . The perfect central location to explore Nara from
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Absolutely amazing
We had the most wonderful one night stay here. Beautiful room, excellent Kaiseki dinner + Japanese breakfast, nice Onsen and truly impeccable service. All around happy.
Stayed 1 night in May 2018

8/10 Good

MR TKJ TSUI

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
very pleasant stay
very good location, very helpful staffs, has a very pleasant short stay in Nara. the Onsen is a little small

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
Small boutique hotel; attentive staff; bad pillows
This is a cute little hotel, a little on the pricey side for what you get in room and shared bath size compared with other ryokan we have stayed in. We enjoyed the Japanese breakfast very much. My only complaint is that I had bad back and neck pain -- and since I've stayed in traditional Japanese hotels before and never had a problem, I can only guess that it was due to the extremely hard pillow and perhaps the base flooring under the tatami.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2017

10/10 Excellent

france

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent stay ! staff super friendly and efficient, perfect location, quiet and charming, meals amazing
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2017

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The place was amazing the location is a bit far from everywhere but one of the best gardens in Nara is only 500meters and the deer part is two blocks away. Be expected to sleep on the floor very traditional experience and try the hot bath on the fourth floor, no one was there when I went. The staff is the best and very welcoming, and accodating. Expect to walk about 15mins for a good meal in the market place near the Nara main station.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2017

10/10 Excellent

Peter, Boston

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Extraordinary room and facilities
Magical, high-end, authentic, modern Japanese lodging experience. Aesthetically refined facilities will elevate your entire Nara experience. Hotel staff are extremely welcoming, genuine, and helpful. You will have a memorable, first class experience. And BTW, the location is incrediable; Todai-ji is only few streets away - we had a view of its roof from our room. Be sure to book your room in the modern annex.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I was assigned to first floor even i was not arrived late. It was the only room on that floor with smoking area right in front. The bed was not clean enough and made me itchy all night. Onsen seems not real with no onsen smell. Not worth the price at all. Not recommended .
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017

6/10 Okay

Victoria

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017

10/10 Excellent

Camila

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Well appointed luxury ryokan, excellent location
Really enjoyed it as our first ryokan experience, found it relaxing and very attentive to details. Japanese-style breakfast was fully appointed, making it overwhelming in the end. Loved the onsen (bathhouse) although the pool was probably too hot. The rooms in the "Annex" section were beautiful japanese style suites with a dressing room hall just outside the bathroom, super clean, all the details were classy and nothing seemed old. A few courtesy amenities that were thoughtful touches, like free tea in the fridge, ice water, and a couple of bean cookies as welcoming gifts.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017

10/10 Excellent

Matt

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Mere, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Relaxing, attentive service in a superb location.
The hotel laid on a personal guide for a walking tour of Nara Park and the temple grounds that was a major highlight of our trip to Japan. The food service is incredible. Can't fault this place.

10/10 Excellent

Jess, New York, NY

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Relaxing and very zen modern ryokan
the stay is just so relaxing and zen like and it is less than 10 mins walk to Todaiji including the deer park. Kintetsu Nara train station is about 10 mins away and plenty of shops/restaurants/cafes to check out. Highly recommend this hotel. Service is just outstanding. There are two onsens - one upstairs and another one at the ground floor. The breakfast is just so filling but healthy.

10/10 Excellent

steven

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Elegant stay with mountain views.
Very comfortable, clean and romantic place. Could see the top of Tadaiji Temple from our room and had nice view of the mountain. Only negative was a private student group was staying there so the large onsen was closed off and we were not told about that. But the smaller annex onsen was open and also lovely.

10/10 Excellent

Gregory

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Top choice for a hotel in Nara
This hotel was in a very convenient location. We could walk to shopping areas and the peaceful historic sites. The food was top level at the hotel. The public bath was great, but the private bath on the balcony was a unique bonus. I highly recommend this hotel for a stay in Nara. The staff are very helpful and will answer your questions and assist you in making your stay memorable.

10/10 Excellent

Gregory

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Choice for Nara
This hotel is a great choice for Nara. You are close to many of the historic sites and shopping. Good restaurants are close by, but the hotel food is excellent, higher quality than most places we have stayed for this price. The staff was very attentive to our requests and made our stay very pleasant. The bath on the deck of the room was wonderful.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Everything you could want
Fantastic staff and amenities - restaraunt food was outstanding, highly recommend and good location to parks etc

10/10 Excellent

Arthur, Sunnyvale, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
So relaxing
Beautiful room. Surprisingly comfortable futon. Great bath, including a one-person tub. Attentive, friendly staff, with English when needed.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Gerard, Austin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Meals were incredible and I was able to sit up at a table

10/10 Excellent

kimko san, london

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel near to places of interests
Great well worth the money but.skip breakfast unless you are a real fan of Japanese fpod

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful, modern Ryokan with excellent staff
Service was impeccable! Bath was surprisingly fresh and sleek which we personally really appreciated. Free breakfast would have been a plus.

10/10 Excellent

Courtney, Kyoto

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Exquisite from check in to check out.
Front desk was eager to please as soon as my husband and I exited the taxi. Had our bags delivered to the room while we checked in. Personally walked us to our room, explaining the amenities as we went. Once we were in the room, he explained all of the room amenities and helped us plan a route for sightseeing using a convenient multilingual map. Finally, once he found out we didn't have dinner or breakfast plans, arranged both for us at the hotel. The decor of the hotel was both elegant and adorable. There were deer motifs every where and the overall impression was sleek and modern. I have to admit, I'm a sucker for cute animals, and the deer were one of the things I most wanted to see in Nara, so I was thrilled. Our futon bed was so comfortable that it was struggle to get up in the morning, even with the promise of a delicious traditional Japanese breakfast. Our room also had an amazing glass shower, and outdoor soaking tub. I sincerely regret that we only stayed one night. If I had know how impressive this ryokan was I would have cancelled our stay in Uji and instead booked two nights here.

6/10 Okay

Bruce, Santa Rosa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
Not ready to go native quite yet
This is a Japanese style Ryokan. The mats on the floor were very hard and uncomfortable. No shelves, so lived out of open suitcase. No heat in the bathroom. Complicated and hard to remember system on which slippers to wear where. Nara is walkable, so lots of stuff is close and cabs are plentiful. Plenty of good food around. Breakfast that is part of the room deal is fully Japanese, and most of the things would be acquired taste. We would never do this again. The reception was very nice, but as usual for Japan, not much English.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Rokyan near the action.
Not cheap but a great experience. Close to the sights of Nara. Polite and helpful staff. Worth treating yourself

10/10 Excellent

John, Freeville

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Delightful ryokan with great location
Very restful. We stayed in a "traditional" ryokan-style room, but with private toilet and bath. Low-key but attentive service. Perfect location for visiting temples and shrines in Nara park. Short walk to restaurant district.

8/10 Good

Martin, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely ryokan in Nara
Wonderful stay at the Wakasa Bettei. Prompt check in with delicious welcome drink (Yuzu and honey) and shown to our room. Shoes off and placed in a drawer before you enter the main hotel. The hotel staff show you to your room and turn on all the lights before you enter. Then sit with you explainung all the gadgets in the room, breakfast, where to walk, where to eat etc very good. Hotel is a ryokan so you sleep on futons which are set up in the evening for you. The bathroom was a lovely wet room with big bath plus high tech gadget system to heat water and reheat water. Onsen available in the fourth floor for men and women which was very enjoyable. Full etiquette description is provided in your room with yukatas and towels to use. Toiletries provided were shisedo - we enjoyed those very much. we didn't opt for dinner but they do offer dinner in your room. Breakfast was typical japanese ryokan breakfast....I'm sure it is well up there for japanese standards but despite having already had a few we still found it challenging! Hotel is within waking distance of all the sights incl Buddha hall and deer park so no need for any taxis or buses! Overall excellent place to stay and nice touch of themed photo of the two of us provided at the end of our stay. Highly recommend!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great ryokan experience with excellent location
This is an ideal hotel to stay in Nara. One should definitely try ryokan when visiting Japan, and this one is a very good example. Just about everything was excellent. Olsen - traditional Japanese bath is inside, the location as perfect for enjoying all the important sites in Nara, and very close to the station at the same time. We didn't try the food in the hotel, though.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Place to sleep not eat
Wonderful stay. You basically just check in and enjoy your private bath and when the time comes, someone will come make your futon. Yes, you don't need to make it yourself. Only downside, 10-15mins walk to find food.

10/10 Excellent

Elodie, Hong Kong

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice high-class hotel with onsen.
Very nice hotel, with onsen on the rooftop and on the ground floor and spacious rooms. The staff is very helpful and discrete. I would say the only downside would be some rooms have no windows. It can feel like a box. The bathroom is very nice and spacious and everything is provided.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Local style hotel
Nice traditional japanese style hotel. Walking distance to tourist sites. Sleep on futons rolled out at night. Did not use public bath so cannot comment on that

10/10 Excellent

Dan, Montana, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Japanese 'boutique' hotel, great location
There is not much to not like about this hotel. The staff was great, spoke passable English if your Japanese is anything beyond 'arigato', and the facility was outstanding. The Bettei part of the hotel is separate from the 'New Wakasa', although they share lobby and staff. The Japanese style room was immaculate, with a modern flair. Onsen facilites on 4th floor were also great. Best part is it is in easy walking distance to all the best sigh s in Nara, including temples, gardens, deer, and food/shopping. Unbeatable value and probably easily the best hotel in Nara. Loved it.

10/10 Excellent

James, Los Angeles, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Outstanding!
We stayed here one night and wish we could have stayed for a week. This is a beautiful ryokan-style hotel with an incredibly helpful staff and wonderful facilities. The location is perfect. Short walk to Todai-ji. The onsen facility is very clean and nice. Everything was really new and we loved our private balcony bath tub. I should also mention that the meals were spectacular. After 3 trips to Japan, this was definitely my favorite stay.