Staying at JW Marriott Hotel Nara

Table of Contents

To Nara via Kyoto by Shinkansen

A Train Crossing the Heijō Palace Site

I got off the Shinkansen at Kyoto and transferred to the Kintetsu line. Seeing the train pass across the Heijō Palace Site really made it sink in that I had arrived in Nara.

I got off the Kintetsu train at Shin-Ōmiya Station.

Walking from Shin-Ōmiya to the Hotel

From Shin-Ōmiya Station, I walked to the hotel. My destination was JW Marriott Hotel Nara. If you do not want to walk, it is better to continue one more stop to Kintetsu Nara Station and take the hotel shuttle bus, a local bus, or a taxi.

Since it is less than a 10-minute walk from Shin-Ōmiya Station to JW Marriott Hotel Nara, I decided to walk this time.

Time to Check In!

This strikingly large building along the main road was where I was staying: JW Marriott Hotel Nara. It is still a fairly new hotel, having opened in 2020.

The development was carried out by Mori Trust, a major Japanese real estate developer. This site was originally home to Nara’s prefectural swimming pool, and it was redeveloped as an integrated complex that includes an international-standard hotel, a convention center, a bus terminal, and an NHK broadcasting station, operated by Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.

The gold griffin emblem looks incredibly powerful. I also learned that the “JW” in the name comes from John Willard Marriott, the founder of the Marriott Group.

The interior was filled with Christmas décor! Whew, it was cold. It is true what they say—Nara really is cold! (lol)

I was given a hot chocolate at check-in, which really warmed me up. Now, on to the room.

A Calm, Relaxing Room

The room was done in a calm, understated palette. At 36 square meters, it was not especially large, but it was spacious enough. Was the wall decoration meant to evoke deer antlers, perhaps?

The toilet was, of course, in a separate space. It did not have automatic opening and closing, though (lol).

The bathroom had a washing area. Since I really like to take a long, relaxing bath, I personally appreciated this a lot!!

There was also a table in the room, which was useful for eating. It was a decent size too, which was nice.

A Break at the Lounge Bar “FLYING STAG”

With the welcome drink ticket I received at check-in in hand, I headed to the first-floor lounge bar, FLYING STAG. I grabbed a spot right in front of what looked like a fireplace-style humidifier?

I think it was the hotel’s original cocktail. It was a short cocktail, but the alcohol was not all that strong.

Back at the Hotel Bar

Another Round at the Hotel Bar

After returning to the hotel, I headed back to the bar, FLYING STAG. This time I took a seat at the counter. After going back and forth over the menu, things ended the way they usually do—I wound up ordering an original cocktail after all… It was sweet and enjoyable almost like a dessert!