Published date: January 8, 2025
New Year's Eve at a Hotel with Natural Hot Springs in Nara.
Room Type Stayed
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Experience of the stay
If you want to spend New Year's Eve soaking in natural hot springs in front of Nara Station, consider 'Asuka no Yu' at the Super Hotel on the East Exit, 'Yoshino Sakura no Yu' at Dormy Inn, and 'Nara Wakakusa no Yu' at Daiwa on the West Exit.
I stayed here for three nights with a deal from HafH, which allowed me to use coins for only two nights.
I soaked in the large simple spring three times a day and enjoyed complimentary ice pops and cream puffs in the relaxation area after bathing.
It's nice that many hotels require you to bring your own towels to the large bath, but here they provided face and bath towels in the changing area.
This time, I enjoyed a hotel staycation soaking in hot springs and watching YouTube on TV rather than sightseeing.
Experiences during the trip
One of the joys of travel is the food, right? Following the recommendations on 'Tabelog', I had Korean BBQ at 'Ryochoen'.
I also bought 'New Year's Kimchi' for 540 yen per kg as a souvenir.
The breakfast buffet is a must, featuring local ingredients and regional dishes.
I skipped the restaurant where I saw guests in their pajamas and opted for the highly-rated 'Serina' at the Nikko Hotel and 'La Festa' at the Piazza Hotel nearby West Exit.
'Verserina' is a classic hotel buffet priced at 3,500 yen. It was unfortunate there were no cakes.
'La Festa' had fewer dishes but was reasonably priced at 2,750 yen. They served a tiered osechi with 12 items, along with cake and ice cream, which left me very satisfied.
I rang in the New Year with the ringing of the bell at Todai-ji Temple and visited Kasuga-taisha Shrine for the first shrine visit of the year.