Super Hotel Lohas JR Nara — Natural Hot-Spring Onsen in Central Nara at a Price That Genuinely Surprises
Picture this: you step off the train at JR Nara Station, cross a covered pedestrian bridge without touching the rain, check in, and within the hour you're soaking in a real natural hot-spring onsen. All of this for around ¥7,000/night, with a Japanese-Western buffet breakfast thrown in — including local persimmon-leaf sushi. Super Hotel Lohas JR Nara (now rebranded Super Hotel Premier) holds a score of 8.8/10 from over 2,356 verified reviews, which is genuinely unusual for a budget three-star.
Honestly, budget price and a real natural hot-spring onsen don't usually come together at a city hotel in Japan. Here they do. Super Hotel Lohas JR Nara sits at 1-2 Sanjo Honmachi with a direct covered walkway into JR Nara Station — drag your luggage off the platform and you're in the lobby in under two minutes, rain or shine. The Sanjohonmachi shopping street runs right outside the hotel, and the famous deer of Nara Park are a comfortable 14-minute walk east.
One guest recalls it as the "best stay of their three weeks in Japan — great location, great onsen, great staff, and the breakfast had things they'd never seen before. The persimmon-leaf sushi was a real find."
The stand-out that guests mention in review after review is the Asuka no Yu natural hot spring — separate men's and women's baths, each with an outdoor section ringed by river rocks and bamboo. The water is a genuine alkaline mineral spring, not a circulated bath. It's open from 15:00 all the way through to 9:30 the following morning, so you can soak at dawn before a full day of sightseeing or wind down after dinner. At the price point of this hotel, getting a proper onsen of this quality is the kind of thing people still mention as the reason they chose Nara over Kyoto for their overnight stop.
Breakfast deserves a paragraph of its own. The Japanese-Western buffet runs from 6:30–9:30 and at ¥1,500 per person (or included if you book the breakfast rate — recommended) it covers all the bases: miso soup, rice, grilled fish, natto, and then the Nara-specific highlight — Kakiha-zushi, salmon and mackerel sushi wrapped in fragrant persimmon leaves, a traditional local preparation you won't find at a 7-Eleven. The Western side has ten-plus varieties of freshly baked bread and the usual hot items. On top of that, a free welcome bar runs every evening 17:00–21:00 with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks — guests arriving back from Todai-ji on tired legs appreciate this more than they expect to.
Be straight with yourself about the rooms, though: at 12–15 sqm they are compact, squarely in the mould of Japanese business-hotel efficiency. The Double rooms are best suited to solo travellers or couples who pack light. Twin and Superior Twin rooms (14–15 sqm) give you marginally more breathing room and a second bed. Every room has a flat-screen TV, refrigerator, free Wi-Fi, air purifier with humidifier, and in-room USB charging. A ladies-only floor at the top of the building comes equipped with hair straighteners, negative-ion hairdryers and skincare supplies. The modular unit bathrooms have the characteristic high step that catches a few guests off guard — nothing problematic, but worth knowing.
Staff are consistently the other thing that pushes the score high. Multiple reviewers on Booking, Trip.com and TripAdvisor describe them as "super friendly and helpful" and proactively useful with directions, bus timing and restaurant recommendations. Free coffee is available at the front desk throughout the day, and the pillow menu in the lobby lets you choose firmness before heading up — a small touch that the Super Hotel chain does consistently across its properties.
The honest cons: the onsen gets busy during Golden Week and autumn foliage season — early morning (6:00–8:00) or late evening (after 21:00) are the quieter windows. Guests with visible tattoos may not be permitted to use the onsen under standard Japanese onsen policy, so check with the hotel directly before booking if this applies. A handful of reviewers note that rooms facing the station can pick up train noise, though it stops early enough that it's rarely a problem. The hotel has no in-room telephones — contact front desk by mobile or take the lift down, which is marginally less convenient.
The short version for a friend who's planning Nara: Super Hotel Lohas JR Nara is the best-located budget option in the city, and it has a real onsen. If you're staying one or two nights to see the deer, Todai-ji and Kasuga Taisha before moving on to Osaka or Kyoto, the location is flawless and the onsen is a genuine bonus over every other hotel in the same price bracket. A long succession of guests has called it 'the best value in Nara' — and from everything on the listing, that's not an exaggeration.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Best location in Nara — 1 min covered walk from JR Nara Station
- ✓ Natural hot-spring onsen Asuka no Yu with outdoor section, open till 9:30am
- ✓ Buffet breakfast includes local Kakiha-zushi and 10+ fresh-baked bread varieties
- ✓ Very friendly and helpful staff; free coffee at the lobby all day
- ! Rooms are compact (12–15 sqm) — tight for two guests with large luggage
- ! Modular unit bathroom has a high step that some guests find awkward
- ! Onsen gets crowded during peak seasons and public holidays
- ✓ Right next to JR Nara Station — covered walkway means no rain on arrival
- ✓ Outdoor onsen section with rocks and bamboo, open till 9:30am next day
- ✓ Free welcome bar every evening — welcome after a full day of sightseeing
- ✓ Ladies-only floor with hair straightener and skincare amenities
- ! No in-room phones — must call front desk by mobile or go down in person
- ! Car parking costs ¥1,000/night and spaces are limited
- ! Some rooms near the station side pick up light train noise in the evening
- 💡If you need a spacious room or you're travelling as a couple with big suitcases — 12–15 sqm will feel snug. Opt for the Superior Twin, or consider Hotel Nikko Nara or JW Marriott Nara if room size is a priority.
- 💡If you have a visible tattoo — Japanese onsen policy here is standard: visible tattoos typically mean no onsen access. Contact the hotel directly before booking to confirm your situation.
- 💡If you're coming during Golden Week or autumn foliage season (late Oct–mid Nov) — book 2–3 months ahead and plan your onsen visits for early morning or late evening to avoid peak-hour crowds in the bath and locker areas.