The Hostelz.com Review - Genuine, independent review you can trust.
Nara Deer Hostel is a nice, clean, quiet hostel located about five minutes' walking from main Nara Station. Usually for check-in, there is a card at the entrance with the guest’s name and bed number for self-check-in. This is important to know, since some guests stay in the living room, waiting for the staff to arrive and usually there are no staff around.
The Location
The hostel is located around five minutes away from Nara station; it’s a small street and it doesn’t have a big sign to recognize it, but it's easy to find using Google Maps. There is a supermarket at Nara Station, so it’s very convenient. It's easy to walk to the main street as well, where there are many restaurants and coffee shops, but it's difficult for parking.
Rooms and Bathrooms
There are mixed dorms and female-only dorms with five bunk beds. There are no keys for the dorms and there are small lockers inside. The guest sets the password for his or her locker. There are also private dorms with door lock. The bed is self made and there is a basket inside the dorm to leave the sheets when checking out. For eco-friendly reasons, personal cleaning supplies (towel, toothbrush) are not offered and sheets aren’t changed. The place is clean in general. The bathrooms are small but efficient and clean as well. There is hot shower and shampoo, conditioner, and body soap.
Common Spaces
There is a small kitchen with fridge, microwave, free coffee, and tea. Laundry and washing machine are found here. There are two tables outside the kitchen and a living room with a bookshelf but neither a TV nor computers. There is a small terrace with a few seats where smoking is allowed. Shoes have to be left at the entrance and there are sandals, which is convenient. On the second floor, there is also a living room and a machine for working out. The Wi-Fi is strong everywhere. Luggage can be left in the living room after check-out. Air conditioning is available in all areas. The common lounge is available through 10 p.m. every day.
Summary
In general this is a small, quiet, clean, pretty hostel for having a nice stay; it's not very convenient for socializing. Note that check-in times are between 2 and 11 p.m., while check-out time is 10 a.m.
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