Check-In
The check-in area was somewhat small for a hotel of this size (217 rooms), but we were the only ones there when we arrived shortly before 3:00 pm, so check-in was fast. As we were leaving the front desk, two hotel staff stood in front of us each holding plastic bags in front of them to give to us. The bags contained our free bottles of water, which at most hotels are provided to you in-room, but they insisted on this quasi-formal ceremony that felt like we were receiving a valuable gift. We also received two cookies wrapped in cellophane, even though there were four of us. After this formal gift-giving ceremony, we thanked them profusely for our free water and took the elevator to our rooms.


Side view of the hotel

Room
Our room was a standard room of 20 sq. meters. While not spacious, it did not feel especially cramped either. There was a refrigerator in the room, but it was not stocked with beverages, so we used it to chill the bottle of wine we had brought with us. The bathroom was small and plastic, but I’ve seen even smaller rooms at APA Hotels. The TV is also small but adequate considering the room size. Overall, it’s the kind of room you’ll find in many mid-sized hotel chains in Japan, in other words, it’s small, frumpy, drab, and tired looking but serviceable as a tourist hotel where guests are not expected to spend much time in their rooms except at night.


Twin room

Dining
We ate dinner in the hotel restaurant, which was standard fare that you can find at any family restaurant. If you get the right seat, there are some nice views including a view over the slope leading up the Glover Garden.
The next morning, we ate at the hotel’s breakfast buffet, which was a standard and a fairly extensive buffet that included some local favorites such as sara udon (a kind of chop-suey over crisp noodles). There was even an omelet station.


Breakfast buffet

Location
For sightseeing, the location is about as good as it gets in Nagasaki. The hotel is located right at the entranceway to Glover Garden, the Gunkanjima Digital Museum is across the street, as is the former Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, which is now a museum, the Oura Cathedral is around the corner, and the Dutch Slope and old British Consulate are also close by. Other major attractions such as Chinatown and Dejima are about a 10–12-minute walk. If sightseeing is your main activity, this location would be hard to beat.


Oura Cathedral

Entrance to Glover Garden

View of Nagasaki

Overall
For tourists who will be out of the hotel most of the day, this is an excellent option at a very reasonable price point, in the sightseeing center of Nagasaki. Although not close in terms of walking distance to Nagasaki's main train station, it can be reached by streetcar, though a taxi would be more convenient and not very expensive. This is not a full-service hotel, for example, there is no pool, fitness center, or club lounge, so you shouldn’t come in with high expectations, but you won’t be disappointed if sightseeing is your main goal.