I never liked staying in the hotels that require shuttle buses to get to and from. My choice (when needed) is a hotel close to the main Narita Town rail stations. Means I can roam around with things to do and see, both late at night and very early in the morning.

The Mercure is now the Welco Hotel. Haven’t been there since it was the Mercure but the location is ideal for layovers (so long as you can keep a note of the train times I find them much more convenient and rather quicker than the courtesy buses)

APA? You might not know who Fumiko Motoya is. It’s around 15 years ago that I was in an APA hotel and that stay ensured I will never forget her face, she was featured EVERYWHERE. Felt odd and oppressive at the time, I remember feeling sympathy for the staff, but I dismissed it as “quirk”. Alas, she grows on you, like mold, and the more I’ve learned about Fumiko and Toshio Motoya the more I’ve come to dislike them My feelings are quite intense now. I’d find a stay at an APA hotel very challenging and would actively avoid it.

But there are quite a few reasonable hotels in the Narita Station area.