We stayed here for one night last week on a weekday. The entrance to the hotel is located between Nagasaki Station and the new shopping complex adjoining the hotel. It is conveniently located on the opposite side of the station from the Hilton Hotel. When we entered the hotel’s spacious ground-floor entrance area, we were greeted by a gentleman who led us to an elevator that took us up to the seventh-floor lobby. Exiting the elevator, we were immediately greeted by a young lady in a very polite Japanese fashion and directed to the nearby check-in counter. Although there was a dedicated Bonvoy elite check-in counter, we were directed to a different counter where we were politely thanked for being Bonvoy elite members. I was impressed by the series of kind and polite greetings from entry to check-in. While such greetings are not unusual in Japanese hotels or ryokans, I found the level of politeness and courtesy a notch or two above most, which did give me a favorable first impression. After receiving an in-depth explanation of our Platinum benefits, on the way to our room, we passed through the lobby where there is a “Grab & Go” café and pastry shop as well as the entrances to The Azurite, a bar and lounge, and Harbella, where breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served. Also on the 7th floor is De Jima, a Teppanyaki and Sushi restaurant. The lobby windows provide a picturesque view of Inasayama (Mt. Inasa).
First-floor entrance to the hotel
7th-floor lobby
View of Mt. Inasa from the 7th-floor lobby
Room
The Premium Balcony, Harbour view room was rather similar to the design and build of rooms at the Hilton Nagasaki with sliding panels that can be used to provide greater bathroom privacy. However, the room was more spacious, and the bathroom toilet was fully automatic with a self-rising cover and was also more spacious. The balcony too is spacious but, unlike Sandy Hopper's suite pictured above, the balcony was devoid of a table and chairs, so you’ll have to move the room table and chairs outside to get full use of it. Overall, it’s a comfortable room that feels less cramped than the standard rooms at the nearby Hilton, and you can enjoy the view from your balcony (which has dividers between them for greater privacy) during the warmer months. Since the hotel offers in-room dining, this could be enjoyed on one’s balcony.
Premium Balcony room
View from our room
M-Club Lounge
After settling into our room, we headed to the lounge on the top 13th floor for afternoon tea. The lounge is long and fairly spacious with various seating arrangements with a city view opposite the harbour. There was a nice selection of teas and non-alcoholic drinks that could be retrieved from the large refrigerator but there was little to eat other than a small selection of sweets and cookies.
After eating an early dinner in town, we returned for cocktail time (5:30 – 8:00 p.m.) As this was mid-week, the lounge was not crowded, maybe half full, but there was a bit of a rush when food (light hors d’oeuvres) was brought out. While some of the items were tasty, the volume was low, so I was glad that we dined beforehand. Prosecco, red and white wines, and canned beer were freely available. The lounge is attractively furnished and designed and is a quiet and pleasant space to unwind at the end of the day. While the 13th-floor city view is nice, I would have enjoyed
Gym
We did not use the gym but dropped in to take a look and found it to be about as expected for a hotel of this size. There
Service
Our main interaction with staff was during check-in, check-out, and breakfast, and I was impressed with the sincere kindness and politeness of all staff. Service-wise, they all seemed well-prepared for the hotel’s opening and made a very good first impression.
OTOH, considering Nagasaki's rich history and culture, I found the hotel overly Western in design, décor, and furnishings, even a bit bland, with the only Japanese influence being the Japanese De Jima restaurant and some photos and artwork of old Nagasaki hanging on a wall in front of the restaurant. Even the Hilton, despite its generic lobby, mixes in some Japanese design and décor in different parts of the hotel to provide a more localized experience, giving tourists a sense of place. However, residents of Japan may be less picky since they have a wide range of hotel choices to choose from, but many foreign (especially Western) tourists with limited time come to Japan to get their hit of all things Japanese, so it will be interesting to see how well this very Western-style hotel appeals to this demographic. That said, it’s still a nice addition to the local hotel scene and does stand out as a modern, comfortable, upscale Western-style option in a super convenient location.