Shisui, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Nara

A refined luxury experience with well appointed rooms, and a building with a storied history. The rooms were very well appointed, and I appreciated the upgrade given to me for a room with an open air onsen, which effectively allowed me to further soak in the tranquil environment that this property offers. The beds were very comfortable, hotel fragrance was pleasantly subtle, and the Japanese style breakfast was well curated and reasonably filling. Given its proximity to Nara park and the very peaceful feel of the property, I’ll definitely be back.

We stayed one night on October 30th, and the overall experience was wonderful. The environment was tranquil, with each room having its own private garden. Sitting in a chair, sipping tea or coffee, the quiet atmosphere allowed our minds to settle. While the outside world was bustling, the room was filled with a peaceful ambiance. Here, it felt like finding a warm home; it was definitely worth staying overnight. The staff, from check-in to check-out, demonstrated their professionalism and attentiveness. Thank you to Ms. Cai for helping us check in; Mr. Yamada, who spoke fluent Mandarin and showed us to our room; and Ms. Yamaguchi Mirai for providing our English tour. Because of you, our trip to Zicui was perfect. Thank you. PS: All the hotel staff we encountered were incredibly friendly and considerate. Since we couldn't remember everyone's names, we would like to express our gratitude here.

During my stay, a cockroach appeared in the living room around 1 a.m. It was late October, out of season, and I was very surprised by its size, the likes of which I had never seen before, even at a resort hotel on a southern island. I called the front desk, but it took about 15 minutes for a staff member to arrive. They brought insecticide and bath towels, and the staff member exterminated it without any further ado. At that time, there was no suggestion of changing rooms or anything like that. However, when I checked with the front desk the next day, I was told that "the staff member from last night had asked you to change rooms," and I was treated as if I had lied, which was very unpleasant. Given the fact that a cockroach appeared in the middle of the night, out of season, at a luxury hotel, and the fact that I was given a false explanation and my trust was damaged, I cannot recommend this hotel at all. We stayed at this hotel and a cockroach appeared in our living room around 1:00am. It was late October, completely out of season, and it was much larger than any I’ve ever seen even at resort hotels on tropical islands. We called the front desk, but it took around 15 minutes for staff to arrive. They brought insect spray and two bath towels, killed the cockroach, and left. There was no room change offer or any alternative provided at that time. The next morning, when we reported this again, the front desk claimed that the staff from the previous night had offered us a room change — which absolutely never happened. Being implied as if we were lying was extremely offensive and unprofessional. A “luxury” hotel having cockroaches in the middle of the night in an off-season month, plus dishonest staff response — this was a very disappointing experience. We cannot recommend this hotel.