Mikasa

We had the private onsen room so obviously it was amazing. We had the cedar wood tub that smelt amazing. The room was comfortable and very clean. It was a very expensive stay for us but I think it was worth it for the private onsen alone! The food, kaseki style, was nice. They kindly accommodated my vegetarian diet.

One of the staff who served us dinner spoke no English (not a problem) but when we tried to communicate with her in Japanese (just little thank yous and we understand) she kept laughing and us in a mocking way. Not sure if it was just that she found it amusing that we were trying but it felt a little rude

Gorgeous setting. Fantastic large room with outdoor hot tub overlooking city skyline.

One of the nicest ryokan I stayed in during my trip to Japan. The place has a really nice lounge area with amazing views (the room has amazing views too).

Everything was great - great hospitality, lovely view from the room, amazing service... What more could you want? :) I would definitely return if I visit Nara again.

This is really me being nit-picky so the only downside I can think of, and this is not going to be an issue for many people, is that the ryokan is located next to a road (however it's quiet) and I only wish I could walk around this beautiful area. The ryokan provide a courtesy bus to/from the city, which is great, but if you're only staying in Nara for one night the check-in times (however this is very standard for a ryokan) can be a downside if you don't plan your time very carefuly and start the day very early as you won't have much time to see the amazing attractions this beautiful city has to offer before heading to the ryokan. This, however, is just something to keep in mind as I realise it's probably not going to be such an issue for many people, especially if you stay for more than one night at the ryokan.