Shimabara Samurai Residences

A nice property with an excellent view of Nagasaki. Those who don’t speak fluent Japanese may have a hard time here, as staff speak minimal English but do work hard to communicate despite this. Translation tools were very helpful for our stay. Despite the language barrier, staff were mostly welcoming and helpful. A good selection of amenities were provided, though difficult to locate at first, as they are located toward the back of the hotel, opposite to the check in desk and stairs and elevator and we were not able to find these until our second day of the stay, as we were not directed to the location. Rooms were generally clean and spacious - bigger than standard Japanese rooms. Housekeeping was scheduled daily, with a request to leave your physical room key (no room cards available) with the staff prior to departing the hotel for the day so they may enter. It was not an issue to forgo daily housekeeping. Breakfast had a good selection of both Japanese and Western style foods as well as prefectural specialities. The only issue we ran into is that we were not given breakfast tickets at check in, despite having paid for them at booking. Most staff were helpful to overcoming this small issue. Lounge access was from 3:00 - 9:00 pm and included a variety of drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and snacks, as well as a fantastic view of Nagasaki. 1 downside to this hotel is that it is at the top of a mountain, with limited public transit options. Taxi was convenient.

The hotel was lovely with spacious guest rooms with lots of luxurious details. The room lacked practical facilities like a place to put your clothes or suitcases which meant it looked cluttered all the time. The front desk staff were pleasant when they were there but seldom were able to be helpful. We were told that none of the restaurants on the property were open despite their posted hours, there was no option to send out laundry and even that there were no umbrellas available to borrow during a downpour. It was comical after a while! All in all, too much focus on luxury and not enough on the daily details.

Beautiful place to stay. Peaceful and well maintained. Gorgeous view of the city at night.