Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Nagasaki Washington Hotel review

Truth be told, Nagasaki Washington Hotel wasn't on my immediate radar for accommodation in Nagasaki. I was eyeing a cheaper aparthotel nearer to Nagasaki Station as I was initially planning to return the car and take the train back to Fukuoka. As plans went, we opted to drive back to Fukuoka and so I had to source for a hotel location that was centralised AND had parking. And that was how I decided on Nagasaki Washington Hotel and it was one of the best hotels I've stayed at throughout my entire trip there.

After a whole day of driving from Kumamoto to Shimabara (via ferry) to Nagasaki, I was eager to get to my hotel to rest. I dropped off my parents, grandmother and our luggage at the lobby before going to the 24 hours multistory parking lot across the river to park the car. Like my previous hotel in Kumamoto, the parking lot had a partnership with the hotel to give guests a flat rate of JPY1,000 per entrance from 1pm to 10am.

I think there was a business convention happening at the hotel when we were there and so there were a lot of salary men at check-in. When we got to the counter, to my surprise we were offered a free upgrade from a double room to a twin room. That meant more space and my own single bed for two nights! On top of that, the staff also advised me to sign up for the loyalty programme they were a part of so that I could get a late check out and free coffee at the lobby. Watanabe, you had me a free coffee and I immediately signed up for the Fujita Kanko Group membership card. 


He so kindly gave us corner rooms, one of which that faced the parking lot across the river. I immediately planted myself in that room because I like to people watch creepily from my window. In terms of space, this room was definitely more spacious and comfortably than Nest Hotel Kumamoto. My room even had an extension cord for me to charge my multiple devices. The bed was wonderfully comfortable and there were times when I was reluctant to leave my room. Needless to say, check out was a painful affair because I just didn't want to leave! 

Nagasaki Washington hotel is located next to Chinatown and a short walk away from Hamamachi shopping arcade. The Shinchi Chinatown tram stop is just a stone's throw away from the hotel, making it very easy to access the rest of the city and hit the main attractions like the Megamebashi bridge and Suwa-ji Shrine.

The famous man made Dejima Island is also just a 5 minutes walk away. If you're lucky, you can also catch a glimpse of the Mount Inasayama Observatory all lighted up at night from the pedestrian bridge in front of the hotel. To get there, it's a 30 minutes drive from the hotel. If you're travelling to Fukuoka or Saga prefecture, the exit to the expressway is very close by and easy to access from the hotel.

I booked Nagasaki Washington Hotel via Booking.com at JPY28,800 for two nights for two rooms and if I were to go back to Nagasaki with a car, this hotel is on my immediate place to book.