It’s my first time at Hotel Metropolitan Nagano and I must say, I was mildly surprised. Now, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this was the best hotel I’ve ever been to. However, it did manage to leave quite an impression on me. It’s not the largest hotel but it felt cozy and the interiors made it feel like I was in a New York hotel in the 1990s (if that makes sense).
Hotel Metropolitan Nagano: My First Impressions
The hotel is quite close to Nagano Station so it’s relatively easy to get to. The exterior might seem otherwise but it’s actually well lit going up to the main entrance.
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Here’s a sign pointing to the entrance off in the distance. I will say that it might be quite a ways off from here to the lobby. Personally, I didn’t see this as a problem since I’ve done lots of walking in my time here in Japan.
Maybe it’s the color scheme but the look of this hotel’s lobby really reminded me of Home Alone 2. I got so intrigued that I tried to look up the company that owned the hotel. Initially, I thought it was a hotel chain owned by an American company but it turns out it’s by a Japanese company called Nippon Hotel Co., Ltd.
I don’t know if it’s just me but the hotel’s lobby feels like it’s not in Japan. If not for the Japanese receptionists and the various signs/posters in Japanese, I’d have thought I was in a Western country. Now is this a bad thing? I don’t really think so.
I must say, the lobby does look impressive. More importantly, it actually feels comfortable. This was taken in winter and I actually didn’t feel cold here. There was also a lot of energy in the atmosphere here likely due to the guests checking in.
Here’s another angle of the lobby this time showing the escalator going to the 2nd floor. At this point, guests were still coming in for their check in so I decided to wander around.
So here’s a poster showcasing the restaurants and bars that call the hotel their home. A majority of these are on the second floor and they typically specialize in one type of cuisine. There’s one for modern Japanese cuisine, another specializing in teppanyaki, and there’s even one for Chinese cuisine (this is the Fan Fahr Chinese Restaurant).
I didn’t realize it at that time but I could have saved a lot of effort if I just used this side door instead. It’s actually nearer to Nagano station and now I just feel silly lugging my stuff all the way to the main entrance.
My reservation finally got confirmed and I’m now heading to my room. I’m not gonna lie though, I was expecting a pair of twins to show up at the end of that hallway. Thankfully that didn’t happen! Kidding aside though, the hallways here are pretty well maintained and I kinda like the rug’s chaotic design.
Finally got to my room! This was in the 7th floor and I was quite excited to see what the view was from up here.
And… You know what? It’s actually nice. I can see the street below though it’s partially blocked by a section of the hotel. And I also have an okay view of the city’s skyline. Not the best, but it is still scenic.
Here’s a glimpse of the bathroom and toilet. I think this is adequately sized. I would have wanted the toilet to be separate but this still works for me. Now that I think about it, the mirror here is actually huge.
This was a very comfy bedroom. The color choice made me feel at ease and the bed itself was just the right size and softness. Perhaps the only issue I had with the room was that it did feel a little small -18 Square metre. Considering how I mostly just use the room for resting/sleeping though, this wasn’t really that big of an issue.
The club chair with the ottoman was also comfortable to sit in. I would usually sit here for a while to rest after coming back from a day trip outside. The locker was also a nice touch though it didn’t really see much use as I tended to bring all my valuables when I go out.
Another thing about the room that I wasn’t a big fan of was the size of this table. I wouldn’t advise bringing your laptop here (unless it’s really small) and working on the table because there just might not be enough room for it. Oh, and if you have allergies then do yourself a favor and use the air purifier (it’s also going to help improve your quality of sleep).
Opening up the drawer on the table, I found the menu for room service and an ethernet/LAN cable for connecting your laptop to the hotel’s internet. On a side note, you’re probably better off buying food outside than ordering room service.
Searching through the cabinets, I came across these instant coffee and tea packs along with a mug, bottle, and a wooden stirrer. I’d been quite tired by this point so this was a welcome sight. Now all I need is an electric kettle. I wonder where I can find one?
Oh there it is! Now I can start heating up the water for my coffee. Anyway, aside from the electric kettle, I also came across this mini-fridge by opening the other cabinet door. I don’t think I ever consumed any of the contents here though. Anyways, having a coffee here will be a good start before I have breakfast.
For a room of this size, the closet here is actually spacious. I could see 2 or 3 luggage bags easily fitting snugly in here.
I went back to the toilet and checked what toiletries were available. Aside from the essentials like hair and tooth brushes, the hotel also provides a hair dryer. It’s really cold in Nagano at this time of the year (winter) so if you’re a lady then make use of this. Seriously, you don’t want to go outside with your hair still wet.
Speaking of wet hair, the hotel also provides its own shampoo, conditioner, and body wash for its guests. I think I already mentioned this before but I typically bring my own so I didn’t have that much use for these. Still, it’s nice if you somehow forgot or didn’t intentionally bring your own.
I think a lot of what surprised me about this hotel is that it didn’t look as Japanese as most of the hotels I’ve been to on this trip. With that said, I still enjoyed my stay and it still managed to provide satisfactory customer service. Also, it’s easily accessible with it just being a couple of minutes walk from Nagano Station. I’ve come to prioritize comfort and accessibility in this trip and I think this hotel has these in spades.
