Thursday, September 8, 2016

Shikoku Autumn 2014 四国秋季之旅 - Nakamura Prince Hotel 中村プリンスホテル

Stayed 19.11.2014 (Wed)
Booked thru' Jalan.net.
- Twin Room = 10,300 yen
- Single Room = 5,600 yen


Challenge. Searched through various hotel booking portals but did not come across any familiar or popular business hotel chain in this rural town. Wanted to stay close to Shimanto River since that was my main objective here in Nakamura. Finally landed on Nakamura Prince Hotel as it met my criteria, both in terms of location and price. 

View of Shimanto River and Red Iron Bridge from room.
Twin sharing rooms from the 5th floor and above can enjoy a scenic view of Shimanto River and the symbolic Red Iron Bridge (赤鉄橋) right out of their windows. Just before dinner, we did an evening stroll from the hotel to the Red Iron Bridge to capture the tranquility of Shimanto River at sunset. Though not a subsidiary of an established brand, Nakamura Prince Hotel follows the typical business hotel model both in terms of service provided and facilities available. Selected the package without breakfast, but after scrutinizing the nearby area for possible eateries that open for business in the day, I could not find any except for a 24 hours operation convenience store (Lawson) on the opposite side of the hotel. Decided to opt for the buffet breakfast service available in the hotel on the following day. Overall, Nakamura Prince Hotel is comparable to most budget business hotels I have bunked in before in bigger cities. Though I did encountered a hiccup during check out (only found out that I was over-charged after I left the hotel and had to return to get my money back), I will not mind returning to this hotel because of its convenient location.    

What's nearby? 

Evening stroll along Red Iron Bridge (赤鉄橋).
Calm waters in Shimanto River.
(1) Shimanto River and Red Iron Bridge (赤鉄橋). About 2 mins walk away from the hotel.

(2) Lawson convenience store, just opposite to the hotel. As it was still early after dinner, I decided to explore the area by walking from the hotel to Nakamura Station. It was slightly after 7 pm and the streets of Shimanto city was already very empty and quiet - was a bit wary as it seemed like I was the only pedestrian walking on the street. Glad that Lawson was there to satisfy my late night snack and drink needs!

(3) Eateries. Was afraid that I could not find any good eateries in the surrounding area but my worry was unnecessary. Managed to gather a handful of options, within walking distance, with pretty decent online reviews. On that night, we had a delicious array of Shimanto specialties for dinner in Taniguchi (季節料理たにぐち), which was just 5 minutes walk away from the hotel.

A quiet and pleasant Shimanto city. 
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Nakamura Prince Hotel 中村プリンスホテル
〒787-0034 高知県四万十市中村弥生町4-1
http://www.np-h.com/

How to get there?
(1) Walk. 20 - 30 mins walk from Nakamura Station.

(2) Kochi Seinan Bus. From Nakamura Station (中村駅), take the Nakamura/Shimizu/Ashizuri/Sukumo line (中村・清水・足摺・宿毛線) bus heading for Sukumo (宿毛). Alight at Obashidori-nichome (大橋通二丁目), bus stop is just in front of the hotel. Bus journey takes 5 mins.
Bus schedule: http://www.kochi-seinan.co.jp/obj/pdf/local_sukumo-simizu.pdf

(3) Taxi. About 5 mins drive away from Nakamura Station.

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