If the number of rooms is any indication of just how boutique a hotel is, Tayura, in the heart of Nara, is as boutique as hotels get, with only two rooms to choose from. Both rooms are spacious and come with generous twin queen-size beds. The location in the heart of the old town (Naramachi) could not be better and offers plenty of restaurants, cafés, shops, temples and more in the immediate vicinity to explore.
Wallpaper* checks in at Tayura たゆら, Nara
What’s on your doorstep?
Naramachi is the old town centre of Nara city and is a fun maze of narrow streets lined with beautiful old machiya houses to wander around. While the hotel does not have any on-site F&B (although the ground floor is currently vacant and the owners are looking for a suitable tenant), plenty of options are within walking distance. For your daily caffeine fix, consider Ongaku & Coffee – a stylish listening-style café – or Tabi Coffee Roaster, a tiny, local, takeaway. For a simple lunch, try the local speciality of sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves at Hiraso or amazing buckwheat noodles at Gen. Dinner at Awa, with local produce and local sake, is always amazing and, followed by drinks at Lamp Bar, will make your evening in Nara perfect.
Who’s behind the design?
The hotel is on the first floor of an old two-and-a-half-storey steel structure that had been sitting empty for almost a decade. Local Nara resident Yoshiaki Nagasaka of Hitotomori Architects was commissioned to do the renovation and came up with the simple floor plan, splitting the space into two large guest rooms. ‘I wanted to give the hotel a bit of a Sri Lankan feel, so went with a simple pink-putty finish for the walls, and furniture, doors and windows made of tropical Lauan wood,’ he explains. The high steel ceilings are left exposed, and a very cosy lighting scheme ties the elements together.
The room to book
Besides the comfortable, large queen beds, both rooms come with small kitchens and ensuite bathrooms. We especially love the semi-outdoor bathroom of the larger 66 sq m room. Although it’s a bit chilly in winter! Nagasaka’s clever use of rounded walls and ceiling panels (and of course, the cute pink-putty walls and pink floors) also helps to soften the rather hard shape of the building and create a dreamy atmosphere. Amenities are basic, but the bespoke room wear (made of Sri Lankan cotton) and the thick off-white Japanese hemp bedding add a splash of luxury to the experience.
The verdict
We love the raw and unapologetic interiors and the pink colour-scheme. The rooms are spacious, especially by Japanese standards, and the unusual bathrooms make your stay a fun experience. The location right in the centre of Naramachi is also hard to beat.
Tayura is located at 20 Minamicho, Nara, 630-8873, Japan. Rates: from 49,800JPY