Nara Hotel

Opened in 1909 to host dignitaries visiting Japan's first capital, the Nara Hotel is one of the country's great surviving Meiji-era hotels. Its design borrows the sweeping tiled roofs and cypress framing of temple architecture and marries them to Western resort planning, so the main building reads as a bridge between two worlds — appropriately, for a city where eighth-century Buddhism still sets the tone. The lobby's coffered ceilings, antique fireplaces and vintage grand piano have hosted royalty and visiting statesmen for over a century.

Rooms in the original wing carry the deepest atmosphere, with high ceilings, radiator-era detailing and views towards Nara Park's woods; the newer wing offers more contemporary comfort at gentler rates. This is not a hotel of infinity pools and tasting menus. Its luxury is quieter: polished parquet, unhurried staff and the knowledge that Todai-ji's Great Buddha, Kasuga Taisha's lantern paths and the park's famously bold deer are all a short stroll from the front steps.

The main dining room serves classical French cuisine in the Japanese manner, a tradition the hotel has maintained for generations, alongside a Japanese restaurant and a tea lounge overlooking the garden. Most visitors see Nara as a day trip from Kyoto; staying here, with the lantern-lit park to yourself at dusk, makes the far stronger argument. It is one of Japan's most rewarding heritage stays.