Narita Gateway Hotel — Stay Report

Date: 2020-01-05

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Overview

Address: 658 Oyama, Narita City, Chiba 286-0131

We stayed one night on 27th December 2019 — arriving from London the previous day and catching an early-morning domestic LCC flight the next morning. The Narita Gateway Hotel is the practical solution to this specific situation: when an international flight lands at Narita but the next flight departs Narita Terminal 3 before the airport hotels' breakfast service begins.

Rate: £75.43 (~¥10,937) for two, booked via Hotels.com, including breakfast

Scale: 307 rooms, 10 floors

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Airport Shuttle

The hotel operates a free shuttle bus between the hotel and Narita Airport during operating hours. Journey time: approximately 10 minutes.

The key detail for LCC passengers: the 5:25am bus is the only early morning service that routes via Terminal 3, the dedicated LCC terminal. This was exactly what we needed — without this service, reaching Terminal 3 at that hour would require a taxi.

The hotel also runs free buses to Aeon Mall (the largest shopping centre in Chiba) and JR Narita station — useful for an evening meal if you arrive early.

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The Hotel

Arriving just before the New Year period, the lobby had a decorative sake barrel on display — a traditional Japanese New Year custom. Near the entrance: arcade games and capsule toy machines (gacha-pon) that would delight any child travelling with the family.

A small convenience store operates inside the hotel. The surrounding area has no shops nearby, so the convenience store covers anything you might need: drinks, snacks, toiletries, and a reasonable selection of ready meals.

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The Room

The room was configured with a separate bedroom and living area — a layout less common in business hotels, where desk-plus-single-room is the standard. The living section had a sofa, table, and proper seating area. After an international long-haul flight, having somewhere comfortable to sit beyond just a desk chair made a noticeable difference.

Bed: King size, firm mattress. Sheets and bedding were clean and fresh; no sagging or worn spots in the mattress. Slept well — which, one night after arriving from London, is all that matters.

Bathroom: Full bathtub, shower, and washlet toilet. The bathtub was generously sized. Hot water pressure was good throughout.

WiFi: Strong and reliable connection — important for checking the next morning's flight details.

The room overlooked the Narita Airport expressway toll plaza from the hill above. Despite the location, no road noise reached the room. Completely quiet.

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Breakfast

The buffet breakfast runs from 6:00am to 9:30am. Our 5:25am departure meant we could not use it — the one genuine frustration with this stay. We left the hotel before the kitchen opened.

A suggestion for the hotel: either move the breakfast start time to 5:00am for LCC passengers, or prepare a simple takeaway bag — rice balls and juice would be sufficient — for guests with early departures. This would transform the experience for a significant share of guests.

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Check-In

Three male staff members at the front desk handled check-in efficiently and quickly, even with a full lobby queue. No waiting.

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Rating: ★★★ (3 out of 5)

Plumbing: Facilities are somewhat dated, but hot water was plentiful and everything functioned correctly.

Sleep: Firm mattress, clean bedding, completely quiet. Excellent for a single-night stopover.

Practical value: The free Terminal 3 bus at 5:25am is the reason to stay here. Without that specific service, the hotel would be unremarkable. With it, it is the most convenient option for early LCC departures from Narita.

Improvement wanted: Earlier breakfast start time, or a takeaway breakfast option for early departures.

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For the evening meal before our early morning, we took the free bus to Aeon Mall — a full-sized Japanese shopping centre with a wide selection of restaurants. Dinner sorted; alarm set for 4:45am.