How self check-in stays work: what to prepare before arriving at a private stay with no front desk

A self check-in stay is one where you open the door yourself instead of checking in at a front desk. Since you won't meet staff on arrival, it is important to check 4 things before you get there: the check-in time, how to open the lock, the way from the station, and who to contact if something goes wrong. Under guidance from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, foreign guests without an address in Japan are asked to give their nationality and passport number in the guest register and to show their passport for copying. All three Central Nagoya stays in Nagoya have self check-in: a keypad lock at House and a key box at Residence. This article explains how to stay without getting lost, even the first time.

What is self check-in, and how is it different from a hotel?

At a hotel, you give your name at the front desk and collect a key before going to your room. At a self check-in stay there is no front desk; you open the door yourself using the method the stay gives you. The type of lock varies: at Central Nagoya, House has a keypad lock on the front door and Residence uses a key from a key box. Stays also has self check-in. Staff are not always on site, so questions are answered through the contact form or the booking site's messages.

Why is a passport copy required?

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare asks foreign guests without an address in Japan to give their nationality and passport number in the guest register, in addition to their name, address and contact details, and to show their passport so it can be copied; it publishes this guidance in English, Korean and Chinese. The English guidance explains that presenting and photocopying passports is required by the Government of Japan. As a house rule, Central Nagoya asks guests without Japanese nationality to provide a passport copy and fill in the guest register. At a self check-in stay you do this yourself before or on arrival, so keep your passport somewhere easy to reach. If you are travelling as a group, everyone's may be needed, so having them ready together speeds things up.

What should you check before you arrive?

• Check-in time: when you can enter varies by stay. Check the booking site
• How to open the lock: read how the keypad or key box works before you arrive
• The way from the station: know your station and the walking time. House and Residence use Nakamura Koen Station; Stays uses Taiko-dori Station
• How to get in touch: decide where to contact if there is a problem (the contact form or the booking site's messages)
• Mobile data: make sure you can use the internet on arrival for directions and messages. Once inside, there is fast Wi-Fi

How do you get from Nagoya Station to the stays?

For House and Residence, take the Higashiyama subway line 4 stops (about 7 minutes, 240 yen) from Nagoya Station to Nakamura Koen Station. House is 7 minutes' walk from the station and Residence 2 minutes. Stays is 4 minutes' walk from Taiko-dori Station, 1 stop from Nagoya Station on the Sakura-dori subway line. From Central Japan International Airport, take Meitetsu to Meitetsu Nagoya Station (29 minutes by μSKY) and change to the subway at Nagoya Station. With big luggage, Residence — close to the station and in a building with a lift — is easiest.

What if you arrive late at night?

A benefit of self check-in stays is that you often don't have to worry about front-desk hours. However, how late you can enter depends on the stay's rules, so check the booking site if you will be late. Central Nagoya's stays are in residential areas, with quiet hours from 20:00 to 8:00 at House and after 20:00 at Residence. If you arrive at night, mind the noise of suitcase wheels and voices and go in quietly. It is easiest to have dinner first at ESCA, the underground mall at Nagoya Station (restaurants open until 22:30; some differ).

What should you do first when you get in?

• Connect to Wi-Fi: first make sure you have internet for messages and the next day's directions
• Check the stay's instructions: confirm that stay's rules, such as rubbish and how to use the appliances. If anything is unclear, ask through the contact form or the booking site's messages rather than guessing
• Check how to lock the door: try it once when you arrive so you are not stuck when going out
• Find the facilities: House has toilets on both floors and 5 air conditioners; Residence has 3 bedrooms and a 10-tatami Japanese room
• Plan the next day: with a kitchen, decide whether to have breakfast in or out

What about check-out day?

Check-out time and how to return the key are set by each stay, so check the booking site and the stay's instructions. Checking the night before saves a rush in the morning. With no front desk, there is no check-out procedure: return the key as instructed and leave. Sort your rubbish as the stay instructs, and check you have everything, especially your passport and chargers. If you are going from Nagoya Station to Central Japan International Airport, it is 29 minutes by μSKY or 38 minutes by Limited Express from Meitetsu Nagoya Station, and first-class seats can be reserved online.

What are the house rules during your stay?

• No shoes indoors. Please take them off at the entrance
• No smoking anywhere
• No parties or events
• No pets
• The stays are in residential areas, so please keep quiet at night
• No meals are served. You can cook in the kitchen

Stays without a front desk fit into the neighbourhood because guests follow the rules. If you are unsure about anything, ask through the contact form or the booking site's messages rather than guessing.

What are check-in and check-out times at Central Nagoya?

All three Central Nagoya stays allow check-in from 17:00. Please arrive by 23:00 at Stays and by 22:00 at Residence. Check-out is 11:00 at Stays and 10:00 at House and Residence. With self check-in, members of a family or group arriving at different times can each let themselves in, as long as it is within the check-in hours.

What are the advantages of a self check-in stay?

• No queue at a front desk: go straight in when you arrive
• Your family or group has the whole building or floor to yourselves (House is a whole house, Residence a whole floor)
• A kitchen and a washing machine (or washer-dryer) let you live as if at home
• There is a 10% discount for long stays

• From Centrair airport to your stay in Nagoya →
• Staying in a traditional Japanese house in Nagoya →
• Where to stay near Nagoya Station with a kitchen →

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