Hotel Hotaka — Hotel in Takayama

We stayed here on our 2nd last night of this Japan trip. Prior to this we had walked total of 64.3 km for the past days. It was really good for us to see that there was a massage chair in the room! I had planned to stay in this hotel at the end of the trip to indulge with in-room outdoor onsen, and nice Japanese breakfast(we did not had proper breakfast for the past days, for I don't take breakfast and hubby was easy with bread/buns from convenient stores and coffee) and dinner with the famous Hida beef.||The onsen was at the balcony, a small tub adequate for 2 to soak in. That was really the highlight of our trip. Though it was autumn, the weather up there was cold as winter. Imagine yourself soaking in an onsen at cold winter night at the balcony, looking up the sky that was full of stars. What more could you ask for a relaxing, awesome experience? After which you could enjoy a cup of hot Japanese green tea with traditional Japanese treats complementary from the hotel. From the balcony, you could see the snow capped mountain in the day, plenty of stars in the night. I love it! The package also included with a 60 min private use of onsen. The onsen area was big and well equipped with quality toiletries. Only that we prefer an outdoor to indoor, as the latter makes you feel like you are in a bathroom. We did enjoy the session though.||The dinner was fantastic, I don't eat fish and seafood because of the fishy smell. But I finished the prawn and squid sashimi, and tasted a little bit of salmon. That had not happened to me before. So you could tell how fresh the seafood were. Not forgetting the sukiyaki with the 'melt in your mouth' Hida beef. And the pretty to see, nice to eat Japanese breakfast. After they learned that I don't take fish, the restaurant was nice to change the fish to eggplant for my breakfast. Generally the staff at the restaurant were friendly especially we met a lady who could speak Mandarin and helped us with the full course of dinner which saved us from embarrassing with unfamiliarity of the Japanese cuisine.||The staff at the reception were ok with just doing their job, but we had delay in check in which was quite unpleasant for we had nowhere to go but sitting down there to wait. They also made a mistake for our booking on the private onsen session, but was a tiny issue which we did have our session smoothly.||Overall, it was an enjoyable and unforgettable stay we had in this trip. Would recommend those looking for a special quality time spending with...

I stayed here on the night of April 21, 2025.

Room: The room felt freshly renovated. The elevator looked new, and the in-room electric appliances and curtains were also clearly brand-new—still stiff and very clean. The unit bath appeared to be recently installed as well. These modern touches contrasted with the built-in furniture like the bed/sofa and closet doors, which seemed older, but everything was in good condition. Even though I stayed in the smallest room, I was pleasantly surprised by the updated features.

My only complaint—though this might not affect everyone—was the lack of a cooling air conditioner. The room was too warm for me to sleep comfortably. I tried opening the window to let in cool air, but the strong sulfur smell from the onsen outside made it hard to rest.

Service: The staff were very kind and helpful. I had forgotten my phone charging plug, and they kindly lent me one. The restaurant staff were equally thoughtful—they allowed us to bring our dessert back to the room. The food was great, especially Hida beef at dinner. Everything lived up to the high standards you’d expect from a traditional Japanese ryokan.

Location: Easily accessible via Nohi bus. If you’re driving, though, be prepared—it’s nestled deep in the mountains. The drive is scenic but involves narrow roads and sharp turns, so a patient and confident driver is recommended. If you get carsick easily, it’s worth...

This hotel provides the full board. It is reasonable priced. We had the Kaiseki dinner in the restaurant. The first night, it was shabu shabu for hida beef. The second was grilled Hida beef and we liked it both ways. Dinner portion was more than enough. Breakfast on the other hand, is Jap-style and not preferred for some. We opted for kids meal as well and the chef was very creative with the presentation. I prefer this than having it in the room. The restaurant staff were friendly and thoughtful and service was great! |Rooms were a little dated but well maintained. We booked both western and Japanese rooms and I prefer the traditional one.|Onsen had strong smell of sulphur. Generally it is a quiet hotel but we did meet a big tour group that came late at night and went off early morning. The hotel is about more than an hour ride to Takayama and other places. At night temperature dropped to -8 and our car was frosted all over. While we feel all cozy inside the hotel. |We are all happy with...