Katsuragi no Sato — Hotel in Takayama

This tranquil ryokan is really a treat for all senses. After a discreet sign indicating the place, we walked through an atmospheric garden and entrance gate into the main building and reception. It was a wonderful old wooden structure with lots of beautiful details at every corner. Service was discreet and top notch as expected of a ryokan of this caliber. ||||Our family of 5 was given a spacious suite with a master bedroom that opened towards its own small garden, a 2nd sleeping room upstairs, and a double height living room connecting the two. Incredibly comfortable bedding and full air conditioning in every room. Throughout the property there were several other comfortable and inviting seating nooks facing tranquil Japanese gardens.||||Dinner and breakfast were served in private dining rooms. What made the dining experience special at this ryokan was the unique table with a hearth in the middle where some of the cooking was done as we were enjoying the meal. As befits a luxury ryokan, both the food quality and presentation were fantastic. The ingredients were local and seasonal, and featured lots of fresh water fish and of course the famous Hida beef.||||In addition to the separate male and female onsens, there were also 2 private onsens. All had indoor and outdoor baths. Perhaps because the ryokan only had a handful of rooms, we enjoyed lots of privacy and had the onsens to ourselves. ||||All in all, one of the best ryokan stays we've had, comparable to Hozantei in Kurokawa...

The ryokan stay was one of the most unique and memorable stay throughout many years of traveling and staying in similar ryokans. ||We were greeted warmly once we parked our car. Staff quickly assisted with luggages off loading as it was cold and wet when we arrived. ||We were then led to a living room with huge irori where we were served with hot tea and kids served with apple juice. ||We booked a room with private outdoor onsen and irori as after 5 days of skiing in Hakuba we needed some pampering. We were not disappointed! ||Dinner is served in a private room inside the dining hall. There are probably 5-6 dining rooms and it was full house. Staff tried their best to explain to us each of the unique dish. Food was simply amazing, we got to sample a variety of local cuisine. I’m a total foodie and I took many photos during meal. ||After meals we went back to our room for more onsen. By then snow is piling up on the trees and the view was just magical. ||Next day breakfast was again amazingly fresh and flavorful. This unique ryokan stay perfected our ski...

First thing to say: Takayama was our favorite place in Japan. It’s a cute, artistic little village nestled in the mountains. The views are awesome! I highly recommend visiting the city and staying at this hotel.||This is an amazing property. It’s very rustic and gorgeous. It is a schlep from the train station (approximately 60 minutes) and you must get there by bus on very twisty, winding roads. Our only regret was that we had one night here. If we visit Takayama again, we will stay here and spend three nights. We would get into the city early in the am and spend the day and night in town (by the train station) before boarding the am bus to come to this place.||The owner is lovely (so is her mother) and was super sweet and helpful. The food was absolutely delicious! The onsen was clean and amazing! We just loved it! We had a huge space that was comfortable and clean. This hotel is old so expect that - rustic and old yet really sweet. I LOVED it! If you’re able to spend a few nights...