Relax Hotel Takayama Station, Takayama — Hotel in Takayama

Really enjoyed this pretty unique hotel. I think it used to be a hostel? But as far as I can tell it isn't anymore, despite the name.

Location is nice, if you step outside the JR station and bus station are just down the street. That's a trade off between being closer to the cute older areas. Definitely convenient for some things (day trips, or when you first get in/leave by train), but a lot of the cute stuff in Takayama itself is a short walk across the river. One thing to watch out for is this is only on the second floor and up. To get inside you need to take some stairs.

Service is really good. Not only are all the staff really nice, they also speak great English. There's also a lot of free stuff included. Free laundry and free sake (in the common area), and a few free drinks in the fridge, pretty awesome! The laundry and big water (1.5L or so/day) is especially appreciated! There's breakfast which I think is separate but included with some reservation plans. It was pretty good: the yakitori is amazing, the other stuff is pretty good. It's a mix between western and Japanese breakfast stuff. It's convenient and tasty but in a town with nice food, I don't know if it's good to limit yourself to eating there every day.

Finally the rooms: we stayed in the deluxe suite. The room was really spacious, almost comically spacious. I knew it would be pretty big, but the pictures didn't do it justice. Maybe 800sq ft or more? If privacy isn't important, six people could easily stay there (2 on each of the 2 queen beds, one on the couch which I think unfolds, and one on a futon), they list up to eight which seems possible with more futons. However, there's only one toilet and shower, so too many folks might have some issues with that. The room also has a cute "camping area", with a little tent, some fake grass, chairs, a beanbag chair, a swing/mini hammock, and a projector. If you don't want to go to a bar late at night, it's a really nice way to relax!

The only two (minor) complaints for the room: although the noise isolation was good, someone was running and it sounded like playing basketball(?!) in the room above us. Not too loud though so whatever. The other thing was there was only one soap and with a separate bath and shower, it would be nice to have one in each.

Overall, we had a great time! I'd be happy to stay again and recommend this...

My family and I LOVED this hotel, it was an ideal choice for our stay in Takayama.

First of all, getting here was very easy because it is just half a block from the Takayama bus station / train station.

In the reception area, they had some nice green tea and sake as a refreshment upon arrival. I appreciated the friendly gesture, even though the tea wasn't sweet enough for my tastes. It was my first time trying sake, and I enjoyed it.

The room was large and spacious, and the beds were very comfortable. The family suites are huge.

The suite had a microwave and fridge, and the fridge was packed with free drinks like beer, soda, and juice. Nice!

I didn't watch any TV while i was here, but the TV was a good size, and it was at a comfortable viewing angle to watch while sitting or lying in bed.

Breakfast was unexpectedly good - in addition to scrambled eggs and potatoes, it had pancakes, croissants, noodles, rice balls with seaweed, cereal, and even some unexpected items like smoked salmon and then even some matcha ice cream. My family often skips breakfast at hotels but we were there EVERY DAY lol.

I want to give a special thank you to all the people that assist the guests during breakfast, they are very helpful and friendly and professional.

The people at the front desk were also polite, friendly and nice.

Overall, we were very impressed with this hotel. I hope the owners / management can continue to keep up this very high level of service...

The location of the hostel is superb. Right across the JR East Exit. ||||My experience is based on the all-ladies mix dorm:||Pluses: clean and new. safe entry to room. Simmons mattress was most comfortable. the little safe with key lock was useful. there was space under the bed to slide in the hand carry bags. came with charger for phones and tablets. room temperature was good.||Minuses: the sliding foldable door and laminated floor board made it noisy when guests open and close the door and walk late at night or early in the morning. the hooks were placed above the safe and a small ledge thus clothes/towel could not hang down properly. would be better if the hooks were placed on another wall with no obstructions. Suggest that the key card came with a key ring to attach safe and locker key, and guest can also hook them together onto lanyard etc. For guest staying for more then 2 nights, do offer a change of towel without additional charges.||||Bathroom was clean and well maintained.||||Sake Bar doesn't seem to open for operation at all. ||||Hostel required guest to remove our footwear and put on their slippers in the dorm area, however, they allowed guest to also wear the hostel slippers in the dining and reception area. So there were guests wearing the hostel slippers everywhere. How does this keep the dorm area clean ? ||||The staff were very helpful and friendly. They made our stay a...