THE MACHIYA HOTEL TAKAYAMA — Hotel in Takayama

We changed our itinerary so we could stay here. I just had a feeling about this place and I was right. We loved it. You can not fault the service you receive - the manager and assistant manager were so lovely, gracious, accommodating, helpful, and eager to please. This hotel felt immediately inviting and relaxed.||The best feature of this hotel, and most thoughtful, is the guest lounge, an area where breakfast will be served, but also where you can sit and talk to other travellers, play games, read books, make an espresso coffee, help yourself to an extensive range of teas, or fill your water bottle. There are guide books left for you to browse, and a library where you can pick up a book left by other guests and leave the one you've finished (that's what I did; you'll find it near the toasting oven).||Espresso coffee is made to order every morning by the manager, so we ended up buying pastries for breakfast (at a nearby bakery the night before) and heating them ourselves in the toasting oven. Perfect! It's just what we wanted for breakfast. We also bought food from a supermarket one day and heated it up in the lounge's microwave. (Be warned: a lot of restaurants are closed on Tues & Wed nights.)||The window in our room opened, so we could have fresh air and there was a couch we could put our suitcases on to keep things off the floor.||They have two private onsens which need to be booked and cost ¥1,000 pp/per hour (they are big enough for 2 people). Unfortunately, when I went to use them they were both cold. A previous guest did not understand Japanese bathing etiquette and had left the cold water tap running! Possibly a bit of education required...

Fantastic stay at the Machiya hotel. Our family of 4 (2 little boys) stayed at the traditional Japanese machiya villa, Machiya Harare, that is a few blocks away from the main hotel. We checked into the hotel, then they paid for a taxi to transport us to the villa. The facade is a traditional machiya, and the inside is all renovated.||The boys stayed in the tatami room upstairs and we stayed in the room downstairs that had a Western bed. We absolutely loved the huge bathroom with the traditional wooden bathtub that we used every night for a deep, hot soak. The Western bed was very comfortable and the boys loved their own futons in the tatami room. The kitchen was well appointed with washer/dryer, dishes/utensils, etc. We loved the balcony that overlooks the river, and we usually had the patio door open so we can hear the lovely river sounds. ||The location was awesome as well, just steps away from the old town, where all the shops and restaurants are. Lots of convenience stores around the villa, even a good sized supermarket around the corner from the villa. ||One thing to keep in mind is that if you're not good with stairs or tight bathrooms, then you'll have to give this villa second thought. There is a single flight staircase (traditional, with no landing) that can appear steep by Western standards, but we had no issues. The bathrooms are Japanese style, quite small, but we also had no issues.||Overall amazing stay, and we would not hesitate...

We stayed in the deluxe loft room and there were just two of us. It would be cosy for 4! However the hotel does everything it can to ensure that its guests have a comfortable stay. Because we booked direct we had a rate which included breakfast and this was a great way to start the day. Breakfast was panini, salad, a smoothie and a small yoghurt dessert however there were small changes each day to keep it interesting. Breakfast usually served in the lounge which was always cosy and warm. There was a huge range if tea available in the lounge at any time and a good coffee machine. Drinks could be purchased in the afternoon and evening and we found it a nice place to relax at the end of the day.||Staff helped us get our luggage to our room which was helpful as it was up steep and narrow stairs.||I think the hotel could help their non Japanese guests understand how to correctly use the baths and utilise the prepared Yukata by preparing some simple instructions. We vaguely knew what to do but some additional information would have helped.||We very much enjoyed our evening private baths but I didn’t much like the additional cost. Maybe that is something else that could be discounted for those who book direct? Nevertheless..we paid the money as it was a lovely way to...