Honjin Hiranoya Bekkan

Brilliant experience and service. Salt scrub in onsen was fabulous!

Slightly dated interior.

First of all, the hotel location is impossible to beat. We were in Takayama for the Spring Festival and we were able to see the floats procession right from the comfort of our room, as the balcony overlooks the main bridge. It was a huge bonus, as it was really cold outside, so we were literally going back and forth between a freezing balcony and the warmth of our room. After that we went to the onsen, which is located on the top floor of the hotel. The men's section has an extra benefit of an open-air bath with a great view to the city (and a small sauna). The women's section in the hotel is much smaller, with just one hot spring, but they also offer a women-only spa in a separate old building next to the hotel. There is also an option to visit the onsen in the partner hotel across the street, but we didn't use it. There is a great choice of high-quality Japanese cosmetics/skin care of various brands in the onsen. In the evening we were served kaiseki dinner in our room. It was as good as one could expect. We also appreciated the option of ordering a bottle of wine for the dinner. We were staying in the Japanese-style room, so after dinner another team came in that unfolded the futons, very quickly and professionally. It is technically possible to onsen for the second time in the morning (I think it's open since 5am!) but we didn't do it. The breakfast was great, and the hotel offers three options - traditional Japanese, with emphasis on local cuisine, and two European options, which our kids appreciated. Last but not least, the hotel offers free shuttle to and from the train station. As we were leaving, we somehow forgot one of the backpacks in the hotel. We only realized it at the station, but fortunately, the hotel reacted very quickly. They organized the search and found it before we got back to the hotel. Then they drove us to the station again and we made it in time for the train!

Nothing, really.

Ryokan attendant Nami was excellent, displaying a high standard of quality service. She was personable, patient, efficient, and attentive to details. The room was spacious and its layout was well-planned. The river view was most delightful, especially during the sakura season. It was only a one-to-two minute walk to the old town, Takayama Jinya and the morning market.

Apart from the cheerful and helpful staff member who ushered us into the accommodation, the other staff members at reception were rather cold and unfriendly. In fact one of them in particular was rather impatient and condescending.