Hodakaso Yamano Hotel

It was hard to appreciate the full experience as the staff did not have an English translation for key protocol or amenities (I realise it is noted when booking that staff don’t speak English ) But to move forward and guests to experience the full Onsen experience this would be an enhancement The room was spacious but suffered from condensation and could do with some more up to date Electrical points

Booked to stay here for an authentic Ryokan Onsen experience on our Japan holiday. This was our first time at both a ryokan and an Onsen so we don’t have an awful lot to compare it to on those aspects. However, the positives of the hotel were that the staff were very friendly and happy to help. They spoke a small amount of English and were happy to try to assist when needed. We were greeted in the car park on arrival and a member of staff helped carry our bags to the check in desk. All of the onsens were very very good, we tried both the private outdoor one, and the mixed bathing one, both had good views and were clean. The negatives were that the hotel is dated and doesn’t seem to have been renovated since the 70s/80s (ripped fabric on furniture, wallpaper peeling off, stale smell in rooms and corridors). There are areas that are closed down which would have been nice to use, and there was no bar to purchase drinks after dinner, only a vending machine. The interior had cobwebs throughout the property, and the outside patio areas had not been cleaned, and tables and chairs had not been wiped down. The outdoor pool also had leaves in it and didn’t look very clean. Overall we feel feel we had a very mixed experience and probably wouldn’t return.

We had a wonderful time at this ryokan. We chose this inn specifically for its remote location and traditional atmosphere and were not disappointed. The hotel, outdoor onsen, and woodsy surroundings were all excellent. The building is old and reminded me of the railroad lodges of the western United States: creaky old doors and floors, metal keys, and rotary dial phones. Other than the hotel, there are no restaurants nearby (that I know of) and dinner is an elaborate kaiseki ryori that requires advanced reservations. They were able to accommodate us for dinner when we arrived around 3:00 pm, but I recommend emailing prior to your stay to be sure you have dinner reservations for your first night if you want to eat there. Otherwise, there is instant ramen in the gift shop and hot water in the room. The staff are all very friendly. Most do not speak English but did their best to communicate with us and we were able to check in and out, make dinner and breakfast arrangements, and discuss the bus schedule without a problem. If you're coming from the south or southwest, I recommend the Hida Limited Express train to get to Takayama, then the public bus to the hotel. The train and bus rides are both wonderful scenic rides into the mountains.

This hotel located on the remote area and you need to drive here. If the hotel is good, it's worth for it. However, there are few points you need to consider if you want to book this hotel. (1) No bottled water provide (2) Poor customer service and poor English, you cannot communciate with them if you dont know Japanses. (3) If you ask questions to front desk, they try to avoid listening because it is English. (4) The time slot of spa is very limited (5) The nice view spa is public spa and you need to go out the hotel and cross a road to find it without any remarks. (6) Hidden charge I seldom to complain hotel because travel should be fun. However, this hotel totally affected my traveling mood & it's very super EXPENSIVE. it's totally not worth for that price.

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