Jas Hotel Takayama

A big scam, I paid USD 600 for 3 nights! for 2 adults and 2 kids with promising photos on hotels.com. Turn out to be the worst 'hotel' i been. It's like a hostel. - You have to literally drag your luggages 20 meters up a slope to enter the entrance. - The entire hotel smells like bbq restaurant because it is conjoining with a restaurant. - The bath facility is literally broken, everything looks worn and disgusting. - Mattresses and pillows are clean but it definitely looks like sleeping in someone's house because they are really old. Conclusion is this facility is not qualify to be call a 'Hotel' and the rates are way overcharge given such poor upkeep. Highly discourage!!

We took a taxi from the train station and were dropped off at the base of a small hill. We realised that there was a 30 metre hike uphill to the entrance, plus 8 more steps. Hauling luggage is challenging up this last stretch. Room: large, comfortable and well ventilated. Carpet a bit worn, furniture old. Bath and toilets are not attached so frequent walks to these facilities nearby are needed. However the onsen which it next to the bath is clean and kept at a tolerable hot temperature. Facilities: we did not eat there but saw many people coming just to have dinner. Service: pleasant lady fronting the office, speaks good English. Value: low price for that period where many hotels were full and offering prices at 30% higher.

Our trip to Takayama was a last minute decision and the Park City Hotel was one of the few places still available in the town. We had a little trouble getting to the hotel as we arrived during one of the Spring Festival parades (the reason for our visit) and the cab driver couldn't get closer than about 2 or 3 blocks from the hotel with only vague instructions in very broken English as to how to find the hotel itself. Actually the hotel is very visible from the street below and if we hadn't been gawking at the floats we would have seen the sign directing us up a narrow (as described on the booking site) road. The hotel is described as a British style hotel. I don't understand this as it is more Japanese style except in architecture. Typically Japanese, you take off your shoes as you enter and are given slippers for use in the building. The rooms are larger than most hotel rooms in Japan and includes a small sitting area. Our room was on the front and looked over the older section of the city and the parades started just below the hotel; maybe 100 yards. The older section of town was just a few minutes walk from the hotel. The bath and toilet facilities were somewhat different by our standards but worked. Toilets were in very small water closets for which, as is typical, a separate pair of slippers are provided. There was a row of sinks with small partitions for washing your face and shaving, etc. These facilities were just opposite our room but we didn't notice when they were being used. The bathing facilities are on the first floor and are onsens; one for men and one for women. Japanese bathing is an interesting experience and instructions are posted for those of us unfamiliar with the process. The big surprise and one of the two reasons I gave the hotel a better than average rating was the breakfast. I am not a particularly adventuresome eater and was not looking forward to certain Japanese foods. However, I was overly concerned. Breakfast was excellent. The second reason for the better than average rating is the innkeeper (owner?). I'm sorry I don't remember her name but she was very friendly and spoke good English. Very helpful with instructions she was a savior when we left. The Festival was still blocking traffic when we left and a cab couldn't get through. She called a taxi, then left the hotel open and guided us through the old town and the crowds to a taxi stand. Very accommodating and helpful.