Taoya Kisoji

Usually when you stay deep in the mountains, you expect outdated facility, crowded space and simplified service. Not in this hotel. When I step in I was greeted by a large and airy lobby area. Behind those huge windows was a comfy outdoors terrace. At night they would play atmospheric music there. If the weather was better I could lie on the cushions and watch the stars all night long. Next to the lobby was a lounge area the had various free snacks, desserts, ice creams and drinks, including wines. What really impressed me is that the foods and drinks were offered until midnight. Not even in Tokyo would the hotels keep their lounge open that late. And this is in the middle of the mountains. The breakfast and dinner were both provided in buffet style. They were well above my expectation for the price, especially considering the location. Alcoholic drinks were provided for free. For some dishes you need to cook them by yourself using the small stove on your table, which is pretty rare for buffets. And if you are still hungry after eating all of these, they had free noodles as late night snack you can order. I got a Standard Twin room which was located in a separate building. Required a little bit of walk (indoors) but not so far away. The room was simple and a bit old, but still worked fine and it even had a split AC, which already beats 95% of hotels in the mountains. You wouldn't spend too much time in your room anyway. asides from the free food and lounges I talked about, the main draw here is the hot spring. They have a beautiful Yukata area where you got to pick your own Yukata, and the hot spring bath was make a little over the top, it even came with a man-made waterfall :) There were also massage chairs and a free table tennis stadium etc. While I kept saying this place is deep in the mountains, it's only a few minutes drive away from Tsumago-juku and like 20 minutes away from Magome-juku. Both are unique historical towns. If you can't book a room there (because it's really difficult) or don't want to stay there (because the accommodation would be pretty basic), I think this hotel is a great choice. For the price and the location the experience was very satisfying.

When you drive up you can see the imposing building from afar between the trees. Car parked and check in. There was no one willing to help bring the luggage to the room. And speaking of the room, that was a total travesty. A mattress on the floor, which looked a lot like a dog bed. The room next door had a table and nothing else. Not a chair to sit on yet. I only got a chair from the lobby. According to the website, there are also quite other rooms, but this was nothing. Then the restaurant. A big eating shed with screaming children.

Absolutely beautiful experience. Every amenity you could think of and a beautiful property. Very friendly service. Highly recommend this for anyone looking for a luxury experience in central Japan.