2-Starhotels in Gifu Prefecture, Japan

May 15-16, 2024 From the moment we saw photos of this special place on the internet, we knew we had to stay here! The natural rock onsen baths caught our imagination - and our stay was wonderful beyond expectations! The resort is located in a forested valley is stunning, next to a rushing river. Natural mountain hot spring water is channeled into 7 lovely outdoor onsen baths, as well as ensuite baths. The facility is beautifully designed with gardens and multi-level suites, with each of the levels looking out to the river, with plenty of seating to enjoy the relaxing and lovely views. We were treated with limitless thoughtful hospitality from the moment we arrived, to the moment we left - in fact, one of our group kept commenting ”the y[the staff] must think we're really special!”. The suite was beautifully appointed with tatami mats, traditional Japanese decor, comfortable beds, yukata and slippers are provided along with tabi socks and plenty of clean linens. Our suite had its own private onsen bath encircled by natural stones, and constantly running hot spring water. Such a contrast to water-parched California and even Hawaii where we're from! The outdoor onsens are open all night, for viewing of the starry night sky. The kaiseki dinner was exceptional, with many many delicious small plates, each exquisitely prepared and presented - a petite, freshly caught local fish was skewered as if swimming and roasted in a salt shell. Utterly delicious! In the morning, after a similarly wonderful breakfast, we experienced a mochi-pounding session with the hotel staff and guests joining in - lots of fun - photos were provided! Transportation - It was a challenge figuring out how to get to this place - finally, we had a Japanese-speaking hotel clerk call the resort, and got instructions for the 1-hour bus ride from Takayama bus station to Shinhotaka Onsen / Nakao Kou-gen-guchi. There are buses running every hour! We walked to the resort from the bus stop when we arrived, and a shuttle van to the bus stop was thoughtfully provided by the resort when we left. PS) I was unable to upload photos. Please provide an email, because you won't want to miss seeing this beautiful place!

I stayed for 5 nights, and first of all, the price is very reasonable for a backpacker hostel. Check-in is done online: you choose your language, scan your passport, and have a f2f call with the staff via an iPad. FYI, there is a mandatory accommodation tax in Japan of 100 yen per night. You can also request a paid ”Irori” service at a nearby sister branch, where you can grill your own ingredients over a traditional Japanese sunken hearth. Just a reminder: you can get fresh ingredients from the nearby market ”Family Store Satoh” or further away at ”Surugaya Asumo.” The common area isn't huge, and the kitchen is basic but functional with tableware, an electric kettle, ovens, a microwave, and a mini fridge. The tap water is drinkable; the mixer tap can be toggled to adjust the temperature, so you won't get a chill from the ice cold water in winter! 😂 In the back, there are a toilet, three shower stalls, and communal sinks, along with a washing machine and dryer that are free to use (you just need to buy detergent from the capsule machine or bring your own) Since it's a hostel, the dorms have top and bottom bunks. The bunks are quite spacious and come with two power outlets (remember your travel adapter!), an overhead locker (bring your own padlock), a towel, and two hooks. You have to make your own bed; it's a futon-style setup where you lay the linens on the mattress. A pillow and duvet are provided. During winter, they run the AC (split system) on heat mode to keep it cozy. In the room, there’s a luggage storage area and hanging rods for clothes. On the second floor where I stayed, there are two toilets in the room: one with a urinal and another unisex one with a smart bidet/washlet. To be honest, while it's very close to the Miyagawa Morning Market, it feels a bit far from the Nohi Bus Center and JR Station. If you don't like walking or tire easily, this might be a bit of a challenge. Overall, it's a great, affordable choice for backpackers😗

This appears to be a family-run business with warm hearted hospitality. The hosts didn’t speak much English but we managed to use a digital translator to communicate. Am grateful the hotel provides free shuttle pick up from Hida Osaka Train station. We had to get our previous hotel to ring Senyukan to inform them about the expected timing of our train arrival. We appreciate the immense patience of the hotel shuttle driver. She put up with 2 changes of timing of our train arrival because of significant delays from the Highway bus from Nagoya to Takayama where we had to connect to Hida Osaka Train station. We had booked to stay 3 nights and loved every moment of the stay. The kaiseki Hida Beef dinner had the perfect balance of sweet/sour/ salty taste. Each dinner also had a cooked fish either grilled, steamed or poached, in addition to sashimi ( raw seafood). The soup was exquisitely flavourful as was the freshly prepared salad and tempura ( deep fried vegetable fritters). All the food items were plated with pleasing artistry. We had booked the hotel for its hotsprings which lived up to their therapeutic reputation. Although the sex-segregated pools were for hotel guests, we found ourselves often the only ones who used them at the time. Highly recommend this hotel for its affordability and wonderful value-added hospitality. The only downside of the hotel is that the wifi signal is not always stable in the guest rooms. But wifi is more accessible from the hotel lobby.

This place was absolute amazing! By far our favorite place from our whole trip. The location was absolutely perfect for the Takyama festival. We were literally right there with shops and street vendors 50 yards away and the parades would have been right there as well if they weren't canceled due to rain. The rooms were humble and traditional and really added to the experience. The tea in the room was exceptionally good and the traditional Japanese breakfast they served was also delicious and fun to eat. We didn't even know they had a legitimate hot spring on site, but they did! They are Japanese style baths so be ready for that, but the water was therapeutic and so relaxing. I cant recommend this place enough and I would absolute make it a point to visit Takyama and stay here again for a few days on our next trip to Japan. They were such great kind hosts. And I cant believe the price, what an great value. Do yourself a favor and stay here. I'm not sure why the other bad reviews are here I read some of them and they sound like entitled stupid American tourists so ignore them and stay here.

The hotel is 15 minutes walk from the railway station bus stop, and the scenery along the way is beautiful. The hotel is run by several elderly people. It is already a 65-year-old hotel. Starting from the boss's grandfather, the house has a history of 125 years and is very Japanese. The ornaments in the house can be shot for an hour. There is a special doll, and I am fortunate to see the dolls of the boys' day. The old people are very enthusiastic, the breakfast is delicious, it is served by a Japanese grandmother. It is really like a grandmother in anime. It is very similar to talking and walking. The breakfast is very harmonious. I still remember the fish.

Staying at Hostel Miyagawa by Murasaki Ryokan was truly one of the highlights of my trip — an unforgettable experience that beautifully blended comfort, tradition, and hospitality. From the moment I arrived, I was welcomed into a warm, peaceful atmosphere that reflected the essence of a traditional Japanese ryokan. The design of the space is charming and authentic, with thoughtful touches that bring out the beauty of Japanese culture. Everything from the tatami rooms to the meticulously clean facilities made the stay incredibly comfortable. What truly made it special, though, was the feeling of calm and connection to local traditions that this place offers. It’s more than just a place to sleep — it’s a cultural experience in itself. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to immerse themselves in an authentic and beautiful ryokan stay.

There is a parking lot for easy parking, and the room is spacious enough to open a suitcase. The bathhouse is divided into sections for men and women to use the same bath.

Honestly, I didn’t read before booking as there wasn’t much info. No room pics etc. Had 2 adults 2 young children. When we arrived, we were shocked as it was old and there wasn’t a private bathroom. However, the owner was really welcoming. She brought us to our room and it was this very traditional tatami room (which we never stayed in before). There was also this lovely private onsen, very suitable for us as we are very conservative. We only had an issue with the shared bath but that’s just us. It was really clean and everyone was friendly.  Had a really good sleep, plenty of stars in the sky at night, 10mins to Shinhotaka ropeway (be there EARLY pls) Breakfast starts at 730. Be there at 730. Very traditional breakfast (to us at least), had to google how to eat but was a real good experience!

It's walkable from Hirayu Onsen Bus Terminal. I don't think it's far. Along the way, there are also a couple of public foot baths you can stop by. On Trip.com, only rooms with shared bathrooms seem to be available, but they also have rooms with private bathrooms. I think you'll need to book through their official website if you want that option. The meal included with our room is fairly basic such as tonkatsu or beef curry. However, if you book a room with a private bathroom, you can choose meals like grilled beef or beef sukiyaki instead. The onsen water contains a lot of mineral sediment (I guess that maybe a good thing?) The bathroom facilities, though, are quite old.

The food was absolutely exquisite! The staff were all so polite and had wonderful smiles. On our way out, it was drizzling, and the owner kindly lent us two umbrellas. The hotel is also conveniently close to the bus terminal, making getting there and back a breeze. I'd definitely stay here again if I get the chance. We had a lovely time with my grandchild. Thank you!