Gekkoju

My mother broke her foot on our first night after falling into a large hole in the room while going to the bathroom at night. We had to cancel all our travel plans and spend thousands of euros on flight tickets to get home. The staff didn’t seem to try to understand what had happened or apologize. After 30 minutes of discussing it, they offered only a 30% refund for the night we couldn’t stay because we had to leave early. I still haven’t received that refund. Given what happened, they should refund 100%. I stay in a lot of high-end hotels, and this one seemed poorly managed. We also saw cockroaches in two different rooms, not what you want to see in a 5* hotel.

Gekkoju has just 8 luxurious rooms, each with its own character and a private onsen. I booked Izayoi in early December and found the whole stay unforgettable. Breakfast and dinner are included, and both were great. Dinner was Kaiseki. The attentive staff include English speakers, and gave us top-level Japanese Omotenashi. If you want a luxury stay, this is the place.

We stayed in Izayoi for part of our honeymoon, and I think it may be their best room overall. The open-air bath was beautiful, and the bathroom had lots of amenities. Dinner was good and breakfast was excellent. If you arrive by bus, someone will pick you up at the station. It was raining when we left, and the staff gave us two umbrellas for free. They also gave us a box of sweets and chopsticks. Highly recommend staying here!

The chef was incredible, and both the food and service at dinner were outstanding. Our server from Nepal was really friendly and kind. The room was beautiful, and we had an amazing stay. I’ll definitely come back next time.