Hida Takayama Washington Hotel Plaza

The room smelled bad, and the double room was so tiny that even one suitcase wouldn’t open, let alone two for two people. Staff didn’t smile and weren’t very polite. They had no proper luggage storage and left our bags unattended without locking them. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel.

The hotel had a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere, and my room was clean, comfortable, and well cared for. Ms. Gurung, one of the Nepali staff members, stood out. She was very polite and professional, and always ready to help with a warm smile. I had a very pleasant stay.

The smell in the smoking rooms was almost unbearable. We’d booked two non-smoking double rooms, but at check-in they said only smoking rooms were available. I accepted that without complaining at first. After the first night, I asked the staff again about non-smoking rooms, and they said none were available, but offered to move us if we paid more. When I said we didn’t want to pay extra for what we thought we’d already booked, they insisted I’d booked smoking rooms. I checked my Agoda reservation afterward and couldn’t find any mention of smoking or non-smoking rooms. In the establishment’s response, they said the booking was for smoking rooms. I’ll take their word for that, and Agoda may have made a mistake, but I didn’t knowingly book smoking rooms or get told that was what I’d booked. We still had to spend all three nights in them. A small goodwill gesture would have eased the problem, but instead we were asked for more money to resolve it. If you smoke, go for it. If you don’t, beware.

The room was spacious and clean, and having a large public bath was really convenient. The hotel is well located and reasonably priced, so I’d recommend it as good value for a longer stay.