Relax Hotel Takayama Station

The room was huge compared with the other hotels we stayed in Japan, with tatami-style sleeping and dining areas plus another dining set. We were on level 3, and had a kitchen setup and separate bathroom areas. Everything was very clean. There’s free laundry and detergent, breakfast with vegan choices, coffee, bottled water, and other drinks. The second floor has a kitchen for hostel guests, and the rooms are smoke-free. It’s right across from the main train station, on the main streets, with lots of restaurants nearby. Perfect for staying in Takayama.

The Presidential Suite was spacious, just as you’d expect, and the beds were comfortable. My wife, our 5-year-old daughter, and I stayed for one night. It’s right by the station, the WiFi is fast, and we’d happily come back.

The location is great, but using the dryer left all our clothes smelling strongly of cigarette smoke. The smoking room is right beside the laundry, which is awful. Even our child’s underwear came out smelling smoky.

We paid a lot for the stay, so I expected the facilities to match the price. If they had, I could have lived with the problems, but we’re cutting our planned four nights down to one. The room was spacious and clean enough, though the toilet still smelled of stale urine despite looking clean. The amenities were okay, but I still have doubts about their quality. The WiFi router was fixed to the ceiling without a cover, which bothered me at night, and the air conditioner moved plenty of air without cooling the room properly. The bright fire exit light was hard to ignore, and a plastic curtain only blocked it a little. Check-in was rough, especially with a child and quite a bit of luggage. We had to ask for help with every bag to get them up the stairs to the entrance. Breakfast was included, but came as an odd set menu, presumably to keep costs down. This is still very much a hostel at heart, even though it seems to be rebranding and Google Maps and bookings.com call it a hotel. The front still says “Relax Hostel.” There’s no free parking, though we got lucky and found free paid spots nearby.