Wan Wan Paradise Takayama

We booked one night and found the price very high for what we got. The room looked quite old, and the whole stay felt like it required more planning than a holiday should. You have to schedule the onsen, and the time allowed is short. There’s no public bath. Dinner also needs to be booked by 4 pm, so when we checked in at 5, it was already full, and there was nowhere to eat near the hotel. Breakfast opens at 7 am, but it was full by 7:05. We came for a break and ended up having to organize everything more carefully than at work. Very disappointing.

The staff were very friendly, and the location worked well for a night before hiking. We didn’t bring a dog and had no issue with smells, though with so many dogs, carpet might not be the best flooring. The room was old but okay. We didn’t use the public onsen because it smelled strange and we didn’t like it.

We spent two nights here as a family and had a good experience, especially as dog owners. There are hot spring baths you can use without an extra charge, just call 9 before going in. The other guests were friendly, and their dogs were lovely. After we went skiing nearby, the concierge kindly let us rinse snow off our equipment in the dog foot-cleaning area. The hotel seemed old, but I think it was renovated into a pet hotel some years ago. If you have dogs, this place is worth staying at.

The surroundings were gorgeous, the rooms were nice, and the staff were helpful. I only wish they had made it clearer before booking that this was a dog hotel. Calling it dog friendly really understates it.