Utatei Nada

The owner was friendly and helpful, and spoke English. It was a good stay in a spacious house with all the amenities.

The kotatsu on the first floor made it easy to relax in the living room. We could talk at a normal volume late into the night, though this isn't the place for a group that wants to be loud. It's a renovated old house, so watch out for the rather steep stairs. During the day I could hear people passing outside, but it was quiet at night with no traffic. I couldn't find the parking area, and they were very helpful when I asked about it. I'd recommend staying here.

Being right downtown was handy, and we had plenty of room compared with a small hotel. The carpet and sofa were dirty when I arrived, which was disappointing, but the kitchen, toilet, and bathroom were clean. The separate washer and dryer let me quickly wash the clothes I got dirty sightseeing on a rainy day. Restaurants were crowded and incredibly expensive, so I brought a hot plate and cooked Hida beef two nights in a row. There was a rice cooker too, and the Hida rice I bought was delicious. The place felt comfortable, almost like living there. My husband got so at ease that he turned over on the big sofa and slept while watching TV, lol.

I booked through Rakuten Travel on the day of my stay, then got a call about an hour before check-in saying there were no rooms available. That was extremely inconvenient. They only offered a brief “sorry,” and it didn't feel sincere at all. Had they contacted me right after I booked, I could have looked for another available hotel, but by then I struggled to find one. Whole-house rentals are more common lately, but the operators' quality is terrible.