Mercure Hida Takayama

From April 2 to 4, I stayed in a Privilege Double Room with my wife and our 3-year-old son. I was originally coming to Takayama on business, so we extended our stay and did some sightseeing as well. The Room was small but practical and easy to use. We had requested a bed guard in advance, and it was properly set up.We were initially informed that the open-air bath in the large public bath would be unavailable, but on the day it seemed to have been fixed, and we were able to enjoy the starry sky. Breakfast offered a decent variety, so even over two mornings we didn’t get tired of it. The rice was delicious. As a Room benefit, we could also use the lounge from 14:00 to 18:00—perfect for an aperitif before dinner.It felt almost like traveling abroad; most guests were foreigners. Nothing particularly bad happened, but there were a few differences from what Japanese guests may be used to. With that in mind, here are some points I noticed.The private bath was nice, but since it’s often used by more than one person at a time, wouldn’t it be better to have one more washing station? Many Japanese people rinse their bodies before entering the tub out of habit, but I saw several foreign guests enter the large public bath without washing first. Adding another washing station in the private bath could help prevent this as well.Also, if guests are expected to bring towels from their Room to the large public bath, it would be helpful if something like a dedicated basket or bag were provided in the Room. Carrying towels as-is feels slightly uncomfortable.I appreciate that you’ve eliminated plastic amenities with sustainability in mind; however, mineral water being provided only in glass bottles with stoppers makes it extremely inconvenient to carry around. Unless this is intentionally meant to discourage taking water out and reduce consumption, how about using aluminum bottles instead?Regarding breakfast: even if you arrive before opening time to avoid crowds, foreign guests tend to gather irregularly without forming a line, and people who arrive later sometimes enter first—which doesn’t feel very fair. I would have liked staff control of this situation.The menu selection and taste are good overall, but perhaps due to how items are arranged there isn’t a clear flow line for guests; congestion builds easily and movement stalls. Some adjustment seems necessary.And if possible, offering takeaway coffee (and similar drinks) could also be nice.Since this is largely an Hotel for international travelers these issues may be unavoidable—and I understand you may want to keep extra costs down—but I hope these can be considered as areas for improvement going forward.

The Hotel I stayed at last year and became my favorite. The quiche I ordered additionally during the welcome drink service was delicious. The rooftop open-air bath was very relaxing, and I used it in the morning as well. Despite rising prices, the breakfast quality has not declined compared to last year, and each dish was carefully prepared. I was also comforted by the hospitality of the female restaurant staff. Once again, it was a very satisfying stay at the Hotel. Next time, I would like to enjoy bar time at the Hotel!