Mercure Hida Takayama

From April 2 to 4, I stayed in a Privilege Double Room with my wife and our three-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. I 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 had a reasonably wide selection, so even over two mornings we didn’t get tired of it. The rice was delicious.As a perk of the Room, 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 great, 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 guests typically rinse before entering the tub, but I saw several foreign guests enter without washing even in the large public bath. Adding another washing station in the private bath could help prevent this as well.Also, if guests are expected to bring their Room towels to the large public bath, it would be helpful if you provided something like a dedicated basket or bag in the Room. Carrying towels as-is feels a bit uncomfortable.I appreciate that you’ve eliminated plastic amenities with sustainability (SDGs) in mind; however, mineral water provided only in glass bottles with stoppers is 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 an orderly line, and it doesn’t feel good when people who arrive later enter first. I would have liked staff control of this situation.Also, while both the menu and flavors are good overall, perhaps due to how items are arranged there isn’t a clear flow through the buffet area and congestion builds easily—some adjustment seems necessary.And if possible, offering takeaway coffee (and similar drinks) might be nice.Since this is largely an Hotel for international guests these issues may be unavoidable—and I understand you may want to avoid extra costs—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!