Hida Hotel Plaza
by the TopOfHotel team
The biggest, most fully loaded mid-range option right in the center — rooftop spa, indoor pool and 7 restaurants, all without leaving the building.
The biggest, most fully loaded mid-range option right in the center — rooftop spa, indoor pool and 7 restaurants, all without leaving the building.
In-Depth Review
Hida Hotel Plaza is a large hotel just a 5-minute walk (350 m) from JR Takayama Station, sitting right beside the Tourist Information Center where you can pick up free Sanmachi maps and the bus timetable for Shirakawa-go. The 12-storey building is an older one — it opened in 1976 — with a big seventies-style lobby of wood, carpet and a crystal chandelier. Staff speak good English and hand out maps with tips on what to do in town. It pulls a combined guest score of about 8.8/10.
Rooms and decor
The room to book is a Twin Recently Renovated on floor 9: 30 sqm for around $185 a night, redone in 2022 in light tones and wood, with high twin beds, a work desk, a 50" TV and a minibar (free water, tea and coffee). The unit bath is new, with a Toto Washlet and Hida cypress (hinoki) toiletries, and the big window faces the town with the Alps in the distance. Wi-Fi is fast and the air-con is quiet. The unrenovated rooms on floors 4–6 are very dated — old carpet, 1970s curtains — so always ask for a high floor.
Food and amenities
The heart of the hotel is the floor-12 rooftop spa Hiten-no-yu ("heavenly sky"): separate men's and women's sides with a big indoor bath, an outdoor rotenburo, a jacuzzi and a mist sauna, looking onto the Alps and the town lights at dusk. It's free and open 14:00–24:00 plus 05:00–10:00. The 20 m indoor pool on floor 3 runs year-round at 28°C, free for guests, open 15:00–22:00 with a lifeguard — kids can swim even in snow season. For dinner, Restaurant Hida in the building does a 9-course kaiseki with Hida-gyu A4 sukiyaki for $80 a head — sukiyaki in the pot, river-fish sashimi, tempura, nukazuke pickles, Hida rice, miso soup and a wagashi dessert. The marbling on the Hida-gyu is genuinely sweet, and it runs about a fifth of the price of the kaiseki at Honjin Hiranoya. Breakfast is a buffet at the Lobby Cafe, $50 a head, with American, Japanese and Chinese spreads.
Location and getting there
You're in the center of Takayama, 350 m from the station and a 4-minute walk from Hida Kokubunji temple, with Sanmachi Old Town an easy stroll or a 5-minute bike ride away. Sitting next to the Tourist Information Center makes day trips simple — grab the maps and Shirakawa-go bus details on the way out. There's also karaoke, free bicycle rental and free parking on site.
Things to know before booking
This is an older building awaiting renovation, and the unrenovated rooms genuinely feel their age, so insist on a "Recently Renovated" room on floor 8 or higher. Rates move a lot with the seasons, up about 60% in peak periods. And the pool and spa get busy with tour groups between 18:00 and 20:00, so time your soak around that.
Our take
Hida Hotel Plaza is the most fully equipped place right in the center — rooftop spa, indoor pool, 7 restaurants, karaoke and bikes, all in the mid-range. The 8.8/10 from 47 reviews backs that up. From around $150, it's a solid pick for families who want a pool and older travelers who want everything inside the building — just always ask for a "Recently Renovated" room on floor 8+, or you'll land in a 1970s one.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- The rooftop spa Hiten-no-yu sits on floor 12 with separate men's and women's sides — a big indoor bath, an outdoor rotenburo, a jacuzzi and a mist sauna, looking onto the Alps and the town lights at night. It's free for guests, open 14:00–24:00 and again 05:00–10:00.
- A 20 m indoor swimming pool on floor 3 runs year-round at 28°C, with a lifeguard on duty — so kids can swim even in snow season. It's open 15:00–22:00 and free for guests.
- Seven restaurants under one roof cover Japanese, Chinese, steak, sushi, kaiseki, izakaya and a lobby cafe, so you never have to walk out for dinner.
- You're right next to the Tourist Information Center, where you can grab free maps and bus details for Sanmachi and Shirakawa-go before heading out.
- There's also karaoke, free bicycle rental and free parking on site.
- It's an older building waiting on renovation. The unrenovated rooms on floors 4–6 feel very dated — worn carpet and 1970s curtains — so it's worth asking for a higher floor every time.
- Rates swing hard with the seasons, climbing about 60% in peak periods, which can push a mid-range stay well up.
- The pool and spa fill up with tour groups between 18:00 and 20:00, so go earlier or later if you want quieter water.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Takayama
Day tours, attraction tickets and experiences around Takayama — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
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Insider Tips
- Book a "Recently Renovated" room — the old rooms are still genuinely old.
- The pool is free and open 15:00–22:00 — a good soak after a day of sightseeing.
- Bicycle rental is free (with a $57 deposit) — it's a 5-minute ride to Sanmachi.
- For dinner, the kaiseki at Restaurant Hida is $80 a head for Hida-gyu A4 sukiyaki.