Wat Hotel & Spa Hida Takayama

Rooms and decor

Wat Hotel & Spa Hida Takayama is a modern 7-floor hotel in the middle of town, about an 8-minute walk from JR Takayama Station, with gray-and-white walls and a minimalist lobby done in wood, zen stone and fresh flowers. Guests tend to book the Twin Standard, a 22 sqm room from about $157 a night — smaller than a resort room but well laid out, with high twin beds, a work desk, a 50-inch TV and a minibar (free water and tea). The bath and toilet sit in separate spaces, the newer Japanese-hotel layout, and the bath comes with hinoki cypress oil, Aesop soap and a Toto Washlet, plus a yukata, slippers and towels. Wi-Fi is fast in both the room and the lobby, and everything feels new and clean, with no cigarette smell.

Food and amenities

After check-in, head up to the onsen on floor 6 — men's and women's baths that swap morning and evening, with an indoor bath and a small but well-kept outdoor rotenburo. It's fed by genuine Hida Takayama mineral water at 41C, and 20 minutes in it takes the ache out of a day of walking. You can also rent a private onsen for about $23 per 45 minutes for couples or anyone shy — two cute hinoki-tub rooms. Then it's back to the floor-1 lounge for a few glasses of Sapporo beer and local Funasaka Hida sake; it draws a lot of international guests and the mood is easygoing. Breakfast runs 6:30 to 9:30 — Japanese and American buffet with fresh Hida miso soup.

Location and getting there

Wat Hotel's position makes the Old Town the easiest reach of the group. The morning after, a 5-minute walk gets you to Sanmachi Suji — three Edo-era streets of black 17th-century wood buildings, past 6 sake breweries where you can taste sake for free and pick up a sarubobo (the red monkey doll) for around $7 to $20. Another 5 minutes on foot brings you to Takayama Jinya, the only surviving Edo-era government building in Japan, $3 to enter and open 8:45 to 17:00 — you'll see the old courtroom and the Edo-style tax-rice storehouses.

Things to know before booking

This is a modern hotel, not a ryokan, so set expectations accordingly. Rooms start at 22 sqm, smaller than the resorts, and the Twin Standard is tight for two with luggage. There's no kaiseki dinner, so plan to eat in town. And the public onsen isn't large — it gets busy from 18:00 to 20:00 as guests soak before dinner, so go earlier or later if you want it quiet.

Our take

Wat Hotel & Spa Hida Takayama is a genuine hybrid — modern hotel meets traditional onsen. You get a central spot 5 minutes from Sanmachi, a real Hida mineral-water onsen, free welcome drinks for 24 hours (beer, sake, ice pops) and a buffet breakfast, and the 8.9/10 score from 200+ reviews backs it up. From about $137 a night, it's the best value of the top picks — ideal for working-age couples, groups of friends and anyone who wants an onsen and a central base on a tighter budget.