On our first stop of winter holidaying in Japan, we stayed at Hotel Wood. Nestled in the foot of Shiroyama Park, the hotel was within minutes to Takayama old town. After a day of sightseeing, we could also relax in one of their hot pools, making it a great destination for a getaway to central Japan.
Dive in to find out what makes Hotel Wood the ideal accommodation for a getaway in Takayama.
Room Number: S203
Room: Twin Room
Bathroom: Compact / Separate shower and toilet / Toilet with bidet / Toiletries – shampoo, conditioner and body gel / Sink and vanity counter in the room with plenty of space for personal effects.
Room Amenities: Hair dryer / in-room safe / bar fridge / pantry / bedroom slippers / Power socket (2 by bedside, 2 by vanity counter) / In-room heater
Hotel Amenities: Public bath / restaurant / hotel car.
Safety: Card access to the guest room, but not to lifts.
Staff: Friendly / English proficiency / Presence – 100%
Neighbourhood: City fringe, near Shiroyama Park, Miyagawa Morning Markets
Getting around: 5 minutes walk to old town, 5 minutes ride to Takayama JR Station.
Check-in to Hotel Wood
Set in the streets of Takayama, the hotel facade blended in beautifully with the neighborhood. The corridor from the entrance to the reception was also reminiscent of a spa. We were greeted warmly by the staff, who processed our check in speedily. We had made our booking online, with payment to be made in person. Thankfully, the modern hotel also accepted card payment. There were also lifts serving the upper floors, making it convenient for us to drop our luggage after check-in.
Bedroom – Ryokan Style with Convenience
One key feature of Hotel Wood was its ryokan fusion. Yes, we could experience sleeping in a ryokan, minus the awkward floor bedding. The thick mattresses were placed on a platform, which made getting out of bed easier than the traditional futon. The super single sized mattresses were sturdy, and the blanket kept us warm throughout the night.
There was an air-conditioning / heater that could be controlled by ourselves. Somehow, it required consistent switching between heating and cooling modes. Despite having set the temperature at 21C, the in room temperature kept swinging between stuffy hot and cold.
There was mood controlled lighting, which was located at the window. However, the brightest lighting mode was still dim, which made packing of luggage quite tedious. As there was no view so to speak, the sole armchair and coffee table was set in the middle of the room.
There was also no TV, which made for quiet rest times. The rooms were also well insulated, from the winter weather and the noise from the corridor.
Bathroom
Unlike hotels in Tokyo, the bathroom in Hotel Wood wasn’t made up of a “standardised set of sink+bathtub+shower”. Instead, the bathroom was made up of a shower cubicle and toilet, both housed separately, with the vanity / sink out in the bedroom.
The toilet came with a bidet and warmed seat, which was a delight in winter. For the attached shower, there was rain shower and shampoo, hair conditioner, and shower gel provided.
The vanity counter was huge and doubled up as space for placing personal stuff. There was also another narrow shelving, below which we could place our luggage (closed) and shopping spoils.
Bathroom amenities like dental kits, bath and hand towels, shavers and combs were found in a basket that one could also bring to the public bath for convenience.
Facilities – Public Bath
Hotel Wood provides a public (gender segregated) bath located on the ground floor. It contained one small pool with 4 shower areas. The attached makeup area was modest, and came with standard amenities like hair dryer, sink, water dispenser and ice cream.
Weirdly enough, the hotel didn’t provide yukata for every room. Instead, one could retrieve the yukata that was placed at the sento’s entrance when needed.
The public bath was open from 3pm – 12am and 6am – 9am. However, it seemed like the crowd grew at around 7pm and tapered off after 9pm.
There were also zen rooms, which were supposed to be for meditation.
Facilities – F&B
The lounge at the ground level doubled up as the breakfast area. It was decked out in the same design language, with simple horizontal lines marked by the long tables and benches. The windows were of traditional Japanese design. But I supposed those were replicas, since the actual design would be insufficient to ward off the wintry cold!
Every 5 – 11pm, free flow drinks, including sake and wines, are provided at the lounge. As the lounge wasn’t actually a restaurant, they were also OK with us bringing outside food in to dine there.This made it great for keeping our bedrooms clean!
There were also some simple games found in a corner of the lounge, which was also great for us when we were waiting for our transport after checking out.
Hotel Wood – Security
Situated in the corner of the old town, the hotel is located in a rather quiet neighbourhood. There wasn’t security access to the hotel or the bedrooms. Each guest was provided with a conventional key that could be handed to the reception for safeguarding.
Staff and Service
Staff was friendly and could converse in English. They helped us book taxis to go around town and also arranged to use their hotel vehicle to send us to the train station. As my mother had difficulties walking long distances, they also used the hotel car to help send her to one of the restaurants.
We also realised that the ryokan style bed wasn’t suitable for my mum after the first night. The staff arranged for her to change to one that had conventional beds despite our last might request!
Location of Hotel Wood
Since the hotel is at a corner of the old town, it was not as crowded at all times of the day. But that also meant we had to do some walking to attractions like the Miyagawa Morning Market. The train and bus station was also around 1 km away, which was not OK for walking to and from with luggage.
That being said, Takayama is a walking town, so the stroll to and from the old town was part of the experience! Hotel Wood was also near Shiroyama Park, which was great for nature lovers!
Fusion Breakfast
As we had had a long day prior to arriving at Hotel Wood, we tried their inhouse breakfast on our first morning. This meant we could sleep in and recuperate. At 1,500 yen (USD 11), the Japanese breakfast set came with free flow drinks like coffee/tea, milk and juices.
The Japanese breakfast set was made up of a main, containing a myriad of small bites like sauteed mushrooms and grilled salmon. It was paired with rice and a bowl of miso soup. The small bites were served cold, which was typical for Japanese meals. I thought the breakfast was value for money, especially for a ryokan. However, for those who don’t really fancy Japanese style breakfasts (especially cold food in the morning), there are still plenty of options around Takayama.
Parting Words
Hotel Wood, at the fringe of Takayama’s old town, provided convenience with a touch of luxury. The spacious room excluded zen charm and made for wonderful rest at night. The hotel also contained public baths for those who wanted to relax after a day out. We also enjoyed its Japanese fusion breakfast in the morning when we wanted to sleep in.
Since it was just outside the old town, we could easily stroll down the quaint streets for shopping and catch some quick bites. Shiroyama Park, which was just around Hotel Wood, offers a great hiking experience at different times of the year.
Hotel Wood is considered a mid-range hotel. However, the family friendly hotel definitely offers a warm and welcoming experience.
Lastly, if you are mesmerised by the charms of Japanese central mountains, check out my travelogues to Ginzan Onsen – the famed fairytale like ex-mining town in the mountains – and Aomori / Hirosaki, which was part of my winter trip to northeast Japan, where I ventured to the northernmost point of Japan – Cape Soya while exploring Sapporo, Hokkaido.
Till then, stay wanderlust!
All photos and videos were taken using Google Pixel 4a, and edited with Google Photos.