Auberge Hidanomori

The cottage is in a quiet area surrounded by nature. It was relaxing and comforting. The living area with the fire place and seating space was really nice and again very relaxing. We stayed with our family and the hosts were so kind, helpful and thoughtful. And for one of owners being a great chef made it even more special. We enjoyed a great Italian course meal both nights and the wines where also great! Altogether it was a great stay and holiday, we felt recharged and pampered. Thank you for making our stay so nice!

Nothing

The staff was absolutely wonderful. It is a bit far from the center of town, so they pick you up at the station. They will drive you into town or to the Hida Folk Village. When you finish at the folk village, the bus stop is across the street so you can get into town, and at the end of the day the hotel will pick you up in town. The rooms are very nice. Everything is fairly new and nicely decorated. When I told a member of the staff that I liked the paintings, she showed me a book of works by the same artist. The food is excellent and served in a nice dining room with a fireplace. The chef studied and worked in Italy, and I believe he and his wife were chefs in Australia. (I hope I got that right.) So don't expect a traditional ryokan-style meal. You will get something very nice though. They tend to eat dinner earlier in Japan, so check what time you need to be back. The owner's English is excellent. There are at least two hot tubs (onsen) to soak in. You can have a private soak. They will graciously prepare vegetarian or gluten-free meals. That's something special in Japan. Stay here. You will remember the friendly staff.

There was nothing that I thought needed improvement.

The whole experience. The shuttle bus, the fire place, the location, the cleanliness and the hospitality was amazing.