We stayed at Honjin Hiranoya Kachoan for a very special occasion, and I cannot overstate how exceptional the entire team was. From the earliest planning stages through the night of our stay, every member of the staff, especially Mr. Kawamura from the reservation office, was deeply involved, genuinely excited, and incredibly thoughtful in helping coordinate my marriage proposal. They kept everything a complete secret from my partner (it was a surprise proposal), worked discreetly behind the scenes, and paid close attention to even the smallest details so the moment felt natural, personal, and entirely “us.” What stood out most was how invested the staff were - this did not feel like a standard celebration package or a routine request. The team treated it as something truly special, tailoring the experience to us with warmth, care, and sincere enthusiasm. Their coordination, timing, and sensitivity were flawless, and they made the entire experience feel bespoke rather than scripted. Beyond the proposal itself, the ryokan is beautiful, the rooms are elegant and comfortable, and the kaiseki dinner was outstanding. Every interaction reflected genuine hospitality and pride in what they do. This is a place where people truly care. We will remember this stay, and the kindness of the staff, for the rest of our lives. I cannot recommend Honjin Hiranoya Kachoan highly enough.

A hidden gem! From the train station to check out is VIP treatment. I loved every minute and if I return to Takayama I'm booking again!

Excellent service and we enjoyed the different style of meals. It’s super close to walking to everything that we wanted to see and eat.

The staff went above and beyond our whole stay. The food was amazing

Very nice

This property is good. The hotel is old but the staff is family owned and they take great care of you. The facilities are acceptable for the town but the service and staff make up for it. I would recommend it just letting people know if not new. It is clean, well located and comfortable.

It’s a scam, pictures really differ from reality. They try to charge extra for things you didn’t order. It smelled terrible. DO NOT STAY AT ANY PRICE. I was charged more than a Four Seasons in Tokyo. The room smelled rotten eggs and at night it smelled the hotel kitchen in your room. I believe Ryokans is a tourist trap to avoid at all costs, specially this one. English is barely spoken so communication is really hard. The different parties that we were checking out at the same time were really glad that our stay there was coming to an end.

Great location and service!

Excellent

The attention to details in everything - service, food, cleanliness - was top notch. We had the most enjoyable ryokan experience! It exceeded our expectations

Wonderful traditional hotel with onsen. Appreciated the pick up from the train station. Close proximity to local shops

I recently spent 3 nights at the Honjin Hiranoya Kachoan and loved it. The staff were amazingly helpful and friendly. The whole experience from the room to the food and onsen gave me a really good insight in to Japanese culture. Property is very central, close to old town and restaurants. I tried both the Japanese and American breakfasts and liked both. I would recommend this property for people who want amazing service, a modern property close to everything and those that want to experience the Japanese culture.

The service we received from this hotel is of next level. We could not be more satisfied. The dinner and breakfast are so good, we even got our private room for 2 for both meals.

The dinner is a bit disappointed. The sashimi seems comes out from frozen food and no taste of fish at all. In general, the staff service is great. Maybe I will stay there next time but without meal at all.

Every detail of this experience was amazing. It is a one of a kind experience, from the location, room/amenities, service, and food. Loved our stay. Highly recommend.

Excellent Ryokan with first class service and superb dining (beautifully presented and delicious breakfast and kaiseki dinner if choosing the half board option). Room was immaculately clean and decorated in tasteful traditional style. A very enjoyable stay.

It was one of the best places we've ever stayed. The staff were so kind and helpful too!

Loved this ryokan. The food was exceptional. Staff was great. Very convenient location to walk around Takayama. The free shuttle to the station was nice.

Amazing experience, great hotel w great service

Best ryokan ever! The service was outstanding and the staff was very professional