I confess that I was looking for the cheapest hotel near the Takayama train station. But as the Kuretakeso supposedly has thermal baths, I let that fact sway me. So, the Kuretakeso wasn't the cheapest, but it was still cheap, for Takayama prices anyway.
And I suppose now I know why.
The Good: The bed! It was really big and that mattress was heaven! The pillow too was very comfy.
The Not So Good: The room is supposed to have "blackout curtains / blinds". They are blinds and not blackout, but still sufficiently dark.
The "What the heck!": The room size was average for a business hotel of this kind, but the layout was just awkward. The electric kettle and cups were next to de entrance door, almost all the electric sockets are near the bed, in the other end of the room. The desk has no mirror, but there is a full length mirror just in front the bathroom door, so you can say hello to yourself while in the toilet if you left the door open.
The Bad:The check-in was really awkward, with 3 front desk persons that speak bad English trying to tell me what to do all at the same time. They made a mistake with what I had to pay, so later I had to go down to the reception to pay the difference. But the worst was that due to COVID the thermal baths WERE CLOSED! And I found out only until I got there AND paid for my stay. They gave me bath bombs to make my own SPA!
The Really BAD: The bathroom curtain! It was pink with shower mould from sink height to its lower end.
I won't be coming back.
