宿坊 高山善光寺｜TEMPLE HOTEL TAKAYAMA ZENKO-JI

Had a really unfortunate experience at this hotel. Like a few others mentioned, I booked here aware of the high price, but thought it would be worth it for the experience of staying in a temple. The building has no heating whatsoever. Our room was equipped with a couple of kerosene space heaters---but the problem is, these heaters are not meant to be used indoors without lots of ventilation (and even then, only to be used sparingly). There are warning labels all over the machines saying as much. Not only are these machines not sufficient for overnight use, it's dangerous and irresponsible to provide them for guests to use in spaces they are not meant for. We were provided with heated blankets as well, but it wasn't enough when sleeping in below freezing temperatures. We didn't sleep at all that night, and the next day, we took a financial hit and left our reservation early to stay at a normal hotel for half the price, as we simply weren't prepared for the lack of heating (it wasn't advertised at all). And it's worth mentioning, our room looked nothing like the pictures. The pictures depict rooms looking over a nice garden, but our room had no windows (just frosted glass) and was located off the parking lot. The website clearly advertises "this is not a Ryokan," and I was fine with that (even despite them charging Ryokan prices). I wasn't expecting amenities---I was fine with the thin walls, shared facilities, and even shrugged off that they charge for coffee pods. But our room wasn't livable in those temperatures, and the provided kerosene heaters are unsafe and unusable. Even if the other rooms are better in this regard, if you book here you risk ending up in our room while paying the same price as everyone else. So I'd recommend staying somewhere else.

Stayed 2 nights in January and it was a wonderful experience staying in a Buddhist Temple. Our room was in traditional Japanese style, reasonable in size with 2 futons. The room did not have an ensuite with the toilet and shower being on the opposite side of the Temple to our room. An ensuite is our preferred option but not having a large number of guests made access to the facilities east. There is a hot tub which you book for private use. We participated in morning prayer and meditation, both of which are recommended. There is a charge for the meditation session. Being winter the nights and early mornings were cold with the cold coming up through the floor and into the futons which is why electric blankets are provided. The room also had 2 floor mounted heaters and an A/C unit.

We had the absolute best stay at the temple hotel. A truly unique and incredible experience. The staff found out we were on our honeymoon and printed us a card congratulating us and gifted us a bottle of sake. What an amazing way to welcome guests, I dare you to try to find that level of service at any other hotel worldwide! We can't wait to return to stay at the hotel again one day!

Staying at Zenkoji Temple Hotel is an interesting and unique experience. The hotel offers lots of activities at an additional (really reasonable) cost, like guided meditation and rice ball making. Guests have 24hr access to the temple. The shared spaces and facilities are modern, comfortable and clean. All the staff were very welcoming and helpful. The hotel is also a really short and easy walk from the old town. We stayed in the Moon Room which was spacious and lovely but would get very cold without keeping the heater on. But we were provided with heated futons so managed to stay comfortable. There is also quite a bit of noise from the road. The other thing to note about the Moon Room is that the only access to the room is through the temple. Expect to be woken at 7am every morning by the prayer service (if you aren’t participating). Overall we had a lovely stay.

By far the best hotel I’ve stayed at in Japan. The temple is very clean and luxurious! The nicest staff! They also offer a lot of different activities that are very unique and can’t get anywhere else! I truly recommend it if you are staying in the area. I almost want to extend my trip just to stay here longer!

This was the best place we’ve been staying in during our trip de Japan. To start, the staff was extremely nice and helpful. It felt like they were really glad to share their believes and theirs ways with us. Also the place itself is really beautiful, there is a lot of space, and the garden is amazing. Even if the weather was really cold when we came there were a lot of installations to warm us up. The bathroom is big and the products really good. We’ve had the Buddhist diner, which is huge and the best food I’ve had in Japan. We also went to the morning prayer and the meditation I am really grateful that I’ve been able to come there, and I hope to come back one day for a longer time

We loved staying at Temple Takayama. We were welcomed by a very lovely Monk who was kind enough to let us check in early. The room was absolutely gorgeous, beyond expectations, so much thoughtful detail and everyone was so warm, helpful and caring. The morning prayers and meditation was beautiful and touching. Just what we needed after hectic Tokyo and Kyoto❤️🙏🏽

This is not a typical luxury hotel, it’s an active Buddhist temple and the vibe of the hotel reflects that. It is a unique experience that should be approached with an open mind, and a willingness to be a bit spiritual. Morning prayers and meditation are offered and set the tone. Regardless of your religion, or if you are religious at all, the experience is rewarding and unique. ||The staff are all very helpful. ||More practically speaking, our room was very large, immaculately clean, had all of the right touches and reflected amazing wood craftsmanship.