Places I Want to Stay At: Japan-tastic Hotels!

Last #Blogtober we talked about hotels and places to stay, I told you about some COOL places (and creepy-ish) places I've stayed at before. This time, it seems fitting to start a travel blog with places I've been eyeing to stay at... and haven't. Or couldn't.

ALSO KNOWN AS - “Hotels I wish I could stay at if money grew on trees”.

Or um… “Sponsor me because I am passionate about hotels”!

Seriously though, some of these places are so awfully expensive... BUT SO F-ING COOL. There are days were I scroll through and really contemplate if I should throw my life savings into having some fun for one night.

Nipponia Hotel

Koyasan

I think I have mentioned Nipponia before on my Takeda Castle blog, where I stayed at a revamped Sake Brewery. I mentioned that Nipponia is famous for overhauling these older traditional buildings to make them into stay-able for guests.

A few famous youtubers have done vlogs on their properties. Especially the one up in Sasayama in Hyogo I think. Beautiful properties.

Sticking to what they do best, did you know that they have a revamped property in Koyasan as well? Yep. And guess what, it’s not a temple! It’s a train station.

Yes, a train station. Part of it anyway. It’s still a completely functioning station and there are two rooms available to rent out, which means you probably won’t be getting the station to yourself the whole night during peak travel times.

Staying here means you will be somewhere along the base of Koyasan. I reckon this would be great if you’re a train nerd! They’ve repurposed things inside of old train cars to be decor and useable furnishings in the room. If you’re planning to hike any length of Koyasan, I also think this property may be a great place for you the night before you start your hike.

The downside is your food situation, and lack of luxuries nearby. Located in the countryside at a pretty infrequently used station, there’s not much around the station for you. You could of course just take the train during daybreak up Koya or back down towards Hashimoto, but if you are arriving later at night, you may want to grab some food to-go before journeying into the property.

This also means that you will be relying on rather basic luxuries/amenities for the night.

Prices start at ¥20,000 (about $200 CDN) a night, which is probably the most affordable of the bunch on this list…

Nipponia also recently(?) has a Castle Stay experience in Ozu (Ehime Prefecture). Meaning you can actually stay inside a castle keep. I’m not sure if it’s opened year round, but even if it is, you better got ¥1,000,000 (about $10,000 CDN) of extra cash laying around to stay for a night.

Speaking of Castle Stays…

Hirado Castle

Nagasaki Prefecture

Now friends, if you don’t have $10,000 conveniently laying around, but you have about $8000 (!!!) and you’re conveniently in Nagasaki - this place is for you!

This place is completely overhauled it seems. The interior is completely modern while the exterior keeps as close to its original form dating back to 1599.

I’m not sure what to think of this. I recently just found out about this, and it seems it’s still quite a new thing. But I can tell you that I love castles and I would love to stay in one just to say I was castle lord for one night. One day, maybe… one day.

Hoshinoya

Hoshino Resorts

If we have to compare, the Hoshinoya chain is like the Gucci and Kate Spade of the hotel world here in Japan. The Intercontinental and Four Seasons of Japan. So if you haven’t guessed already, the reason I haven’t stayed here is because it’s way too expensive for my poor ALT ass.

Over the years, Hoshinoya has started more affordable counterparts (under Hoshino Hotels, I think) to stay competitive though. But they’re nowhere as nice. I mean, look at these…

To be honest though, when I was in Taketomi (Okinawa) a few years ago though, I felt a bit MEH about this chain because the locals were very against the building on the resort but they still insisted on building it on their island. Plus the road leading into the resort looked like it was just very very very sad…

The Tokyo location looks mighty 'meh' as well for seasoned travellers. It seems to mostly cater to families who want their first cultural experience to be in a convenience of city. So yeah, I can see why that's strategic from a business standpoint.

My 'meh' feelings aside, their accommodations and services seem top notch. At the Kyoto Arashiyama location, they are tucked away in the mountains accessible via boat. I want to be ferried to my hotel by my own butler, thank you very much!

Lamp no Yado

This place has been list for ages. It’s located in Ishikawa right at the edge of the Noto Peninsula. It’s completely out of the ways of a train, and you would definitely need a car to get out here. Prices aside, this is one of the biggest deterrent for me.

But if you look at photos, the views looking onto the Sea of Japan are one of a kind!

There are a lot of ryokans that are actually called 'Lamp no Yado'. There used to (still is?) be one in Aomori with the same name, and is the sole reason I found this one in Noto. That one up in Aomori is pretty damn noteworthy. Their ryokan supposedly didn't have any electricity for guests, so you really get to disconnect for a night or so.

I didn't include that in the list because I'm not sure if it still exists... and I don't know. Not sure if I could survive without electricity for a night lol.

Nanatsuboshi / Seven Stars

Kyushu

If you know me, you know this was going to come up on the list. This "hotel" is so exclusive, the first thing that shows up on its website is that you need to apply to get on the train... and the application is NOT A GUARANTEE.

Again, this accommodation is not for us peasants (but one can dream, right?). If your application gets accepted, you are expected to pay up to upwards of ¥630,000 (about $6000 CDN) for a 4-day itinerary. Not so bad, compared to some of the ones above, but...

Did I mention that it's 4 days... on a train?

There are apparently stops that they make in major cities for excursions and stuff, but you're essentially spending your vacation and free time on the train. I suppose the good thing is that you never really have to think about meals, as they are all provided? But you better not be a picky eater because this isn't like a cruise. They're all course meals that uses the local ingredients of whatever route it is running.

I can tell some of you already think being trapped on a train for 4 days is a nightmare. I mean... there is a 2-day itinerary? :p

Personally, I think it's a good way to see Japan if you don't necessarily want to plan anything. If time is not an issue at all, it's also a good way to just wind down and let the people around you do the work for you. As a train nerd, I'm just totally in it for the interior. It looks absolutely breath-taking:

Ugh. I love love loooove the esthetics of the train. Absolutely stunning!

What do you guys think? Would you guys stay at these places (if money was no issue)? Which ones? Let me know in the comments, or on my social media handles!