Temple Hotel Takayama Zenkoji

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.

Cold at night as it is a "medieval" building, bit you will love the cozyness of the heating futon. If you are into it , morning prayer and meditation session is nice.

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.