As a Korean family living in the United States, we stayed here as a family of four with our two young children (40 months and 21 months old), and overall, we had a truly memorable experience.
We booked through Trip.com, and because there were no clearly stated child occupancy policies during booking, we reserved the room as 3 adults. This later created some confusion during check-in, which I will mention below, but aside from that, nearly everything about this hotel was exceptional.
First, the positives:
The breakfast was outstanding—worthy of its Michelin Guide 2025 recognition. Every meal was beautifully prepared, thoughtful, and delicious.
We chose a traditional Japanese-style room with tatami flooring, and for our family with young children, it was perfect. Being able to remove our shoes and comfortably live on the floor felt especially natural and relaxing as Asians, and parents with little children will understand how convenient and comfortable this setup is.
The location is also excellent—within walking distance from Gora Station, where the mountain railway arrives. Even with two small children, the walk was very manageable.
The onsen experience was wonderful, and the guest lounge available from morning until 10 PM was another highlight that made the stay feel luxurious and comfortable.
The dining area itself deserves special praise. Enjoying breakfast and dinner while overlooking the beautiful inner garden pond was peaceful and elegant, and the restaurant service team was abundant, attentive, warm, and professional. It truly felt like top-class hospitality.
Now, one disappointment:
During check-in, one female staff member wearing a headscarf made several comments that felt unnecessarily cold and transactional. Because we booked as 3 adults, she repeatedly explained that our children could be accommodated because of that booking choice—as if we were receiving an exception—despite there being no clearly stated child policy during reservation.
She also explained that only 3 adult yukata/lounge outfits had been prepared in the room because we booked for 3 adults, and said we could request children's clothing “if needed.” When I asked when we should request them, she simply repeated that we could ask when necessary. At that point, a more thoughtful hospitality approach would have been something simple like:
“I see you have two young children—would you like us to prepare children’s outfits now?”
That small difference would have reflected genuine care.
At check-out, I again observed behavior that felt uncomfortable. A trainee staff member was assisting us, and when the trainee forgot to request identification, the same staff member visibly frowned and corrected the trainee in front of us. It felt unnecessarily tense and unprofessional in front of guests.
What stood out was that every other staff member we encountered was warm, polite, smiling, and genuinely welcoming. They bowed, greeted us kindly, and made us feel respected. Only this one staff member felt noticeably different—cold enough that we were left wondering whether it was discomfort toward children, cultural bias, or simply a personal attitude issue.
I travel frequently internationally for business in a senior executive role, and this was the first time I experienced service that felt this distinctly uncomfortable from a luxury hospitality employee.
That said, I want to emphasize: everyone else at the hotel was wonderful, and the property itself is beautiful, peaceful, elegant, and family-friendly.
We would gladly return—but I hope the warmth shown by the rest of the team becomes the standard reflected consistently by every member of staff.
