RIVER RETREAT GARAKU Reviews

Very good stay

Very, very good, so good that it feels like a high-end membership hotel that would be so meticulously crafted and spare no expense. The two hotels I like most for my cherry blossom trip in Japan in 2025 are Taotaoan and this one. I am traveling alone. The hotel is located in the countryside 40 minutes away from Toyama. There is no pick-up service from Toyama Station, but there is a pick-up service from the station near the hotel. This station does not have a taxi and it takes 20 minutes to walk. Be sure to make an appointment for the pick-up. There is a bus to Kasuga Onsen at 1 pm on Saturday. It takes nearly 50 minutes to get to Kasuga Station. You can see the hotel sign and walk for 4 minutes to arrive. There will be staff at the door who will greet you immediately. Check in at 2 pm. The staff who checked in were serious and responsible, and the introduction was accurate and fast. Then I was welcomed into another lobby to enjoy welcome drinks and desserts. The staff reminded me again that there was 3,000 yen to spend. My room faced the beautiful river during the cherry blossom season, and the whole hotel was beautiful. The experience will be much worse if the room is not near the river. Please note that you must book a room near the river. Each room will be slightly different in design. I didn't find a shabby or dirty place when I stayed there. Some comments say that the facilities are old because there are too many light switches in the room and they can't be turned off with one button. The air conditioner is a little loud. I turned on the air conditioner when I went out and turned it off when I returned to the room. The light switches are okay. The hotel is very well maintained. The carpets and sofas in the public space are very clean. Meals must be included. There is no business nearby. Now the default dinner is Western and breakfast is Japanese. The Western restaurant is a Michelin restaurant: very attentive and delicious. A 3,000 yuan gift voucher can be used to order a glass of champagne, and a dessert in the afternoon. The breakfast is a little simple. Both halls of the hotel provide free coffee and tea. One hall also provides homemade desserts from the hotel, which are very delicious. After soaking in the hot springs, there is free milk, which is very delicious. There are two hot springs, one Japanese and one Western. The Western one cooperates with Rafa. Both hot springs are very good. It is best not to open the balcony door in the countryside. Mosquitoes will come in. When introducing the hotel's artwork, a big four-legged snake appeared. Although it is harmless, it is quite scary. There are artworks inside and outside. There are two tea rooms on the third floor for free. Check out at 11:00, listen to music in the lobby. The shuttle bus takes you to Toyama Station at 11:30. I enjoy the beautiful music every moment here, including on the shuttle bus. I think the hotel's service is impeccable. When checking out, I was given a gift certificate for another stay. I will book again.

It's so great. The room is super big, the view is like a painting, the outdoor hot spring is really a beautiful view for health preservation, the French food is so-so, but the Japanese food is good

As one of the top ten "art hotels" in Japan, the entire resort stands quietly in the quiet mountains and waters of Jinzu Gorge in Toyama Prefecture, which is refreshing and especially suitable for relaxation. @Resort🈶23 guest rooms of different styles,🈶two unique "Japanese & Western SPA" hot springs♨️,🈶More than 300 works of art are carefully arranged in every corner inside and outside the hotel, which are worth slowly appreciating,🈶Library related to art,🈶Melodious background music,🈶Recreation area decorated with practical artworks,🈶Intimate and meticulous service...Low-key luxury, experience super value. @One night and two meals dinner is French cuisine. The ingredients are selected according to the concept of "eating in season", and all are selected from Toyama. After slowly enjoying it for 2.5 hours, the taste buds are fully satisfied; breakfast is Japanese style, tasting mountain specialties, refreshing and delicious. @The art trail along the river, there are many artworks that reflect nature, covered by heavy snow, so you can only appreciate one or two, leaving a little regret. @On a snowy day, the hotel added a free pick-up service between Toyama Station and the hotel, which was very heartwarming. #High cost-effectiveness

The hotel's French restaurant has one Michelin star, which is great. It takes about 20 minutes by taxi to Toyama Airport.

It's a very artistic hotel. I stayed there specifically for one night, but my experience was average. First of all, it was because the hotel did not receive a notification from the platform that we wanted to eat French food in the hotel, so we had to travel a long way to go but couldn't eat in their French restaurant. Of course, they were very nice and offered us a piece of pasta, so we had no choice but to agree. It turned out that the assistant might have made it, with a very average taste, and they also charged us for it! Then the hotel promotes its various artworks and gardens, but in fact there are no artworks in the gardens. The artworks are all in the parking lot, which feels a bit strange. The hotel is expensive and not cost-effective.

Design hot spring hotel, generally good. Facilities are a bit old.

A very good designer resort hotel. It is only about 20 kilometers away from the airport. You can ask the hotel to hire a taxi to go directly to the hotel. Moreover, the French and Japanese food in the hotel are excellent. The waiters also provide butler service and give discounts to repeat customers. Will come back.

처음 호텔 로비에 들어섰을때, 눈 앞에 펼쳐진 강 뷰와 음악 멜로디에 감탄이 저절로 나오는 호텔이었어요. 저희가 머문 방도 강 전체가 펼쳐 보이며 아름다웠고 아침 식사도 과하지 않고 맛있어서 도야마에 오면 머울러야 겠다는 생각을 했습니다. 하지만 아침 시간에 돌아다니는 돈벌레를 보고 소리를 지르고 말았습니다. 벌레가 워낙 징그러워서 놀라지 않을 수 없었습니다. 자세히 보니 화장실에도 한 마리가 죽어 있어 사진 찍어 로비 직원에게 말했더니 별로 놀라지도 않고 웃기만 하더군요. 그 벌레가 기어다니는 생각을 하면 그곳에 다시 갈 마음이 안 생기네요.

法餐不錯，酒店藝術氛圍很濃，下雪天泡湯特別好！

特別小眾的地方，景色也很美。適合情侶約會。餐一定要提前訂

住了三次了 很喜歡

An unusual and delightful property. The owner uses the hotel as a repository for a vast collection of contemporary art, and it’s super fun to explore the sculptures and paintings throughout. The lobby boasts an amazing high quality stereo system with actual vinyl albums that the staff will put on, and the sound is exceptional (pro tip, sit in the middle of the room to optimize the acoustics). Some of the staff speaks English better than others. A related point is that much of the hotel is only labeled in Japanese – making it challenging to operate light switches, find the ladies’ entrance to the spa, etc. The hotel has an onsen. The hotel has a large repository of kimonos (“yukatas”) and the staff will come to your room and tie the obi into a magnificent bow in the back if asked. Despite some logistical challenges figuring out the hotel, it is a special property and I'm giving it 5 stars because of the art, music and unique vibe.

The architecture and atmosphere is like a five-star hotel in USA. The rooms are so spacious the bathroom so amazing the view is phenomenal. Everything about this hotel is wonderful. Surrounded by beautiful artwork. You will truly enjoy your stay here.