Family hotels and homes in Ena

Our stay in Iwamura was absolutely incredible! The house was beautiful, Yuki and Anne so hospitable and kind, and the town a true gem.

When I booked the room, I thought it was located in the city of Gifu, since that’s what my search was for. I had previously taken a workshop in Seki, which is about half an hour from Gifu, so it seemed like a convenient option. It wasn’t until I arrived by train in Gifu and encountered a very confused taxi driver that I discovered the hotel was actually in Gifu Prefecture, near the town of Ena—almost 2.5 hours away. It was late, I was traveling alone, and the situation was stressful. Despite the language barrier, the hotel proprietress was incredibly kind and helpful. She explained that I needed to take a couple more trains to Ena, where I should be able to find a taxi for the final 30-minute ride to the hotel. I was anxious—Ena is quite remote, and I wasn’t sure what I’d do if there wasn’t a taxi available. Thankfully, there was, though the driver wasn’t familiar with the area, so I had to help navigate in the dark. The proprietress had kindly held dinner for me, even though I didn’t arrive until 7:45 PM. It was a traditional meal, where you grill small bites of chicken, beef, venison, fish, and vegetables over coals at your table. The onsen was open 24 hours, and I was grateful to unwind with a long soak after dinner. I hadn’t realized just how much was included in the booking: dinner, breakfast, access to the onsen, and even a yukata to take home—each a welcome surprise. Breakfast the next morning was a beautiful, traditional spread of pickled vegetables, poached tofu, grilled fish, rice, egg, and salad. Just steps from the inn is a trail leading to nearby castle ruins. I hiked up early in the morning before breakfast and found it peaceful and nearly empty, with only a few other hikers enjoying the serenity. The historic town is also conveniently close, and I was able to store my luggage at the hotel while exploring its charming shops and fine crafts.

Beautiful room with lovely view. Great spa. Excellent food.

Nice owners, good Wi-Fi, nice decoration, very friendly

we loved this place, old building in beautiful old part of town, solo occupancy, living room with outlook over koi pond, good supermarket a few blocks away, great restaurant across the road.

It’s very quiet and peaceful area.

We had trouble opening the lock but eventually got it ooen

A thoroughly lovely place, well off the beaten track. Excellent hot springs facilities. Excellent food. Wonderful place to pause and relax amid busy travels.

It was so cool to stay in a real school. Great location too.

I explored the area, and it was very beautiful. The hotsprings were super relaxed. Breakfast/dinner was also delicious. And of course, very friendly staff. I asked if tattoos were okay for the hotspings, and they said it was okay. Although there was a sign saying no tattoos (as well on website), they seemed to be really nice about it & allowed it. Bonus points for that.