Popular Nikko 4-star Hotels

Overall, good location, gorgeous drive in & out. Spacious and decent room (was in 708) on the top floor, with river and mountain views, would be stunning during autumn. I wanted to like this place, but there’s room for improvement: ~wifi was so pathetic that my cell phone loaded faster using roaming. ~Bathroom is ancient (I could have been in the Toto museum). Hotel door and safety deposit boxes require actual keys. ~mediocre dinner, carb heavy and cheap ingredients. You can cook good food with simple ingredients but it wasn’t the case here. For example, my beef appetizer was overcooked, the fried dishes were really oily. I wasn’t able to “upgrade” my meal as ended booking my room only the night before (had fo cancel my original hotel due to winter storm issues near Niigata). ~ this place was overpriced. I paid only 10% more for a ryokan 2 hour drive away that had much better food and room (ie wooden bathtubs with real hot spring H2O vs plastic bathtub) and 3 private onsens that you can book to have a private soak. ~Room literally came with one tea bag only, no toothbrush available in room. I know Kai is not Hoshinoya, but, it would take very little to enhance the overall experience. This was my first Kai and I still hope to try the other ones, just hope this Kai was an exception to the rest.

The hotel is more like a museum :). You can admire every room and every thing :) You will see a table lamp at the reception, which has been standing there since 1907, in the lobby you will see photographs of people who stayed at this hotel - Indira Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Robert Koch, Edward Prince of Wales and many other. The restaurant has very beautiful dishes. And the table for dinner was set using 11 cutlery :) The staff is very attentive and polite. I would especially like to thank Sabita for her help. The room itself is fairly basic (but not modern) the beds are very comfortable and the bathroom has everything you need for a short stay. Rooms are not cleaned daily and towels are not changed unless specifically requested. The location of the hotel is very convenient, a three-minute walk from Nikko Park - UNESCO heritage. Currently, one wing of the hotel is being renovated.

Having only just arrived a few days earlier in Japan - this was our first experience of a ryokan . We didn’t know what to expect but it turned out to be a fantastic experience. From choosing our own Kimono to wear around the hotel to our beautiful spacious room with wonderful views of the autumn trees behind, every detail had been thought about. The onsen was wonderful with a pool. Inside and outside. We had a private dining room where we were served the most incredible meals in beautiful Japanese ceramics of all kinds of shapes and sizes. We were attended to by the Chun, a young Vietnamese girl who was just charming, she couldn’t do enough for us and tried so hard with her English - she really made our stay.. this ryokan is also right opposite the shrines , so its a great location and right on the bus route for getting further into the hills. We really recommend this place.

コロナ禍、本当に久々の外出ということもあり、少し高めでもと露天風呂付きのお部屋を予約しました。 露天風呂→こちらの温泉が皆さん良いということでしたのでお部屋の露天風呂にも当然温泉と思いましたが普通の水道水でした。残念…。勿論、網戸などない場所なのでバスタブは虫だらけでした。 ベッド→という名で掲載されていますが、お部屋の角が少し高くなっているところにせんべい布団が引いてあるだけです。硬すぎて身体が痛くて良く眠れませんでした。 寝具？シーツ？もお洗濯の生乾き臭で残念です。 コロナ禍で仕方ないとは思いますが、連泊してもタオルの交換があるくらいで、ベッドメイキングのし直しはなかったです。 お部屋はすごく寒かったです。 料理→季節や地元のものを期待していたのに、カニとエビばかり。カニは冷凍してあったものと想像します、ですので、変な硬さがあり身もほぐせず半分も食べずに諦めました。アレルギーの確認がないので、甲殻類アレルギーの方はお料理絶対確認したほうが良いと思います…。 食品テーブル調理用の燃料が小さくて、しゃぶしゃぶ、豚肉が出てきたのですが途中で火が消えて諦めました。あと5分くらい調理出来るサイズだとよいのでは？ 朝食は和風です。コロナ禍ということもあり、バイキングは難しいと思いますがせめて和朝食か洋朝食くらいは選べると良いのにと思います。 そして、フロントの男性スタッフがフロントらしくない所作と思いました。わたしたちの名前を予約リストから見つけられず、本当にうちで予約していますか？と聞かれました。女性は丁寧でした。 いうことで、コロナ禍なのでサービスが制限されるのは仕方ないと思いますが値段とサービス内容が合っていないと思いました。

This hotel is very close to Kinugawa Station! The room was very spacious, clean and comfortable! There is a mountain across the river outside the balcony window. It is very comfortable to hear the sound of the mountain spring flowing from time to time. Fortunately, there is an eagle neighbor. Every day you can see him flying low in the river to look for food and standing on the tower pillar to gaze! Both dinner and breakfast are Japanese-style meals with great care. The dinner chef will write a poem-like introduction to the dishes. When we went to have dinner, the service staff came into the room to make the bed. It was so clean and comfortable! There are two types of large hot springs, indoor and outdoor. The bathing area is also large and comfortable, so the bathroom in the room cannot be used. The most unforgettable thing about this hotel is the ”starry sky”! After taking a bath, we returned to the room and could see many stars on the balcony, so we turned off all the lights in the room, and the stars were indeed ”all over the sky”! Sit on a recliner and listen to the spring + stargazing + drink hot tea... it's a rare enjoyment in the world to calm down your mind!

I used a junior suite for two rooms and connecting. When I wrote from a bad place, the air was so bad that the operating rate of this room was bad. There are not enough cleaning, and there are many spider nests on the door to the balcony, and I feel bad. There was something where the outside wall of the building was rotten, and the furniture such as furniture was left without a handle and wounded, and I felt that the manpower of cleaning and furnishing was not sufficient. It is a lake view of all rooms, but it is a pity that the trees are thick and the lake of Chuzenji cannot be seen from any room. The hot spring was far from the room, but it was quite good quality and was able to enjoy. The meal was close to classic French, and the tableware and the arrangement were simple compared with the recent French, but the ingredients and seasoning were good, and the amount of one dish was large, so it was satisfied. It was made of dessert, but it is used in full room, so I think it is not possible. This time, I felt that the room rate was high and inferior to Cospa, but when the service of the service was breathless, I was relieved to stay at such a hotel. The guest was almost old and thought it was good to keep the whole facility quiet.

The staff service is very warm. When you change the hotel, you can send your luggage. The hotel is very quiet in the mountains. It is suitable for staying here for a few days to feel the atmosphere of Japan quietly. There is an open-air hot spring in the house. Don't be too comfortable. Going for a walk below, the winter wind is a bit blown, and the hotel is especially rich in breakfast and dinner, very delicious.

The best hotel in Kinugawa, all aspects are very good, highly recommended! Kaiseki cuisine is served every morning and evening, and the menu is different every day. Pure-style room, living in the upper level feels very good, the big bath is also very comfortable, can look across the mountains, come back next time

* 5 star service from Hitomi and make sure to upgrade to all you can eat dinner/breakfast dining option. Booked this hotel for a stay in Mid November and after getting off of train we caught the bus here a little after sundown. The autumn leaves are really outstanding-almost every picture is a gorgeous post card. Bus driver asked where we are headed to and told him ”Kinugawa Onsen Hotel” . Took around 10 min to arrive and we were dropped off in front of hotel parking lot. Waited in a short line to check in and front desk service referred us to ”HITOMI” her name on tag in hiragana characters. She whipped up 2 page map with room information, pertaining elevator diagram and hotel keys. Make sure to pay careful instructions about onsen and buffet times- free soft serve ice cream and snacks until 6pm in lobby/ free drinks, coffee, tea until 10pm. FYI- best soft serve in Japan Hokkaido milk...yummy!!! 5 golden stars to HITOMI- top notch and friendly service. She urged us to be aware of emergency exits on our floor. While you are dining they will bring out futons so when you return- soft futons are waiting for you! The room is a traditional tatami mat with table and cushions. It is welcoming with snacks, complementary bottled water and a hot tea station. Room safe in closet also included were yukata robes for him and her. Ugh, wonderful amenities, tooth brush, a few toiletries -worry free stay. After visiting the onsen - kind of stressful for a foreigner like me. Not used to being naked with other ladies but in reality I was invisible- no shame at all. We headed down to the all you can eat dinner. We had 90 min-more than enough time to eat from 7:30 to 9pm. The spread was adequate with dishes from Japan and a few we recognized. Tempura made to order, musubi bar, gelato station, bakery section, fruit bar, local dishes and drink machine both hot or cold more-more- more- too much to mention. Looked at all the diners like ravenous sharks. Lots of help staff taking away empty plates, chefs assistants re-filling the empty vessels with more foods. Orderly chaos in front of me and loving every succulent moment. I felt like Templeton in the Charlot's Web movie. Burp* UGH, rubbing my full belly and going for seconds and thirds. Repeating ” ah, ill have a year to diet” until we come back again. Super glad we upgraded to the all you can at buffet. Coming again in the morning-they open at 7am for breakfast. It ended up being a repeat but with Japanese breakfast foods too. We did an early checkout at 8am and paid our $2 onsen tax. They were nice enough to let us stay in the room until 10am if we promised to bring back both keys at that time- no issues there. First bus back to the train station arrives a little after 10 am and Hitomi came out to ask us to wait in lobby. Lobby had comfy seats and was warmer than outside. Hitomi soooo kind of her she told us the bus was here- wished her every success in life! Please -if you get a chance to

I've been to many onsen and ryokan all over Japan, and Hoshinoyado truly stands out. The food was spectacular—every bite was truly delicious and featured the local specialties, and everything was styled with seasonal artistry. I can say without hesitation that the breakfast was the best I've ever eaten in Japan. Plus, our table looked out over a shady Japanese garden that was knee-deep in moss, with a sparkling stream. The inn and room were both pristine, with no shabby corners, and the public bath was inviting—very clean, with every amenity you can imagine, and not blisteringly hot. I've seen everything there is to see in Nikko at least once, but I'd go again just to stay at Hoshinoyado.