Hotel berhampiran Hangetsuyama Observation Deck, Nikko

I adore the Ritz Carlton brand - whether in Paris, SG, Dubai or HK - you are guaranteed an experience that is captivating. Unfortunately this is not the case in Nikko. I am not a hotel guest. But since I am in lake Chuzenji & have heard so much raves about the hotel, I thought I would drop by the admire the beauty & splendour of the Ritz in lovely Nikko. I didn’t have a restaurant reservation, but being low season in Nikko, I wouldn’t think it will be a problem to get a table for 2 for lunch? Unfortunately, I was wrong. So wrong. I was told the hotel is booked out the whole day for dining in Lakehouse? I enquired - how about any other restaurants? No, Mam. Non available. I can wait - it’s already 1.30pm, surely a table will open up pretty quickly in very quiet Nikko at the moment? The lady replied - that’s the thing - we are booked out the whole day, just for today. Well deeply, I cannot stop rolling my eyes. Fine, I don’t need to be captivated with the splendid of Ritz by Lake Chuzenji given the arrogance & lackadaisical service, just because I am not a hotel guest? Worse was this conversation did not take place in the warm hotel lobby. I was standing at the hotel entrance in cold winter afternoon. Thanks you Ritz, for the very very very cold reception. The pure ignorance & discrimination for non-hotel guest.I am truly enlightened.

If you are looking for a traditional Japanese resort experience in an area laden with history and lore, this is the place to book: rooms with tatami beds and sliding partitions, private and public hot springs, relax rooms, lounges and an inner landscaped garden dotted with fish ponds and interesting vegetation. Plus, of course, today’s necessities like Wi-Fi, climate control, sentient toilet seats and a full array of quality complimentary cosmetics. Based upon a casual observation, the place seems to target primarily couples looking for rest and relaxation, but worked just as well for our family of four, which includes two teenagers. As everywhere else we went, the staff was always very attentive and ready to assist however possible. LOCATION: offering both privacy and convenience, the hotel is located along an unassuming country road, a ten minute walk from the main thoroughfare connecting Nikko with Lake Chōzenji and served by local buses, with a stop just 100 meters down the road. Buses generally run two or three times an hour, but without a regular pattern, so plan accordingly (the front desk, of course, has all the schedules and route information handy). The hotel is also within walking distance of the shrine complex that is Nikko’s main attraction. ROOM: we spent two nights in an Aqua Deluxe Suite, which accommodates four guests in two separate partitioned areas, one with Western beds and the other with tatami beds set up every night. The room also features a sitting room and separate toilet, sink and shower areas. We had to be a little creative in storing our suitcases (pack lightly when travelling around Japan!) but the room actually offered more storage space than initially observed. The key feature of the room is an outdoor hot bath tub overlooking a private man-made pond closed off by a wall, offering complete privacy. After a day of hikes, it was a pleasure to soak in the tub surrounded by nothing but the sound of cascading water and chirping insects. AMENITIES: breakfast and dinner were included in the room rate, and I recommend taking full advantage of them. All the meals, with a set rotating menu, offered a great variety of what we took as local fish, meat and vegetable dishes, all prepared with quality ingredients and artfully served in private rooms. And don’t be deceived by the small portions: you will end up eating a lot! All meals are served at fixed hours, requiring advance reservations. The hot springs offer both indoors and outdoor basins: in a place like this, just wear the hotel-provided yukata and slippers and embrace the Japanese way of relaxation.

A perfect location for exploring Nikko and the surrounding area. Although from the outside it looks quite standard modern, internally it is just about perfect. Dinner, for which we dressed in local attire, was served in a private dining room. It consisted of over 15 small plates of food, all superbly presented and very tasty. Incredible they use a different plate design for each dish. The staff were very helpful. Well worth a visit.

The room (with 2 beds) was excellent, roomy and with a beautiful view to the river and mountains. This hotel has history, it is a dignified hotel with plenty of helpful service staff and beautiful place to eat breakfast. Breakfast is served by menu, not a buffet but satisfying. I highly recommend this hotel due to its spacious room, service a beautiful decor.

What a remarkable experience! The inability to find words speaks volumes. Everything was flawless, meeting high Western standards. Additionally, we inadvertently left a sweater in the room as we continued to Tokyo. Upon contacting the hotel, the staff were immensely helpful in resolving the issue. They efficiently arranged for the sweater to be delivered to Tokyo, saving us considerable effort and allowing us to continue our journey peacefully. The service was exceptional, especially considering that the responsibility was entirely ours. Absolutely outstanding service..

Currently staying here for 2 nights and this is night 1. Location is nice and scenic.The room and view is pretty HOWEVER our room smells and smells bad. Not sure if they gave us a smoking room (which I did not request) or the room just smells. Asked a staff person and either they didn't understand me or it really is a smoking room. Staff tries with english but ive not had much luck. Shampoo, conditioner and body wash is little packets in the lobby which i had to search and find. I went down to the desk to ask about shampoo and the older gentleman ducked into the room behind the desk and didnt come back out because he spoke no english. Also, wifi is pretty much nonexistent in room 1503. The buffet option is kind of eh, not really as many options as the pics make it look like and it's not very warm but it was edible i guess but over priced. I wouldn't stay here again if I'm in the area and would suggest trying a different hotel in the area. Then starting at 8am either they are renovating a room near us or there's no sound proofing between rooms judging by the banging noises. It would be a nice romantic place to spend a night maybe? If there are unsmelly rooms. Almost every other person staying here we've seen has been elderly (60-70+) and that should kinda tell you the type of person this caters to. I've stayed in worse.

如果你想有一個清静的地方享受環境及温泉， 就是這裡。 房間優雅，用膳的地方亦都是一個個私人房間。 服務員有來自不同亞州國家的青少年， 他們都很熱心服務。 多謝女主管在我生日用晚膳時登意到來祝賀。 If you want a quiet place to enjoy the scenary, onsen and food, this is the place. The rooms are elegant and you have your own room for meal. There are many young employees (trainees) from different asian countries, so it may be a bit easier to communicate in English. They are all devoted to their work. Thank you for the supervisor to come to the dinning room and wish me to have a happy birthday.

Asaya is a large onsen hotel rather isolated from stores, shops, and restos. Inside there are lots of them but I could not find a cup of coffee at 4:00 AM. There is free tea dispenser in the lobby. We all had access to the Premiere Club room by 6:00 AM where we could enjoy snacks and drinks and coffee. Breakfast is served for guests. We ate there and in the main dining room for one of our breakfasts. I loved their beef jerky which I took to my room to eat later. The main dining room for breakfast and dinner offered a hidden room with semi-privacy. The size of our tatami room with Premiere access was just enormous -- about as large as any hotel room I have ever had (one exception was in a Las Vegas hotel). The floor was mainly tatami mats but bamboo flooring in the bathroom and toilet rooms. The housekeeping is immaculate with daily service. There's a long queue just before dinner at 5:30. The food was delicious and plentiful with steak, crab legs, tempera, sashimi, and other seafoods. I enjoyed the soft serve.

This is my third trip/adventure to Japan. I would say as a solo traveler this has to be one of the very best places I have ever stayed in when travelling around Japan. I came to Nikko np to explore the vast array of hiking trails, all of which I did, had breathtaking views and a poetic, truly majestic Japanese feel to them. I rented a car from Nasushiobara (Shinkansen) and drove across to Kinugawa. On arrival I was greeted by a host of the hotel staff, welcoming me and helping me with parking and my bags. I checked in with ease and with some broken English and Japanese on my part was led to a beautiful traditional Japanese style room overlooking the river. The service throughout was world class and made me feel both very comfortable, at home, but also special. I stayed 3 nights with half board (breakfast and dinner), both truly amazing and served with grace and politeness. On the first evening’s dinner one of the serving staff took the time to speak with me and allowed me to share some of my recent experiences/photos etc whilst preparing dinner - this was most welcome, especially as I had been travelling alone for over a week. The location of the onsen hotel is about 60 mins drive to some of the most sought after walks in the np. Very easy to access by car and excellent roads. The accommodation itself is a mix between very traditional Japanese resort and original/boutique Ryokan. The private and public onsen’s are fantastic and a well deserved rest-bite after a long days hiking! Having been to some of the most popular ryokan’s in Japan; Iwaso, Claska etc, this came as a very nice surprise and at an affordable rate without any compromise. If in the area, I would highly recommend staying…

Location:- The hotel is walking distance from train station and although bus is irregular, it is manageable. There is a small (super friendly) convenient store & restaurants near the hotel. Hotel Food - expensive but top Japanese quality Hotel Service - Superb.. ***** definitely 5 stars. I misplaced my phone and despite its late (almost 10pm), they helped me to search, even outside of the hotel., and in the end found it blocked by (under) my open suite case (i was packing to check out next day).. very embarrassing for me 😅😅.. so I really grateful for their patience and going out all the way to help me 🙏🙏