Fufu Nikko

My husband and I had a splendid stay at Fufu Nikko, and we’d love to return to see more of Nikko. The room was spacious, had a private onsen, and showed lots of attention to detail. The food was exceptional, with tasty local ingredients including rice, Himitsu pork, Yuba, and freshly caught fish. Staff were top notch and went out of their way to help. Most spoke decent English, and we enjoyed picking up a few Japanese words from them as part of traveling abroad. The one awkward moment was with the Teppanyaki chef on our first night. He seemed warmer and more polite with the Japanese guests, and kept us waiting for our food. When we were the last ones finishing soup, he left without saying goodbye, which left us confused. The rest of the staff were so amazing that this didn’t spoil the stay.

We were first-time guests at FUFU Nikko, and everything turned out so much better than we expected. Dinner and breakfast were both incredible, beautifully made and memorable. The room was comfortable and roomy, with lots of thoughtful little touches. I love tea, and the welcome tea and the tea in the room were both so good that I bought several packs to take home. Thanks for a wonderful stay!

We spent 3 nights at Fufu Nikko in a Stylish Suite Room on the first floor. That location suited us well because it was easy to get around. The public onsen stayed peaceful, since there were never other guests using it at the same time. The dining room was laid out beautifully, in a way that made us feel like the only guests there. The location worked well for us: the botanical garden and imperial villa were walkable, the national park world heritage shrines were a 3-5 min drive away, and the inn sits on the main road for heading west to Lake Chuzenji. Meals were amazing, but dinner took about 2 hours and the earliest seating was 18:00, something to plan for with children or older people. What stood out most was how patient the staff were when we asked to change meal times and types probably 3-4 times to accommodate our kids and grandparents. They let the children eat in the room because the kaiseki meals were too long for them, changed one meal to teppanyaki at our grandparents’ request, and prepared an extra set of kaiseki courses when one grandparent couldn’t eat. They handled each request graciously and made things work. I felt bad about all the trouble, but really appreciated it. Thanks to the amazing staff for making the stay so personal and memorable, and apologies again for all those requests.

The meal schedule took a little planning, since breakfast and dinner had to be booked ahead, which made it harder to just relax and go with the flow. We tried both the Japanese and Western menus. The private chef dinner was wonderful, though the regular dinner wasn’t quite to our taste and a few dishes came out cold. Even so, we loved this calm and beautifully designed place. The forest views were breathtaking, and the care for guests showed in the details. Staff were kind and welcoming, and the pre-dinner drink in the lounge added to the peaceful mood. Our spacious, comfortable room had great amenities, especially the private onsen with its lovely view. A truly special stay, and we’d love to come back.