Kamenoi Hotel Nikko Yunishigawa All-Inclusive Resort

Getting there is the big drawback. There are barely any trains or buses that reach the hotel, so I wouldn’t recommend coming for just one day. The surrounding nature is breathtaking, though, and the hotel itself is beautiful. The meals were incredible, and the onsen was unlike any I’ve tried before, just wonderful.

I enjoyed my stay. The onsen had several pools at different temperatures, including an icy cold one I really appreciated, and the amenities there were complete. Meals were good and nicely presented, with a beautiful winter view from the dining room. Tea and coffee were free all day, and there was a card-operated wine dispenser. The lobby also worked for getting some work done, with everything set up for self service. The guest rooms had the necessary amenities and simple furnishings, though the design felt dated and wasn’t top-notch. The lounge wear and pajamas were the best I’ve ever had. Staff were courteous, quick, and professional when available, but there weren’t many because this is a rural area. That didn’t bother us much since most meals were set menus and other things were self service.

Room 201 was next to the dining room, so we heard customers walking in and out. Outside the window, an exhaust pipe kept blowing fumes into our room and across the whole second floor. We asked to change rooms but were told that was impossible unless we paid JPY10K for an upgrade, on top of the JPY 46k we were already paying. That felt like daylight robbery. The lobby had been renovated, but the rooms were dated and poorly kept, just as other reviews I’d read said. There were insects in the ceiling light, including one visibly crawling inside as I wrote this. The basin was broken and patched, the curtain was filthy, and the room's samue was torn and tattered. I’ll never stay again at Kamenoi hotels or the MyStays hotel group. Kusatsu Onsen hotel and resort, where we also stayed on this trip, was very dated and in disrepair too. The whole group seems to care little or not at all about customer comfort.

The dining area is distinctive and thoughtfully designed, and the food was excellent. I like how the place mixes stylish new touches with older rustic ones, and the area itself feels special. Why spend time in congested Nikko when you can relax up here? Reading about the village's history would help you appreciate the surroundings and the experience. There are still traces of the old rustic simplicity ryokan between areas renovated in a boutique hotel style. The tatami room is clean and new, with a large digital TV and accessories for charging devices, but look closer and the original sliding paper doors sliding doors have chips and scratches. I swear the staircase carpet must date back to when the place was built, maybe the 1970s, yet it sits alongside an exquisitely furnished lobby and guest lounge. After check-in, that lounge makes you want to sit down for a drink and relax before even heading to your room. People who complain about chipped walls or peeling paint just don’t get the concept.