Nikko Kanaya Hotel

We had a spectacular family stay. The hotel is luxurious and historic, and I’d definitely choose the annex building. Our room was spacious and clean, the toilet was gorgeous and spotless, and the bed was comfortably firm. Just be ready for a steep uphill walk to reach the hotel, your calves might feel it, but it’s worth it.

The window views were magnificent, and the staff were kind and attentive. It’s a beautiful historic hotel, with a bus station about a two-minute walk away for getting around town, though you can walk everywhere. Restaurants are a five to ten minute walk from the hotel, and there’s also a French restaurant on site.

I loved the old-fashioned charm, right down to having an actual key for the door, something I hadn’t used since the 80s. The lounge and dining areas were lovely, and the food was fabulous. I was there on an Inside Japan tour, so I don’t know what it cost since it was all included in a package, but I really enjoyed the stay.

The courtyard view from our room was lovely, which was a bright spot since autumn is running late this year. We stayed on 23 October 2025, choosing the hotel for its local importance and its position at the entrance to the heritage area, so we could start exploring easily the next morning. The staff were very friendly and their English was quite reasonable. But for what we paid, I expected a much nicer room. Our twin in the main building was among the less expensive options, yet cost twice as much as a night at our Tokyo hotel. I know the building is old and part of the appeal, and that renovations are underway, but the halls and rooms in this section were in poor condition. There were wall cracks and a strange musty smell in the corridors. The room felt like a cheap pub room back in Australia, only more spacious. We chose this over a traditional ryokan-style stay because of the hotel's history and significance, despite the higher price, and it was a letdown. After weeks in small city rooms, we’d been looking forward to somewhere more comfortable, and this wasn’t it.