Nikko Park Lodge Tobu Station

We stayed, but only just. The beds were clean and the location was good, which is why I gave two stars. The place is a converted apartment building that looks like something from Kowloon's walled city. Wifi worked only about half the time, and the towels in our closet had just been tossed in. I couldn't tell if they were fresh.

We should have booked our hotels much earlier, so by the time we came, many places were full and we didn't have much choice. I booked this one because it said parking was available, but it should say parking is LIMITED, only around six cars. The front desk guy wasn't apologetic. I know it wasn't his fault, but he didn't need to get agitated and fierce about it either. The rooms are old, and the passageway is full of cobwebs. If you're tall, watch out for the low ceiling, you don't want to walk into one. Nikko could have been perfect if we'd chosen a different place to stay, and we saw other options while we were there.

The view and location were beautiful and convenient, but the place seems poorly maintained and underinvested in. The building is old and dated, with a strange smell, and our large room had a lingering spice odor and a hole in the ceiling. Even the towels smelled like spicy food. Service was okay when we arrived. It could work for a convenient one night stop, but I wouldn't recommend staying longer.

We'd read the bad reviews after booking and before we arrived, and figured it couldn't really be that bad. We were very wrong. We booked a four bed dorm and were put in an 18 bed dorm. My brother in law had booked a 14 bed dorm and ended up in the bed opposite us. It was one completely open room, with no separation between these supposed dorms. The door was never locked, so anyone from the street could walk in and end up in your bed. We were lucky to find reception open when we checked in. That was the only time we saw it open. It was absolutely Baltic in the room. Everyone was shivering with their hoods up and coats on. The air conditioning unit blowing heat couldn't warm a space that big, and it kept cutting out. We all went to bed very early, fully dressed, because we couldn't stand the cold. We contacted the hotel through Agoda to say we'd been given an 18 bed room instead of a four bed one, then again about the freezing conditions, but never got an answer. Another guest contacted them through Air BnB because the unit kept cutting out. They said they'd come look, then never showed up. I complained to Agoda and sent evidence showing the 18 beds and screenshots of our attempts to contact the hotel. Nikko Park Lodge rejected the complaint and said we never contacted them, and that there were four beds on one side and 14 on the other. But it was clearly all one room. There was no separation at all between these dorms. Apparently we booked the deluxe dorm, and I hate to think what the standard one was like. I've stayed in hostels for eight years in all kinds of conditions, even sharing a bed with a flea ridden feral cat in Cambodia, and this was by far the worst place I've ever stayed. The people running it seemed to care about nothing but your money. Refugee camp vibes. You might think it's the cheapest option in Nikko and fine for two nights, but trust me, stay away if you know what's good for you.