Rakuten Stay Motel Nikko Kinugawa

The rooms were spacious, but the soundproofing was poor. Noise from neighboring rooms kept us awake at 3 a.m. on both nights. A few things also didn’t work: the projector was malfunctioning, as was one of the onsen taps. Having a car makes the location manageable. The biggest problem was check-in. It was supposed to be automated, but the tablets connected us to Rakuten staff for identity verification. We got a non-English-speaking staff member who abruptly disconnected after quickly saying an English-speaking colleague would contact us. A few minutes later, someone gave us our room number but not the passcode. When we asked, he incorrectly said it was the same as the room number, and that code didn’t work despite repeated tries. On our third attempt, a female staff member couldn’t find our booking and said our check-in date was wrong. We had to insist that she check the booking ID before she finally gave us the passcode. The whole process took about 30 minutes and delayed us getting to our dinner restaurant. We were already low on energy with dinner time approaching, so this incompetence was unacceptable. I found it extremely frustrating, and the check-in fell well short of what was advertised.

Very affordable for a family trip, with rooms that are fully furnished. Some rooms even let you park your car inside. Check-in is at a reception room with nobody there: enter your information and you’ll get a code to access the place. There are at least five beds, enough for more than five people. Restaurants are easy to get to nearby, but remember to book before your stay.

The room is very clean and has all the facilities. My favorite part was soaking in the onsen bath. My skin felt super soft afterward.

We had plenty of room for everyone, traveling with my husband and our two dogs. The apartment and bath were excellent, and everything was neat and clean. There was a small check-in issue, but the staff responded quickly and sorted it out in just a few minutes. Highly recommended!