Nikko Kanaya Hotel

I loved my stay at Nikko Kanaya. First, there is a complimentary shuttle to pick you up from the train station (only a few pick-ups so you might want to schedule your train accordingly); otherwise city bus will drop you off but you will have to walk up a slightly long driveway. You are greeted by the nicest staff; everyone was such a delight! I stayed in the older part of the hotel, and it is old. (I heard that they renovated one building, but pretty expensive). I had room 54 - paid $369 for 2 nights - included a western breakfast, and dinner. Great deal! My room was spacious and had beautiful views. There is a slight odor, and I thought it might be musty, but I was in a wood shop later on in my stay and recognized it to be the same smell. So there is a "woodsy" odor; the floor seemed to slightly slant, but it didn't bother me in the least. The breakfast is a Western style breakfast - you can order traditional Japanese breakfast 24 hours in advance, at at addt'l price; the dinner was absolutely amazing - 5 courses and just beautiful The history of the hotel is displayed throughout, and it is an amazing story. So many dignitaries have visited here. Great location - directly next to Shinkyo Bridge - I walked to the Shrines/Temple from the hotel - bus picks you up in front of the hotel if heading to Lake Chuzenji. I would definitely return - lovely!!

Spent two nights there solo and had a really good stay. The location is unbeatable, situated right next to Shinkyo Bridge and Nikko National Park, which allowed me to visit before the crowds arrived. The view from both the dining hall and my room was nice. Breakfast and dinner (especially the Halloween menu) was excellent. The staff were very nice and accommodating.

Loved the location - right BY the famous bridge and wallking to all the famous temples! Loved walking to various temples at all times of the day. It's location by the river and bridge is wonderful. Also loved the rich history of this hotel - we didn't know this before we arrived but Einstein, Helen Keller, Eleanor Rooservelt, and many other famous people of the world have stayed here. The garden is pretty and dinning room very classy although we didn't dine there, we opted for the delicious local cruisines offered by local restaurants. The rooms were simple but large, we had a lot of space to lounge around, or open the floor to ceiling curtain and enjoy the views into the garden. One of the nights there was thunder and lighening, we just open the curtains, turn off the lights, and enjoyed a spectacular lightening show. (we came from a place with no such storms:-)

One of my best experiences in Japan. + Big room (especially for Japan), our room was in the Annex, which seems refurbished + Great breakfast (and great breakfast), be sure to pay the small extra for the Japanese breakfast. We also had dinner... Exquisite + Fantastic garden with a nice panorama of the mountains around Nikko + You're just next to the area with all the temples, so the perfect spot for sightseeing Value was very good for the price but I suspect it was because the off season

Absolutely exceptional. The history almost jumps at you through the walls. The staff were kind and attentive. Apparently Japanese people come here just to take photos and tours of the hotel. Everything was beautiful, elegant, and definitely one of the highlights of our trip to nikko The snow made everything even more magical.