Hotels With Bars in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan

A rather unique hot spring hotel. The room I booked was a Japanese-style room (washitsu), purely tatami room, and there's no bathroom inside – please be aware of this. To bathe, you need to go to a separate, traditional Japanese hot spring bath, separated by gender, where you must be naked and thoroughly washed before entering. Opinions on the experience vary, but the Japanese seem to enjoy it, haha. The hotel includes breakfast and dinner, which were surprisingly high quality, and the menu changed daily, which was a pleasant surprise. The service was excellent, with the typical Japanese attentiveness, and the staff spoke decent English, so communication wasn't a problem. Overall, a very unique hotel, definitely worth experiencing.

An excellent hotel, even without an elevator, I'd still give it full marks. The food is delicious, and the location is directly opposite Stop 28, with the pier for boat tours just across the way. The scenery is beautiful, and you can even see the rich mineral content in the outdoor hot spring. Although the hot spring pools are a bit small, there aren't many guests (due to the limited number of rooms), so I had both the indoor and outdoor hot spring pools all to myself. The water was perfectly hot and very comfortable. The staff have excellent English, making communication easy and pleasant. A small incident occurred: I left the balcony window open and forgot to close it properly. After dinner, I found a large number of mosquitoes had flown in. I contacted the front desk, and they immediately moved me to a new room and helped me move my luggage. Truly a very friendly hotel!

Both breakfast and dinner are buffet style. They offer fresh tuna and squid sushi, and during the New Year, traditional Japanese New Year dishes. It's quite good value for money. However, the buffet is limited to 1.5 hours and requires a reservation, so you need to check in early to book your preferred time. From what I've seen on Japanese TV programs, the buffet at Mikazuki, which is within a few hundred meters, seems better. But if you don't know that, the service here is overwhelmingly superior compared to other regions.

[”The room was clean and tidy, the location was convenient, and the service was warm and welcoming. We had a great stay and highly recommend it!”,”Excellent value for money. The facilities were comprehensive, and the bedding was comfortable, ensuring a very restful sleep.”,”The front desk staff were friendly and responsive. The environment was clean and hygienic. We'll definitely choose to stay here again.”]

The hotel is actually closer to Kinugawa-Koen Station; it's a bit of a trek from Kinugawa-Onsen Station, and it's an uphill walk, so I wouldn't recommend it if you have luggage. Overall, the hotel is decent, typical for a one-night stay with two meals. Both meals were substantial, though they featured no high-end ingredients, more like refined, simple fare. The onsen (hot spring) had everything you'd expect, and the water quality was good. A unique feature is the hotel's collection of Western and Japanese dolls, which adds an artistic touch. However, for those who don't appreciate them, they might find them a bit creepy! The Kinugawa River flows right behind the hotel's garden, and the sound of the rushing water is indeed quite loud. Finally, it's not that the cleanliness was bad, but I caught four crickets in the room over one night. If they had been cockroaches, that would have been unacceptable. Perhaps it just means the local ecosystem is thriving?!

The room was spacious, the bed was comfortable, and the view was great. The free cocktail and coffee services in the lobby were nice, as well as the free drink bar (including one beer per person) near the entrance to the hot spring. The paid massage service was also good. The meals were decent, especially the grilled beef, which simply melted in my mouth. The restaurant staff welcomed us warmly and provided friendly service. Cons: The variety of hot springs was lacking, and the view from the hot springs was almost blocked, which was disappointing. The lockers for valuables used combination dials, and foreign guests often didn’t know how to use them, locking their room keys inside and struggling to reopen them. This was a major inconvenience. They should switch to a key-and-wristband system like other onsen hotels. The room itself felt like an old, once-grand mansion that had seen better days. The furniture had many scratches, and the surfaces were worn and peeling. It made me think it must have been impressive in the past. Still, the room was definitely more spacious compared to other hotels.

I was very impressed with my stay at Hotel Kinugawa Onsen 💙. The buffet spread for both breakfast and dinner was incredibly extensive, offering a huge variety of Japanese and other dishes. I was completely satisfied and felt it was excellent value for money. The onsen was also fantastic, very clean, and well-equipped with all the amenities needed for a truly relaxing soak. The hotel's surroundings were peaceful and immersed in nature, making it perfect for unwinding, recharging, and simply enjoying some leisurely time. If I have the chance, I would definitely love to stay here again 😊.

The hotel is very clean and offers excellent customer service (free coffee and bicycle rentals). The rooms are spacious.

First time trying the SUPER chain of hotels. They are affordable, provides free parking, free breakfast and also has onsen facilities. Very great value for money. Recommended.

A memorable hotel, full of old-world charm, with courteous staff. The rooms are spacious and well-equipped. It's a landmark in Nikko, historically the first and most high-standard hotel. The only downside was the set dinner; while presented well, the ingredients and culinary skill weren't up to par, and the main course fish wasn't fresh.