ホテル ニューおおるり — Hotel in Nikko

I was tempted by this hotel because the price was attractive and everything looked very good in the photos. I was particularly inspired by the beautiful river view. In reality, only the river view reflects reality. The room was acceptable (except for the refrigerator, which was in very poor condition and hadn't been defrosted in years). The room seemed clean until I looked in the closet, where, along with the pillows, a thick layer of dust lay. The garbage cans displayed in the hallway stank. The hallways, the dining room... were dirty and hadn't been cleaned in a long time. The food... simply wasn't tasty; the eel served for dinner was so bad that we skipped it. The meal time is short (perhaps rightly so, as there's nothing to savor). The staff is friendly, the older gentleman at the reception was very nice and helpful (ありがとうございました), thanks to this gentleman, I added one star to the ranking. Another staff have zero training. During dinner, one of the guests fainted. If it weren't for the customers, who knows what could have happened. He was a problem with the ice pack; they wouldn't even provide a plastic bag for the ice, and none of the staff cared about the guest. When the staff called an ambulance, they found the emergency exit they were trying to reach the emergency services through was blocked with debris, so the hotel guests had to help themselves. Unbelievable. I like Showa, I like retro style, but this hotel is in a terrible state. Besides the view, it offers practically nothing. I recommend it only to those who want to vis it countries like Russia or North Korea, but without the risks associated with such a trip. It's a shame for such a beautiful place. I like Showa, I like Vintage, but this place needs a complete renovation and the staff (especially the foreigners) needs training. It would be a shame to see another abandoned...

This hotel was terrible. It was quite cheap so we weren't expecting much, but the standards we were met with were unacceptable. I know that onsen towns like this one have struggled a lot this year, but basic cleanliness and hospitality are not expensive to provide.

We would certainly have been able to look past the dingy, poorly kept common areas, but that was just the start of things.

Our room was filthy, particularly the bathroom (see photos below). The floor was dirty enough to darken the bottoms of our feet and the futons and bedding we were given were stained. It smelled like stale smoke.

Breakfast was, unsurprisingly, also bad. It would have been cafeteria-level if the dishes had been clean but, of course, they were not.

The main staff were also rude. When we checked-in, the man minding the desk was baffled by our questions about the location of our rooms and the public baths (despite the fact that everyone present spoke fluent Japanese). The conversation was so frustrating that we decided to wait until morning to talk to the day staff about our concerns. In the morning when we spoke to the front desk again about the state of the room, they just said "Sorry." and waited for us to pay.

Japan sets a HIGH bar for hospitality, but this place would have been a disgrace anywhere. If you're traveling to the Kinugawa...

Good things first. They probably have one of the best views of Kinugawa (river). I was pretty happy about the deal we got, good food, great onsen.

Cheap. Room was spacious. Linen was clean. The view was great.

Free Private onsen on 11F rooftop (reservation required and it can be done from the same day morning only). Slots had run out by 2pm on the day we checked in. We're able to book next day at the reception around 8am).

Rotenburo with Riverside view. Had a great time watching starts while soaked in - in the evening. Normal onsen is also available.

Very decent Japanese style dinner which tasted great. One alcohol drink is free. I opted for sake and got a full Thokkuri inserted of just one cup. Red/white wine, Highball etc was also there.

But the property is in a very sad state. It costs about half of the average price around here but you get what you pay for. I believe this is one of the hotels that lost its glory after the bubble economy and started struggling after that. Pretty much everything is out of maintenance. So, don't go if you're looking for luxury stay-in and/or the complaining type. I'm glad that I was able to help a...