Hatago Nagomi — Hotel in Nikko

Overview of the Incident During my stay at “Hatago Nagomi,” I experienced threatening behavior from a hotel staff member. I am sharing this for those considering this hotel.

Staff Responsible • A large man in his 30s–40s (approx. 180–190 cm, athletic build) • Position: Manager

Incident Details I checked in around 3 PM and noticed an unusual odor in the room. I suspected it was from the plumbing trap but did not contact staff immediately, instead running water and using the air conditioner.

About four hours later, the odor remained, so I called the front desk to request an air purifier. A female staff member politely offered a room change, which I accepted.

On the way to the new room, the male manager appeared. After hearing the situation, he aggressively confronted me: • Manager: “What kind of odor is it?” • Me: “Somewhat like sewage…” • Manager: “There are no sewage pipes here, so that’s impossible!” • Me: “I was speaking metaphorically; I am not an expert…” • Manager: “Our hotel maintains rigorous cleaning; there should be no odor!”

His agitation and large size made me feel unsafe. I said almost nothing and followed the female staff to the new room.

Before entering, I asked to check the room to avoid unnecessary changes. The odor was much improved but a faint smell remained near the water. I reported this honestly: • Me: “It’s much closer to odorless, though a faint smell remains near the water.”

This seemed to anger the manager further: • Manager: “No, ‘slightly better’ is unacceptable!”

I focused on apologizing to calm him. Later, he entered the room without permission, which contained my wife’s personal items, carrying a large industrial ozone deodorizer and further agitated: • Manager: “We use this deodorizer for many minutes; your room cannot have a sewage smell!” • Me: “If ‘sewage-like’ offended you, I can say ‘unpleasant odor’—would that be acceptable?” • Manager: “Yes, ‘unpleasant odor’ is completely different from ‘sewage’!” • Manager: “If you don’t understand, Google it!”

I have never experienced such aggressive behavior from hotel staff, and it was extremely frightening. I slept in fear, worried he might return. My trip was ruined.

Next Morning: Hotel Manager Response The following morning, the hotel manager (60s–70s) listened to the incident and apologized sincerely. He explained, “The staff has been the head of cleaning for many years; this behavior likely comes from pride in his role.”

Message to the Staff Member You are destroying the trust and reputation the manager built over many years. If you feel any gratitude, you should leave this hotel immediately.

Summary I booked this hotel with confidence based on high ratings. However, the experience was extremely disappointing, ruining my time, money, and travel memories. I will likely never...

Overview of the Incident|During my stay at “Hatago Nagomi,” I encountered a very uncomfortable situation with a staff member, which unfortunately overshadowed what I had hoped would be a pleasant trip. I am sharing the details below to provide useful information for other travelers.||Staff Involved| • Male staff, estimated late 30s–40s, tall and strongly built| • Appeared to be in a managerial or supervisory role||Details of the Incident|After checking in around 3:00 PM, I noticed an unusual odor in the room. Believing it might be related to plumbing or ventilation, I tried running water and using the air conditioning. Later in the evening, when the odor had not improved, I called the front desk to request an air purifier.||A female staff member responded very politely and suggested either providing an air purifier or arranging a room change. Since all rooms seemed to have similar layouts, I requested a room change simply for peace of mind.||While proceeding to the new room, the male manager appeared. After hearing the situation, he questioned me in a very strong manner about the type of odor I had noticed. His large physical presence and tone made me feel uneasy. In contrast, the female staff continued to be calm and professional, guiding me to the new room.||When I inspected the replacement room, the odor was much reduced, though still faintly present near the water area. I described this honestly but cautiously. However, the male manager reacted strongly again, insisting that my description was inappropriate.||Later, while we were settling into the new room, the same manager entered to bring an ozone deodorizer. Although he said “excuse me,” I was uncomfortable that he entered while we were unpacking personal belongings. He again emphasized that the hotel’s cleaning standards were very strict and that it would be impossible for the odor I had mentioned to exist.||This repeated intensity made me feel quite anxious, and it affected the overall atmosphere of the stay.||Next Morning: Response from the Hotel Manager|The following morning, I spoke with another manager, who appeared older and more senior. He listened attentively and apologized sincerely for what had happened. His professional and courteous response was reassuring. He also explained that the staff member in question had worked at the hotel for many years and took great pride in his role, which may have contributed to his strong reaction.||Summary|While the facilities themselves were fine, the interaction with one staff member left me unsettled, and I was unable to relax during the stay. The senior manager’s polite response the next day helped somewhat, but overall, the experience was disappointing compared with the hotel’s high...

We had the most incredible stay here! We stayed three nights and we're so impressed by our giant room on the fourth floor, especially after two weeks of staying in smaller rooms I'm other hotels. The view was incredible and the amenities were everything you could ask for. It might have been slightly further out from the central activities but that was actually a blessing. We got the hakone area pass which included all bus travel and the ferry, conveniently there was a bus stop immediately in front of the hotel and the ferry right across the road so a very pleasant location.

The real highlight of this place though is the adorable and attentive staff. We caught the last bus on our arrival day so we were a bit late and the owner was there to greet us out the front which was so sweet. The food was so incredible and such great value for money that we ended up having dinner multiple nights! A wonderful breakfast was had as well, there was this special boiled tofu made from local ingredients that I found myself thinking of in the middle of the night. I wish I could make it at home!

A happy surprise was the incredible selection of premium whiskey they had available. Kamui was such a wonderful host and we had such a wonderful tasting experience and got to tick a few special whiskeys off the list! After we mentioned in conversation that we had gotten engaged three days ago they were so considerate and surprised us with some yummy local sake with dinner!

I absolutely...