Nikko Tokanso — Hotel in Nikko

We stayed at a wonderful ryokan in Izu, and were excited to have the experience again. However, this was the worst place we stayed in two week trip to Japan. Biggest issue is that the whole place reeks of cigarette smoke, even "non-smoking" rooms. I am allergic to cigarette smoke and struggled to breath even after taking medicine. Both of my teen sons were also negatively affected. Rooms/facilities much more run-down than they appear in photos. The shuttle service they advertise is not reliable; I would not count on it. We had to take a taxi both ways from Nikko Station (10 yen there, 15 yen back due to crowded roads). Staff refused to pick us up or take us back to station. None of the staff spoke English, and only one staff member (interacted with six) even tried to be helpful. Futon mats very thin; basically like sleeping directly on the floor. Glad we were only here for a quick overnight stay. On another note, choose the time you visit Nikko wisely. We came in Saturday night then arose early to view shrine/temple complex Sunday morning. Note the area around Nikko Station was like a ghost town when we arrived at 8:30 pm. Nothing open to eat and no people anywhere.. We were so glad when a taxi came by the taxi stand since we were stranded by the hotel staff. By Sunday at noon, the area was packed with people and cars. We decided to head back to Tokyo earlier than planned because the traffic/congestion was so bad. But we really enjoyed our time at the shrine and in the woods and were glad to have gotten there early.. ||In terms of positives, in an excellent location near shrines/temples; nice walk through the woods. Nice view of woods from room. Room size was good. Family bath a nice option for privacy (though very small). Need to reserve time for it at front desk. Nice...

We stayed at a wonderful ryokan in Izu, and were excited to have the experience again. However, this was the worst place we stayed in two week trip to Japan. Biggest issue is that the whole place reeks of cigarette smoke, even "non-smoking" rooms. I am allergic to cigarette smoke and struggled to breath even after taking medicine. Both of my teen sons were also negatively affected. Rooms/facilities much more run-down than they appear in photos. The shuttle service they advertise is not reliable; I would not count on it. We had to take a taxi both ways from Nikko Station (10 yen there, 15 yen back due to crowded roads). Staff refused to pick us up or take us back to station. None of the staff spoke English, and only one staff member (interacted with six) even tried to be helpful. Futon mats very thin; basically like sleeping directly on the floor. Glad we were only here for a quick overnight stay. On another note, choose the time you visit Nikko wisely. We came in Saturday night then arose early to view shrine/temple complex Sunday morning. Note the area around Nikko Station was like a ghost town when we arrived at 8:30 pm. Nothing open to eat and no people anywhere.. We were so glad when a taxi came by the taxi stand since we were stranded by the hotel staff. By Sunday at noon, the area was packed with people and cars. We decided to head back to Tokyo earlier than planned because the traffic/congestion was so bad. But we really enjoyed our time at the shrine and in the woods and were glad to have gotten there early.. ||In terms of positives, in an excellent location near shrines/temples; nice walk through the woods. Nice view of woods from room. Room size was good. Family bath a nice option for privacy (though very small). Need to reserve time for it at front desk. Nice...

My wife and I wanted to experience a traditional ryokan, complete with a visit to an onsen. We arrived a little after noon and checked in without too much hassle. They even reimbursed us for our taxi ride from Nikko JR Station since they usually provide a shuttle bus, but they didn't currently have one going. They asked us what time we wanted dinner and breakfast, and if we wanted a Western breakfast, or traditional. We opted for one and one.

After check-in, we explored the sights before coming back for dinner. We changed into our yukatas and headed to the dining room. The presentation of the food was amazing, and most of the food itself was fantastic too. Being a Westerner, there were a few things I wasn't too keen on trying, but I ate most of it.

After food, we hit the onsen. It was a little different since we had to get buck naked to bathe with a bunch of strangers, but once I was in the hot water, everything was great.

After the onsen, we went back to the room, and our futons had been prepared. We hit the sac, and woke up in time for our breakfast at the dining hall. My wife wanted the traditional breakfast while I wanted the Western. My Western breakfast was still impressively presented, and tasted great, too. I ended up needing to share with my wife, as she wasn't too keen on her traditional breakfast.

Check-out went quite smoothly too. We needed to be at Nikko JR Station to catch the 8:10 train, and when we asked for a taxi at the front desk, the man instead said he'd drive us! Saved us a bit of money, and got us to the station with plenty of time!

All in all, it was an awesome experience, and I recommend anyone wanting to try a traditional ryokan to spend...