Sakahijiri Nikko — Local services in Nikko

There’s a LOT you need to know about this place before you book it - especially if you’re a foreign tourist using a JR Pass. The main thing is that it’s no where near Nikko. Nor is it even on a JR Line. If you’re using a JR Pass and you’re in Nikko, you have to go back to Imaichi, walk about 1 km to the Shimo Imaichi train station, take a train to Shin Fugawara, swap trains to the one that takes you to Kawaji Yumoto. It takes a long time! And if you didn’t know, this hotel check in is only 3 hours from 3-6pm. If you arrive late, you’ll be walking down dark deserted streets from the train station to the hotel. I arrived at 7 and they left my key on the front desk; I left at 7 am the next day and I literally saw no staff member at all. I’ve stayed at several ryokan in the past, and I would describe this one as a DIY ryokan. You should book a room with dinner beforehand because there’s not even a combini nearby. The room was large and traditional tatami style- that’s the best thing I can say. The bathroom was old, the light in my bathroom didn’t work, there’s a sign warning you how to deal with stink bugs in the room, etc. So if you’re aware of all these things, it could be ok. However for just $40 more per night I stayed in a 25th floor luxury room at the Nikko Hotel Kanazawa so it’s your time and money. The hotel didn’t even provide me with a bottle of water. If you thought this place would be a convenient location for visiting Nikko, you’d be mistaken. If you get there during the 3 hour check in time, pre book your meals and aren’t in a rush to get back to the JR System to continue your trip, it would be a good way to experience a traditional ryokan for...

Do not book if you are not driving or going directly to the station in the town. It is an absolute pain if you are coming from Nikko and ultimately not worth it. Do not make our mistake. Yes it’s 6 minutes from a station, but the trains only come every two hours. I repeat - do not book if you are not driving.

The hotel itself is nice, the first floor with the restaurant is really nicely decorated. The room was maybe a bit dated but very large. The futons are very comfy and had a great sleep.

Can’t comment on the food because we arrived too late to be able to have it because the journey is so annoying. Other guests told us it was really good. Could not try breakfast either as you can only get dinner AND breakfast. They can’t bill separately apparently.

Onsen was ok - some unsightly pipes ruined the vibes of the outdoor pool. As other guests have mentioned it was not particularly hot.

Town is pretty cute, good shrine...

Pro: Very friendly and helpful staff, the food was exceptional and came in abundance. 2 relaxing onsen (1 inside & 1 outside). The location was very quite with beautiful surrounding area. Comfy beds and the rooms came with air conditioning.

Con: Unfortunately it wasn't the cleanest place (which didn't bother me too much but since it was our most expensive stay on our visit to Japan it was a little sad maybe my expectations where just too high). WiFi didn't reach our room which was quite the bummer. I traveled with a friend and we just had 1 pair of fitting slippers in the room and they weren't able to provide another one so I had to walk barefoot the whole time which was another negative detail.

Overall the experience was very pleasant due to it's beautiful restaurant, garden and onsen. The staff was also exceptionally friendly and welcoming. The food was probably the highlight...