Independent in Okunikko

"Asaya Hotel is not only our favorite hotel in Kinugawa Onsen — it is honestly the main reason we return to Kinugawa Onsen at least once a year. Every stay reminds us why this hotel is so special. We love the beautiful onsen facilities, especially the public baths with their larger and more spacious atmosphere. I personally prefer the public onsens, where I can fully relax and enjoy the traditional hot spring experience. My wife, on the other hand, especially enjoyed the private hot spring bath in our room, which she used throughout our stay. Having that private bath made the experience even more relaxing and convenient. The food is another major highlight. Both the breakfast and dinner buffets are excellent, with a wide variety of choices and consistently good quality. The buffet experience is one of the things we always look forward to whenever we stay here. Most importantly, the staff are genuinely friendly, professional, and caring. On the day of our departure, the taxi we had reserved was cancelled without our knowledge. Instead of simply apologizing or leaving us to figure it out, the hotel staff personally drove us to the train station. That level of hospitality really touched us and showed the heart of Japanese omotenashi service. Asaya Hotel continues to be our “only hotel” choice whenever we visit Kinugawa Onsen. Between the onsens, the food, the service, and the warm hospitality, it truly feels like a place worth coming back to every year."

"The staff here were extremely attentive and helpful, the room was gigantic, plenty of space for multiple people. The onsen with the view of the river and hills was to die for, there was a bit of an issue with mold in the onsen area but that's too be expected with the constant moisture levels I would think. The meals were great as well, I had completely forgotten I booked half board so having a 7 course dinner after a day of walking was much appreciated, and I got to try foods I had get to experience in Japan. I will say the sound proofing from the room above was a bit lacking, as they appeared to be having a FANTASTIC weekend, which disturbed my sleep a bit."

"Tourist IG trap. Feels nothing like Japanese. Very much an American ran hotel that pretends to be Japanese. Food both breakfast and dinner very westernized Japanese food and don’t taste good. Everything is designed to look good for a camera but no substance. My shoes were very dirty from a hike. Staff informed us they shoe cleaning service for free. Turns out just tapping the shoe. I went to front desk and ask if I can pay for a proper shoe clean. Staff was confident they have this service but this isn’t his “department” and informed me they will have the “proper team” contact me to arrange, never heard back! Horrible service. Incredible over priced for what they provide. I moved from a Japanese brand ryokan and this hotel can’t remotely compare in service and room, and they are also much more competitively price. This place is just a IG trap!!! The hype is a fraud. "

"Lovely staff, ample parking and a spacious, clean room. The room layout is a little strange with the sink being in the bedroom with a screen divider and there seems to be more attention to style than practicalities i.e. no hooks, shelves, drawers etc. However, we had a great stay and good nights' sleep. "

"Spa and pools were premium. Staff is laways friendly and helpful. We stayed on the Ninth floor Club9 with an osen in the room. Most excellent!"

"Very nice hotel with a great location!"

"Close to the train station"

"Stayed here while visiting Nikko. This is a single family home. What can we say. We loved the place. Very clean and safe. Bedroom upstairs more like a loft with 2 queen beds. One main restroom with the onsen and walk in shower. Also has the washer/dryer combo in place. Another restroom with toilet and small sink. There is 2nd restroom next to the kitchen area with toilet and sink. And a 3rd restroom by the main entrance with sauna and shower. Check in was relatively easy although we had to dial in a few times due to “high volime” of calls at the time. There were free drinks including water and tea, some juice and beer in the fridge. Appliances were a bit challenging to use as Google Translate was not the best, but we figured it out. Washer/dryer combo is eco-friendly so can only wash a few clothes at a time and it takes a long time to dry. Villa itself is about 11-14 min walk to the train station. Uber will get you from Nikko train station to the Villa, but they will not pick you up from Villa to Nikko so keep that in mind when you pack. We had to lug 2 suitcase each to the local train station in the morning to take the trains back to Nikko station to take our train back to Tokyo. That was not fun. So pack accordingly or rent a car. Villa also walkable to restaurants and 7-eleven. Restaurants nearby close early, so make sure you eat in Nikko before coming back. Or make reservations well in advance or you will be turned away. Would stay here again, but will rent car next time."

"This is our first experience at a Japanese style hotel, ryokan. The overall stay was excellent as expected. The menu in their buffet (all you can eat) looked good, though we could go over most of menu items, too many items. The ones we tasted were excellent. We liked the variety of desserts served. We must mention that staff services were excellent in every aspect."