Okunoin Hotel Tokugawa

Had a wonderful experience at Okunoin. Service is superb, the meals are delicious (too much food actually!), and very pretty baths. I enjoyed the private bath at night with the water mirror. Highly recommend.

If you are looking for a traditional Japanese resort experience in an area laden with history and lore, this is the place to book: rooms with tatami beds and sliding partitions, private and public hot springs, relax rooms, lounges and an inner landscaped garden dotted with fish ponds and interesting vegetation. Plus, of course, today’s necessities like Wi-Fi, climate control, sentient toilet seats and a full array of quality complimentary cosmetics. Based upon a casual observation, the place seems to target primarily couples looking for rest and relaxation, but worked just as well for our family of four, which includes two teenagers. As everywhere else we went, the staff was always very attentive and ready to assist however possible. LOCATION: offering both privacy and convenience, the hotel is located along an unassuming country road, a ten minute walk from the main thoroughfare connecting Nikko with Lake Chōzenji and served by local buses, with a stop just 100 meters down the road. Buses generally run two or three times an hour, but without a regular pattern, so plan accordingly (the front desk, of course, has all the schedules and route information handy). The hotel is also within walking distance of the shrine complex that is Nikko’s main attraction. ROOM: we spent two nights in an Aqua Deluxe Suite, which accommodates four guests in two separate partitioned areas, one with Western beds and the other with tatami beds set up every night. The room also features a sitting room and separate toilet, sink and shower areas. We had to be a little creative in storing our suitcases (pack lightly when travelling around Japan!) but the room actually offered more storage space than initially observed. The key feature of the room is an outdoor hot bath tub overlooking a private man-made pond closed off by a wall, offering complete privacy. After a day of hikes, it was a pleasure to soak in the tub surrounded by nothing but the sound of cascading water and chirping insects. AMENITIES: breakfast and dinner were included in the room rate, and I recommend taking full advantage of them. All the meals, with a set rotating menu, offered a great variety of what we took as local fish, meat and vegetable dishes, all prepared with quality ingredients and artfully served in private rooms. And don’t be deceived by the small portions: you will end up eating a lot! All meals are served at fixed hours, requiring advance reservations. The hot springs offer both indoors and outdoor basins: in a place like this, just wear the hotel-provided yukata and slippers and embrace the Japanese way of relaxation.

We enjoyed the stay and were very happy with the room, meals and the service. This includes the front desk, shuttle driver, the lovely ladies who served our meals. I was especially impressed that the staff were there to hand you the room key and greet you with a smile every time when we arrive by the hotel shuttle or taxi. Our room has river views. The room is spacious with two large beds, tatami area and a small lounge. The amenities of the room are superb. There is even a massage chair and binoculars. Very considerate. The temperature of the open air bath is perfect, so relaxing. We stayed for three nights and had a different delicious menu every night. The only criticism was that there was no printed menu for the last day which we enjoyed following the first two nights. We will certainly stay here again if we visit Nikko.

We really enjoyed our 2 night stay in a Japanese style room. Our room had a nice hot tub in the balcony which was pumped with Onsen water. It was so relaxing, especially looking out to the nature. The hotel staff is very friendly even though number of English speaking staff is limited. Despite that we did not have any issues and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The kitchen team took special care, especially taking into account our vegetarian needs. We loved our breakfast and dinner. Already thinking about visiting again

Excellent hotel, great staff, took plenty of care when we mentioned vegetarian food options. Will definitely return to stay again