日光いろは

Price was fair for area. Coffee and tea available free.

No shower available outside of onsen.

Location was great. Just outside a bus stop and walking distance to the temples.

No food options on site and not much nearby. There was a Lawsons convienece store within walking distance however.

Staying directly in front of the world heritage area was the best! Our room was on the fourth floor with a nice view to the forest and beautifully lit street. Also, it was spacious and we even had our own fridge. I liked the traditional style and beautiful lamps of the room. Staff was friendly and welcoming.

The hotel's Onsen was hotter than others, I couldn't go inside at all (but I am rather sensitive to heat). Generally you can see the hotel has aged a bit but I didn't mind. When booking in the heritage area, note that there are not many restaurant options at night or in the morning before 10 am. You can always go to the convenience store though (6 minutes on foot). I would recommend Sukiyaki at Nabeya for dinner, it was such an authentic and delicious experience!

I would like to give this place a better rating as the staff was incredibly welcoming and friendly. They had upgraded our small room to a larger one for no extra costs which was incredibly appreciated. Also the location is perfect for Nikko as you are right next to the temple area and have a bus stop right by the hotel. Walking into the city area was max 25 minutes which we didn't mind as the walk was very pleasant. And the onsen downstairs was also an amazing addition.

However, what brought the rating down for me was the fact that there was visible mold in our bedroom. Firstly I only noticed it in the bathroom (black spots on the wall, ceiling and shower curtain) but then I also noticed a fairly large multicoloured fuzzy spot on our ceiling near our beds. This made me quite uncomfortable so I went downstairs to mention this. They sent someone up immediately to clean it which was again much appreciated but in the week we were staying there it did already start to grow back. It is honestly the only bad thing for me but it was a bit too unpleasant to ignore so sadly it does influence my rating quite a bit.