Nikko Park Lodge Mountain Side

This unusual hotel has so much character and an unusually friendly feel to it. It seems to attract young travellers and it's one of the few places I've been where guests actually sit and chat with one another in the comfortable lounge. The dinner and breakfast were also surprisingly good with a limited selection well prepared. Set in green forests it is still only a few minutes drive from Nikko and the hosts provide a transport service to the station in the morning and pick-up in the evening on request. Small yet perfectly formed - I will definitely book here again if I am lucky enough to come back to this beautiful region.

There was nothing not to like. Friendly staff went to great lengths to supply what you needed.

Very outgoing lodge! When you enter from the entrance, the romantically burning pechka and nostalgic cosy lounge wait for you! It absolutely charms you all! The main male staff (owner?) is calm but can speak English well because he's been living in the States. Other staffs are also able to speak English. So don't worry. The building itself is a bit old, however AC works and the public bathroom has hot water 24 hours. There are Kleenex boxes in each rooms. Very convenient! I stayed in a dormitory room and rockers are there. The sockets are laid at the floor under the beds. AC can work. The bed is quite comfortable with warm heaters. Of course, each bed have small lights and curtains. The refrigerator inside is so clean. No worry to put your foods. Outside there is the terrace and small garden. I saw Nepalese people were doing BBQ. I can write more. But the most attractive stuff here is the lounge with pechka. The big TV is set there, and sofas and tables are ready. The atmosphere is hilarious. It has very nice mood to associate with other tourists. A lot of nationalities. I used to get into Western guys. If you have a higher English skill, you'd sure extremely enjoy the rich conversation. Tourists there are having a fun to talk about trips of Japan. Unlike other shady Japanese hostels, the staffs here are globalized and never stop you guys enjoying there! So I highly recommend you folks trying this lodge!

Not that I don't have complaints. But mostly I got satisfied throughout this time. So I personally hesitate to tell negative things. Only one point is that the cleaning staff behaves a little weird and used to clean only some of guests and does not clean others' beds. She's old and can't speak English. Probably, her eyes are weak. Better not to confront her seriously if you are nervous fellows. Needless to say, almost of Japanese tourists (including local Asian Japanese) are unable to speak English.

- Comfortable & heated mattress for cold winter! - Rustic style of the building and the living room, the authentic looking bath. - The remote location in the middle of nature / mountain, beautiful under the snow. I saw some deer on my way back from the nearby Onsen! - Reactivity and empathy of the owner who offered to relocate me closer to the other Park Lodge next to the station due to the heavy snow.

- The combo of a little old (not super well insulated...) and a little dirty (bins full, dusty living room, smelly restroom) made it a bit uncomfortable. Conclusion : fair for the price & location! Happy I stayed there during such magical weather, but I would probably pick a different place at a different time of the year.

The staff is very friendly and can speak great english. The location is fantastic if you want to get away from it all, set just outside town in a forest. The common room is just fantastic, very large and comfortable and easy to meet and mingle with other guests, or just relax with a beer after a long day. There's a small onsen within short walking distance (5min) from the hostel which is open to day guests until 7pm. Plenty of parking for motorbikes.

In summer (previous visit), the blankets were great, but for winter (this visit), the blankets were a bit thin; would have been nice to have a doona.

Nikko Park Lodge Mountain Side is located in a quiet spot, about half an hour away from the temples and shrines. There is even a little onsen close by (about five minutes on foot). I really enjoyed the possiblity to get not only breakfast but also dinner. After a long day of sightseeing, it is great to be able to get dinner without having to venture in search of a restaurant. There is a reasonable selection of dishes as well, and breakfast and dinner are great times to have a chat with the other guests.

The approach can be difficult with heavy bags, but the lovely staff provide a shuttle service to and from both stations that serve Nikko. I would strongly advise against walking to Nikko Park Lodge Mountain Side after the sun has set, as certain roads leading up to the accomodation aren't lit at all.

Really quirky lodge out on the edge of the forest. Our room was spacious, with TV, fridge and bathroom. Living area and hallways are very homely, with cute decorations, wood beams featuring on the ceiling and couches to watch tv. Owner was very kind and drove us to the station. You can have dinner and breakfast there for ¥2500 per person per day. The area around the lodge is beautiful, peaceful and quiet.

The stairs in our room to the beds was a little frightening. We walked in the middle because we sometimes felt them move on the edge. Not close to the main attractions but a pretty 20 minute walk. No restaurants or konbini nearby.

Located in a quiet neighborhood well away from the activity of the town. Quaint old-style building with a nice lounge area. Staff were excellent and the meals were lovely. Plan to buy the dinner and breakfast as there is nothing around here for meals.

It was an uphill walk from the train station, so be prepared for that or take a taxi. If you want to be close to the shrines and temples, this is not the place unless you have a car, take a taxi or you like to walk a lot.

The ownder and his wife are wonderful people. Very kind, warm and generous. So, is Rakesh who was very kind and helpful. Very warm and hospitable hosts and it felt like living in a family home. All three were fluent in English so it was very helpful. The cleaning woman is lovely, smiling and warm, like everyone else at the lodge. We ate breakfast and dinner at the hotel and it was very reasonably priced and very good. The meals are excellenty priced. There is coffee downstairs in the morning. There is free tea available all day and other food you can buy if you don't want to buy a meal. There are vegan options. There is a shuttle from Nikko Park Lodge across from Tobu-Nikko station which is very convenient. The free shuttle will take you to the mountainside lodge and drop you off when you need to leave. We also took the shuttle down on other days to take the World Heritage bus. We also walked from the hotel to the World Heritage site where the temples are. It is a 20 minute walk. So it is accessible. We stayed in a private room but there are dorm and other options. The atmosphere during dinner is warm and friendly. Guitars propped on walls and on our first night, a young Australian woman who missed her guitar during her travels, sang and played. We met people from many countries. The lodge has a feeling of being at home and the hospitality of the owner and his wife and Rakesh were outstanding. Ten stars here. And for the meals that were excellent and well priced. And ten stars for the warmth that we felt. After our 3-night stay, we checked out, but were able to store our luggage all day at the hotel branch across from the station. We were grateful for the convenience of the shuttle.

It is a budget-style hotel. It hasn't been recently renovated or refurnished. So it is old. The room is medium-sized and the bathroom is small. But it has all amenities and the room and bathroom are clean.

The people who own the place are lovely. They let us check in late, they put out free coffee, tea and lemonade and when we left they even drove us to the train station! Room was large and very comfortable, living room area to relax and tables to eat your food. Feels like you're at home!

Not a negative at all, but it is a little walk from the main town, mostly uphill which can be tough if you have a lot of bags. But the area is very beautiful in the forest so more than makes up for it

The hotel is in a beautiful spot in the woods and is in reasonable walking distance from the Tobu Nikkō station. The space is old and a bit worn but charming and the staff is great. It's a hotel with a feeling of a hostel for older people as there is a lounge for watching TV where you can meet and chat with other visitors, and tables where they serve breakfast and dinner. The french toast is always delicious. This is our second visit and we will always stay there whenever we go back to Nikkō.

Dust in the bedding always aggravates my allergies, but that's it.