Hatcho no Yu Hot Spring Ryokan

I cannot in words accurately describe the beauty and tranquility of this place. Many of the people I met there extended their stays because they loved it so much. If you want to escape the world, there is no better place. It is literally hidden deep in the mountains between waterfalls and a river. The inn itself is elegantly simple and purely Japanese. The rooms are a cross between alpine luxury lodges and traditional Japanese style ryokans. You can also get rooms with western style beds, but the futons here were the most comfortable on my whole trip, so I recommend going that way. The lounge is a mix of western and eastern culture that will make you feel adventurous and at home at the same time. The meals are traditional kaiseki (many courses), and the quality is gourmet restaurant grade. The service is the most attentive I had on my whole trip. One nice man even insisted on getting me a new pair of slippers to walk to the next room because I had forgotten mine. Because Nikko National Park is literally huge, you will only be able to see a small part of it by using the inn as a starting point. However there are plenty of options for hiking from this spot. They also offer guided treks throughout the seasons. If you have a chance to be guided by Kikuchi, you must do it, and tell him Cody San says hello. The onsens are beautiful and relaxing, with amazing views of a natural waterfall. Everything here is fresh and immaculate, with most of the facilities being newly renovated, while retaining an authentic style. They take absolute care of you here. Because I had to leave before breakfast, the kitchen even made me a very nice bento box for the train. The owner personally came to see me off, as did the guide I became friends with. The value for the price is seriously unbelievable. I cannot say that enough times. I am certain if you stay here you will be far from disappointed. Personally, after a very long adventure, this was the place to end my journey.

This is not a dislike. Just be aware that Hatch-no-Yu is not easily accessible. That is part of what makes it so amazing. It is good to know when planning that you will not make it there quickly. Once you get to the last train station you have another two hours by bus and shuttle, which only run 4 or 5 times a day. So plan on taking most of a day to journey there, and the same going back. That said, the journey is absolutely worth it.

This is such a beautiful onsen tucked away in the middle of the mountains. They have 6 onsens to choose from and 4 are outdoors. Two are unisex. This being our first trip to Japan we weren't to sure on the etiquette but the staff explained everything and made it easy. For those first time travellers like us the Unisex onsen is generally quite quiet but you are allowed to use towels provided and keep them on in the Onsen. For the same sex ones it is kind of expected to go without a towel. There is no shower in room or shared shower facilities at the property and the bathing area at the indoor male/female onsen is where you rinse off. Alternatively clean yourself at the basins provided. The surrounding area is wonderful for hiking and I suggest taking good hiking clothes and shoes. They offer busses from the nearby parking area to the lodge if you are self driving. You do need to contact them to tell them which bus you need to catch. You can also use the onsens after and before checkout time if you want to catch a later or earlier bus. As far as I'm aware there is a bus from Nikko to the parking area that services the lodges in the area but I did not ask the details of this as we opted to rent a car. Be sure to contact the property to pre-book the traditional dinner for at least one night. There are other meals in the lounge area available but I think the traditional dinner was a great experience for locals and travellers. Biggest advise is don't be afraid to ask what the etiquette is if you aren't sure. We just kept asking and staff were happy to answer our questions.

The location is gorgeous, the standard Japanese-style room are nice, well-equipped and spacious enough for 2 people. The food was excellent, and the Onsen was good. Overall friendly staff.

Before arriving as I didn’t get any answer to my message on Booking to arrange pick up, I directly called the hotel but was hang up on when the staff couldn’t speak english. Mixed baths are mostly occupied by men, women must be covered with a towel but none is provided and only the possibility to buy an extra one has been offered to us (only 1 small outdoor bath where women don’t have to be covered). The main problem for us was the temperature inside the facility, most of the heaters were turned off so it was very cold on the common areas (especially the shared bathroom).

The whole experience was beyond our expectations. Hacho No Yu is perfectly surrounded by nature, you really feel like you are in the middle of nowhere (in a good way) when you're there. There are trails leading from the property where you can explore the surrounding forest during day hikes if you please. The staff is all excellent and extremely accommodating. The food was delicious & really nicely presented. The onsen were the perfect way to end the day in complete relaxation. If you get the chance to go stargazing then would absolutely recommend that as well!

The wooden construction fits lovely with the natural surroundings. Breakfast and dinner were exceptional and are, next to the onsen, the second reason to travel to this location. The four outside located onsen have a great view on the surrounding natural environment. We were lucky re the weather: a few inches snow from the days before, no wind and sunny, allowed us to use the hiking paths up and down the river. Hiking booths recommended.

Rooms are relatively noisy. Movements of neighbors on their tatami matts trembled through ours. Sparse availability of towels, per guest you get 1 midsize towel per day, even though the main attraction are the various onsen. The hotel charges you for any extra towel, without upfront notification (in English). When the weather is bad, or when there is too much snow, hiking will be impossible so bring your own entertainment like a good book. Lunch menu is available, separately charged. We brought our own snacks. Plan your travel well, when using the right connections it took us at least 3 hours from Nikko Toshugu to this hotel.

A beautiful remote location with friendly helpful staff, delicious food kindly accommodating vegetarian options. The forest environment and onsen is worth the travel to get there, totally relaxing stay.

Disappointed they didn't respond to messages via booking.com so we had an anxious bus journey out to Meotobuchi Parking uncertain that we would be collected by their shuttle. Very relieved when they did collect us!! Also for 3 days as vegetarian, the food was delicious but a little repetitive.

Food was amazing, beautiful spot and the onsen were lovely. Staff were very friendly and helpful.

There were no instructions in the room, the QR code linked information was incomplete. Also, I think people come here to get away from technology, not to have to use more.

Outstanding place in the magical japanese mountains with fabulous Onsens. Friendliest staff. Delicious japanese food. Cozy, large and clean rooms. Exciting hiking to frozen waterfall and stargazing event. It was a wonderful experience! Thank you very much!

Although it takes a bit to reach the Ryokan, we really liked it there! It is surrounded by forest and very calm! We stayed one night and did a short hike when we arrived. The outdoor Onsen are super nice and mixed, which is very convenient if you want to spend time together. The staff was very nice and the food delicious!

We loved our stay! It’s in a quiet beautiful setting with lots of rivers and waterfalls and enchanted forests. The onsens were restorative. The food amazing.

Nothing!