"Positives: 1: staff exceptional, friendly and helpful. 2: very, very clean and comfortable; 3. Stunning location. I think all the rooms have lake view (which is across the road). Once the leaves are out it might be more obscured, but stil have a beautiful wilderness-type feel; 4 right on the yumoto onsen Tobu bus line. Easy to get to and from everywhere on that line. Busses run every 1/2 hour or so but the last bus drops off around 7pm, so it’s not a late night; 5. Indoor and outdoor onsen: I was usually in it by myself but it was also early spring off season.
The less positives: 1. no bar; 2 no outdoor sitting area (except a couple of benches); 3. While the onsen is nice to have, it’s not nice looking. Would be better to spruce it up with some greenery to hide the ugly fence surrounding; 4. No one informed us of the cafe where lunch can be served. It has a lovely porch and different menu.
The dining room gets its own category:
1. The breakfast is mediocre. My least favorite part of the stay. It’s served. Minimal choice. Eggs were strange We actually ordered a boxed breakfast one morning and it was better.
2. Dinner: the food was tasty but very,very expensive for what you get. Small portions.
3. Fine dining. If that’s what you want, that is what you get and pay for.
4. There’s not a lot of choice in town, so no choice but to eat here.
I would stay in Nikko and visit lake Chuzenji and do the marshland hike. Not to be missed. "